Seeds to Sow in November

Temperatures are on the cool side now—a bit of rain here, pockets of sun there, and a cold snap in the air. But the long growing season in Zone 9b offers a lot for you to engage in if you still have the bug for gardening in fall and winter. Leafy greens found in the Brassica family love our cool season, and so do root crops. With less direct inputs (water, amendments) into the garden, fewer insects to contend with, and extended growing times, cool season gardening doesn’t require close attention to produce great results. The best way to set it and forget it over the cool months in our region is to plant seed garlic, wildflowers, and cover crop in the weeks between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Here are our tips for success and a list of the best seeds to plant in November in Napa County.

Flowers and Vegetables

If you’re imagining a bright display of spring blooms that align with our climate, now is a great time to plant native wildflower seeds. Wildflowers benefit from cold stratification from November through February. Wildflower seeds need a period of time buried in cold, wet soil to break the seed’s dormancy and promote the germination process. When planted in the fall, wildflower seeds pop up with vigor as the soil warms. Other non-native flowers like hollyhock, nasturtium, Nigella, and sweet pea are all great to sow directly right now as well. Label where you plant these floral beauties and watch for surprises approaching spring. The best vegetables to grow from seed in November are those in the Brassica family (think arugula, broccoli, chard, mustard, etc.). They love mild winters in our region and are less pestered by insects in fall and winter. In addition, beets, lettuce, radish, and carrots are great cool season crops to grow. Because you can plant from seed now, you don’t have to spend time or money growing seedlings beforehand.

Garlic and Cover Crops

Planting garlic and cover crops in November convinced me that fall and winter is the easiest time of year to garden. You can produce a crop and amend your soil in one step! Plant the individual cloves inside an bulb of garlic (called “seed” garlic or garlic sets) to fill your beds now to reap abundant results in summer. Garlic’s long growing times (typically 8 to 9 months) and minimal watering requirements (usually the winter season’s rain is all that’s needed). Another way to “set it and forget it” is to fortify your soil during winter by planting cool season cover crops from seed to enrich your soil for spring gardening. Cover crops are grown primarily to benefit the soil, which improves the health and vigor of the crops planted after it. Cover crops add, scavenge, or balance soil nutrients as well as feed soil microorganisms. The suppress weeds, build soil structure, and prevent soil erosion. They break up compacted soil and help retain soil moisture. Some types of cover crops attract beneficial insects, and others trap and draw away competing insects away from planted crops. To get the best benefits from cover crops, plant cool season crops, cut them down before they flower, and blend the cut stems and leaves to add “green manure” (degrading carbon) into the soil. Watch video below to get some guidance on how to sow cover crops.

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Flowers 💐🌸🪻
Bluebell, Borage, Calendula, Cosmos, Coneflower (Echinacea), Hollyhock, Lupine, Marigold, Morning Glory, Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia), Nasturtium, Nigella, California Poppy, Scabiosa, Sunflower, Sweet Pea

California Native Wildflowers 🌼🌼🌼
California Buckwheat, California Poppy, Gumplant, Lacy Phacelia, Lupine, Tidy Tips

Vegetables 🥬🍅🥕
Arugula, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Carrots, Chard, Collards, Fava, Garlic, Lettuce, Kale, Leek, Mustard, Parsley, Peas, Radish, Rutabaga, Scallions, Sorrel, Shallots, Spinach, Turnip

Herbs 🌿🌱🪴
Chives, Cilantro, Sage

Garlic 🧄🧄🧄
California Early, Chesnok Red, Lorz Italian, Nootka Rose, Spanish Roja

Cool Season Cover Crops 🌾🎋🌾
Alfalfa, Barley, California Buckwheat, Winter Rye, Clover, Cowpea, Fava, Flax, Common Mustard, Winter Oat, Austrian Winter Pea. Lacy Phacelia. Winter Wheat, Vetch