November Vegetable Gardening in Alabama: Cool Days, Steady Harvests

November in Alabama feels calm. The light gets soft. The air turns crisp. Soil still holds warmth from fall. In other words, we get one more strong push for cool-season crops. We can plant new beds. We can protect what we started in October. We can even set the stage for winter greens and spring glory. Together, we will make this month count.

This deep guide shows you what to plant, how to prepare, and how to protect in every part of the state—north, central, and the Gulf Coast. We keep the steps simple. We keep the pace steady. Most of all, we make it doable for busy lives.

Why November Works in Alabama

Cool nights sweeten roots and greens. Daytime temps often land between 50–70°F. Pests slow down. Water needs drop. Soil biology is still active. That means fast germination for hardy seeds and strong recovery for transplants.

We also get time. Less mowing. Fewer weeds. Slower growth, yes, but steadier growth too. With a little cover on cold nights, our gardens keep chugging along. Instead of shutting down, we lean in.

Know Your Spot: North, Central, and the Coast

Alabama stretches across several growing zones. Your first frost date guides your choices.

• North Alabama (Zones ~7a–7b): You likely have regular frosts now. Some nights dip well below freezing. Focus on hardy greens, roots, row covers, and cold frames. Short-season crops still work in protected beds and tunnels.
• Central Alabama (Zones ~7b–8a): Frost arrives but often late and light. You can still sow quick greens and set transplants. Row covers become standard gear.
• South Alabama & Gulf Coast (Zones ~8b–9a): Frost may stay away until late month or even December. You get the widest menu. Direct-seed more often. Plant successions all month. Plan to protect only on a few cold nights.

Microclimates matter. Low spots freeze first. Brick walls store heat. Fences break wind. Watch where dew lingers, where frost shows, and where it fades fast. Let your yard teach you.

What to Plant in November

Think hardy. Think cold-tolerant. Think foods that taste better after a chill.

Fast Salad Greens

• Arugula: Quick and peppery. Great for bands or broadcast sowing.
• Spinach: Extra sweet after frost. Choose savoy or semi-savoy for toughness.
• Lettuce: Loose-leaf and romaine types still work, especially with cover.
• Mizuna & Asian Mixes: Tender, mild, and productive under cloth.

Hearty Greens

• Kale: Curly, Russian, and lacinato. Frost just makes it sweeter.
• Collards: A true Alabama classic. Cold hardy and generous.
• Mustard Greens: Bold, bright flavor. Fast from seed.
• Swiss Chard: Handles light frosts and keeps color in the bed.

Roots for Winter Bowls

• Radishes: 25–35 days. Keep sowing small patches.
• Turnips: Roots and greens in one crop.
• Beets: Slower now, but baby greens come fast.
• Carrots: Sweeten after cold snaps. Great in raised beds for straight roots.

Alliums for Later

• Garlic: Still time to plant. Softneck for the Coast; try hardneck up north.
• Bunching Onions: Direct-seed or set small clumps.
• Shallots & Multiplier Onions: Plant now, enjoy next year.

Cool-Season Herbs

• Cilantro: Flourishes in cool weather. Slow to bolt now.
• Parsley: Tough, steady, and cold tolerant.
• Dill: Quick pop of flavor; plant near a protected edge.

Brassica Transplants (use protection on cold nights)

• Broccoli: Heads and then side shoots if protected.
• Cabbage: Choose compact, early types for a quicker finish.
• Cauliflower: Needs the warmest microclimate and consistent cover.

If you are in North Alabama, lean harder on greens and roots, and protect brassicas often. If you are on the Coast, you can still do it all.

Soil Prep for Chilly Days

Healthy soil cushions plants against stress. November is about gentle improvement.

• Compost blanket: Add 1–2 inches to each bed. Do not overwork; a rake is enough.
• pH check: Most veggies like 6.0–6.8. Light lime on sour soils, but go easy if you are not sure.
• Slow nutrition: Well-aged manure, leaf mold, cottonseed meal, or a mild organic blend.
• Mulch: Leaves, pine straw, or clean straw. Mulch after seedlings stand 2–3 inches tall. Mulch right away around transplants.

Mulch is your quiet helper. It stabilizes soil temps, holds moisture, and stops mud splash on leaves.

Direct-Seed vs. Transplant in November

Both work. Timing and cover make the difference.

• Direct-seed: arugula, spinach, mizuna, mustard, radish, turnip, carrots, cilantro, dill, and bunching onions.
• Transplant: kale, collards, chard, broccoli, cabbage, and head lettuces.

If a cold snap is coming, wait two days after it passes to direct-seed. Warm soil speeds germination. If you must seed before a cold night, lay row cover right after sowing to keep the surface warm.

Smart Spacing That Fits the Season

Tighter spacing helps in cool months. It shades soil, blocks weeds, and buffers wind.

• Radish: 2–3 inches.
• Turnip: 3–4 inches for roots; closer for greens.
• Carrot: Thin to 2 inches.
• Beet: 3–4 inches (remember each seed is a cluster).
• Arugula/Mizuna/Spinach: Band-sow 4–6 inches wide, thin for salads.
• Kale/Collards/Chard: 12–18 inches.
• Broccoli/Cabbage: 16–20 inches.
• Lettuce: 6–8 inches for loose-leaf; 8–10 inches for small heads.

Think blocks, not long lonely rows. Blocks are easy to cover and easy to harvest.

Watering in November

Plants drink less now. But they still need steady moisture.

• Aim for about 1 inch per week, rain plus irrigation.
• Water deeply but less often.
• Morning watering is best. Leaves dry before nightfall.
• In sandy coastal soils, increase frequency a bit while staying deep.

Under cover, beds dry slower. Check soil with your finger. If the top inch is dry, water.

Feeding for Flavor and Strength

Cool-season crops love a steady, light feed.

• Mix a gentle fertilizer into the top few inches before planting.
• Side-dress heavy feeders (broccoli, cabbage, kale) 3–4 weeks after transplanting.
• Use compost tea or fish emulsion if plants look pale, but do not overdo nitrogen. We want tight flavor and firm growth, not floppy leaves.

After more than one hard frost, growth slows. Feed less then. Keep soil biology happy with compost and mulch.

Frost, Freeze, and Simple Protection

Frost is normal. Freeze happens. We plan and keep going.

Who Loves the Cold

• Kale, collards, carrots, and turnips get sweeter after frost.
• Spinach shrugs off cold with thicker leaves.
• Radishes stay crisp in light frosts.

Who Needs a Blanket

• Lettuce and chard appreciate covers on freezing nights.
• Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower need steady protection to keep heads tight and leaves healthy.

Tools That Work

• Floating row cover (0.5–1.0 oz/yd²): Adds 2–6°F and reduces wind.
• Hoops: Keep the fabric off leaves, prevent freeze burn.
• Old sheets or towels: Use in a pinch; remove next morning.
• Cloche jars or cut milk jugs: Great for single prized plants.
• Mulch collars: Keep roots warm and crowns dry.

Cover before sunset to trap heat. Vent covers by late morning to avoid heat and moisture buildup on sunny days.

Pests and Problems in the Shoulder Season

Pressure drops, but we still watch.

• Cabbage worms/loopers: Still possible. Hand-pick. Use covers to block moths.
• Aphids: Rinse with a firm water blast. Encourage ladybugs by avoiding broad sprays.
• Slugs and snails: Trap with boards or shallow dishes. A light iron phosphate bait helps.
• Leaf miners (beets, chard): Remove damaged leaves fast. Covers prevent egg-laying.

Disease:

• Water the soil, not the leaves.
• Thin for airflow under cover.
• Clip yellowing brassica leaves and remove from the garden.
• Rotate beds so brassicas do not follow brassicas.

Clean beds grow clean food. Simple as that.

Raised Beds, Containers, and Small Spaces

November is friendly to small-space growers.

• Raised beds hold heat and drain well. They are perfect for carrots, beets, and salads.
• Containers excel with greens. Use potting mix, not garden soil.
• Window boxes give you arugula, spinach, mizuna, and baby lettuce on demand.
• Tough planters near a south wall create a cozy microclimate.

Water containers more often on dry, windy days. Cover them at night during a freeze, then vent in the morning.

Shade, Sun, and Short Days

The sun sits lower. Beds shift from full sun to part sun. Use that shift.

• Put broccoli and cabbage in your sunniest spots.
• Move lettuce, spinach, cilantro, and mizuna to gentle afternoon shade if you get warm spells.
• Trim low branches or relocate movable containers to catch more winter light.

As days shorten, growth slows. Plant a bit thicker and harvest baby leaves often to keep salads coming.

Succession Planting in November

Yes, we still stagger.

• Every 10–14 days: sow small patches of radishes, arugula, and spinach.
• Alternate bands: carrots and turnips in raised beds.
• Interplanting: tuck lettuce between young kale; plant green onions along the edges of broccoli; sow dill near cabbage for fragrant borders.

Instead of one big planting, we build layers. This keeps harvests steady and beds full.

Cover Crops for Open Ground

Bare soil is wasted soil. Feed it now.

• Crimson clover: Fixes nitrogen, supports pollinators in spring, and looks gorgeous.
• Winter rye: Tough roots for erosion control; best for sloped or windy spots.
• Oats: Easier to terminate in spring; great where you will plant early crops.

Rake the surface, scatter seed, scratch it in, and water once. Done. In spring, cut and compost, then plant your warm-season stars.

A Simple Week-by-Week Plan for November

Week 1: Reset and Ready

• Clear spent summer remains if any still linger.
• Spread 1–2 inches of compost and rake smooth.
• Install hoops now so covers are easy to pull.

Week 2: Seed the Quick, Tuck the Strong

• Direct-seed arugula, spinach, radish, turnip, cilantro, and dill.
• Transplant kale, collards, chard, and head lettuces.
• Water in with a mild compost tea.

Week 3: Protect and Mulch

• Add mulch around transplants and at row edges.
• Cut row cover to length; clip it to hoops.
• Side-dress brassicas lightly.

Week 4: Garlic Day and Soil Care

• Plant garlic and any remaining bunching onions.
• Sow cover crops in open beds.
• Check your frost kit: covers, clips, sandbags, and labels.

This plan keeps you moving without stress. Small steps. Big results.

Sample 4-Bed November Layout

Bed 1 – Salad Engine

• Band-sow arugula, mizuna, and spinach in alternating stripes.
• Tuck green onions at the back edge.
• Keep a row cover folded at the path for quick pulls.

Bed 2 – Roots and Crunch

• Carrots in two bands; radishes in a third; turnips in a fourth.
• Thin lightly as greens size up.
• Mulch paths to keep shoes and beds clean.

Bed 3 – Brassica Backbone

• Down the center: broccoli transplants.
• On the sides: kale and chard.
• Hoops and cover always ready. Side-dress in three weeks.

Bed 4 – Next Year’s Promise

• Garlic in double rows, 6 inches between cloves, 8–10 inches between rows.
• Fill the open end with crimson clover as a living mulch.
• Mulch with chopped leaves after shoots appear.

Harvest Timeline You Can Expect

• Radish: 25–35 days from seed.
• Arugula/Mizuna: Baby harvest in 15–20 days; cut and come again.
• Spinach: Baby in 25–30 days; mature in 40–50.
• Lettuce: Baby in 25–35 days; small heads in 45–60 with cover.
• Turnip: Greens in 25–30 days; roots in 40–55.
• Beet: Baby greens in ~20 days; roots in 60–80 with protection.
• Carrot: 60–90 days, sweeter after a freeze.
• Kale/Collards/Chard: Pick outer leaves as they size up; plants keep giving.
• Broccoli: 60–80 days from transplant with cover; side shoots keep coming.

Harvest in the cool morning. Rinse with cold water. Chill fast. You’ll taste the difference at dinner.

Kitchen Joy: Simple November Plates

• Sheet-Pan Roots: Carrots, turnips, and beets with oil and salt. Roast until the edges caramelize.
• Warm Greens Sauté: Kale and collards with garlic and a splash of vinegar.
• Arugula and Citrus Salad: Toss with olive oil, lemon, and toasted pecans.
• Spinach and Eggs: Quick wilt in a pan, then add eggs for a cozy breakfast.
• Broccoli with Lemon Butter: Bright, sweet, and simple.

We grow for flavor and comfort. November delivers both.

Troubleshooting When It’s Cold

Seeds slow to sprout.
Soil is cold or dry. Wait for a warm window, or use row cover to warm the surface. Keep seedbeds evenly moist.

Leggy transplants under cover.
Vent covers on sunny days. Add light. Space plants so leaves do not touch fabric.

Yellowing brassica leaves.
Hungry or water-logged. Side-dress with compost and check drainage. Clip the lowest old leaves.

Holes in tender greens.
Likely caterpillars or slugs. Hand-pick, set traps, and keep fabric off leaves with hoops.

Heads not forming on broccoli/cauliflower.
Cold stress or low fertility. Feed lightly, keep evenly moist, and use covers to smooth temperature swings.

Carrots forked or twisted.
Soil is lumpy or too rich with fresh manure. Next time, loosen deeply and use compost instead of fresh manure.

Tools and Supplies to Stage Now

• Hoops cut to your bed width
• Floating row cover (light to medium weight)
• Spring clips or clothespins
• Mulch: shredded leaves, straw, or pine straw
• Compost or well-aged manure
• Mild organic fertilizer
• Watering wand and hose
• Hand fork, trowel, and snips
• Labels and a weatherproof marker

Keep these in a tote near the garden gate. When tools are close, we act fast.

Planning Beyond November

We plant now to eat now, and to set up the months ahead.

December:

• Keep harvesting spinach, kale, collards, and baby lettuces.
• Re-sow small patches of arugula and radish under cover after warm spells.
• Watch the forecast. Cover before hard freezes. Vent on bright days.

January:

• Top-dress beds with sifted compost around perennials and garlic.
• Sketch spring plans. Note what thrived in each bed.
• Start saving leaves and cardboard for new raised beds.

February (a peek):

• Start onion seeds and early brassicas indoors up north.
• Coast growers can trial early potatoes and sugar snaps in protected beds.
• Refresh covers, repair hoops, and clear paths for quick access.

After more than one season, you’ll see the rhythm. Fall sets the table for spring.

Quick Wins This Week

1. Seed a salad strip of arugula and spinach under row cover.
2. Plant garlic in double rows. Mulch after emergence.
3. Tuck kale transplants beside a sunny wall.
4. Cut row cover to fit every bed and label each roll.
5. Mulch pathways with leaves to stop mud and weeds.

Small moves stack up. This is how we win the shoulder season.

Mind the Weather—But Keep Going

November can bring a tropical soaker on the Coast and a sharp freeze up north. We plan for both.

• Build drainage with raised beds and mulched paths.
• Stage sandbags or rocks to anchor row covers.
• After heavy rain, rinse leaf surfaces and re-fluff mulch.
• After a hard freeze, wait for thaw to harvest fragile leaves; break frozen leaves crack easily.
• Record what worked in a simple notebook. You’ll thank yourself next year.

We do not chase perfection. We chase steady progress.

Why This Month Matters

November grows food now. It also builds soil for next season. Compost today becomes flavor tomorrow. Garlic now becomes summer delight. Cover crops now become spring power.

But most of all, November gives us peace. The pace slows. The garden breathes. We harvest what we need, share what we can, and rest knowing the beds are tucked in.

So let’s keep planting. Let’s keep protecting. Let’s keep tasting what our Alabama fall can do.

Crisp Mornings, Sweet Greens, Steady Hands

We live in a state where fall does not mean “stop.” It means “shift.” We plant hardy seeds. We tuck in transplants. We pull covers on cold nights. Instead of fighting the weather, we work with it. After more than one November, you will know this dance. You will feel the rhythm. And you will eat well—crisp mornings, sweet greens, steady hands, and a garden that keeps on giving.