November is not too late for the garden, only too late for certain crops. In the cold half of the country, garlic, spring-flowering bulbs and cover crops go in now, while tomatoes and peppers stay out. In the mild South and West, the month plays by different rules.
Look up your state’s first fall frost on its November page and plant by that, not by the date on the calendar.
What to plant in November: it depends on how close frost is
What goes in the ground in November depends on where the first fall frost falls against November, not on the calendar page. A gardener in a state where frost has already come and gone is doing a different job from one whose frost window is only now opening.
Three groups, plus one that has no frost to count
Sorting the 63 U.S. states and Canadian provinces and territories by where November falls against first fall frost at each reference city gives four groups. The U.S. figures come from NOAA’s 1991-2020 climate normals. The Canadian figures come from ECCC’s 1981-2010 normals.
| Group | How many of the 63 | Examples | What goes in the ground |
|---|---|---|---|
| First fall frost normally arrives before November | 42 | Colorado, Ohio, Maine | Garlic and spring-flowering bulbs once the soil has cooled and before the ground freezes. Cover crops on empty beds. Hardy greens are protected, not started from scratch. No tomatoes or peppers. |
| First fall frost window opens during November | 15 | Georgia, Oregon, Pennsylvania | The same list, with timing that shifts from state to state. Garlic and bulbs wait for cooled soil, cover crops go on empty beds, hardy greens are protected. |
| First fall frost normally comes after November | 3 | Louisiana, Nevada, Texas | Garlic and bulbs once the soil has cooled, and cover crops on empty beds. Your state page gives the timing. |
| No freeze in an average year, or no reliable fall freeze date | 3 | Arizona, California, Hawaii | The frost logic does not apply. The state page sets out what suits the month. |
These counts describe reference cities, and a reference city is one place. Your own garden may sit earlier or later in the same state.
What the table changes for you
If you are in the first group, the question for November is mostly about finishing and protecting. The soil is cooling, the season for tender crops is over, and the jobs left are the ones that work with cold. In the second group, you may still have a few mild days before the window opens, so the order of jobs matters more than the month. If you are in the third group, the ground may stay warm well into the month, and the task list is shorter because the gap between a mild afternoon and a hard freeze is wider. Anything left over can slide into what to plant in December.
All 63 state and province guides for November
Each guide below gives the month’s planting advice for one state or province. The zone range is the territory’s whole range, and the reference city is one place in it: your own county can differ by weeks.
Northeast
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Connecticut in November | 6a-7b (USDA) | Bridgeport | October 28 to November 10 |
| What to Plant in Maine in November | 3b-6a (USDA) | Portland | October 9 to October 21 |
| What to Plant in Massachusetts in November | 5a-7b (USDA) | Boston | November 3 to November 14 |
| What to Plant in New Hampshire in November | 3b-6a (USDA) | Manchester | October 13 to October 26 |
| What to Plant in New Jersey in November | 6a-7b (USDA) | Newark | November 4 to November 16 |
| What to Plant in New York in November | 3b-7b (USDA) | New York City | November 14 to November 27 |
| What to Plant in Pennsylvania in November | 5a-7b (USDA) | Philadelphia | November 5 to November 16 |
| What to Plant in Rhode Island in November | 6a-7b (USDA) | Providence | October 24 to November 3 |
| What to Plant in Vermont in November | 3b-5b (USDA) | Burlington | October 3 to October 13 |
Midwest
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Illinois in November | 5a-7b (USDA) | Chicago | October 24 to November 3 |
| What to Plant in Indiana in November | 5b-7a (USDA) | Indianapolis | October 21 to October 30 |
| What to Plant in Iowa in November | 4b-6a (USDA) | Des Moines | October 14 to October 25 |
| What to Plant in Kansas in November | 5b-7a (USDA) | Wichita | October 23 to November 2 |
| What to Plant in Michigan in November | 4a-6b (USDA) | Detroit | October 6 to October 21 (zone 6a) |
| What to Plant in Minnesota in November | 3a-5a (USDA) | Minneapolis | October 11 to October 23 |
| What to Plant in Missouri in November | 5b-7b (USDA) | Kansas City | October 18 to October 29 |
| What to Plant in Nebraska in November | 4a-5b (USDA) | Omaha | October 15 to October 26 |
| What to Plant in North Dakota in November | 3a-4b (USDA) | Fargo | September 25 to October 5 |
| What to Plant in Ohio in November | 5b-6b (USDA) | Columbus | October 5 to October 15 (zone 6a) |
| What to Plant in South Dakota in November | 3b-5b (USDA) | Sioux Falls | September 24 to October 4 |
| What to Plant in Wisconsin in November | 3b-6a (USDA) | Milwaukee | October 17 to October 29 |
Southeast
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Alabama in November | 7a-9a (USDA) | Huntsville | November 2 to November 16 |
| What to Plant in Arkansas in November | 6b-8a (USDA) | Little Rock | November 7 to November 20 |
| What to Plant in Delaware in November | 7a-8a (USDA) | Wilmington | October 26 to November 7 |
| What to Plant in Florida in November | 8b-11b (USDA) | Jacksonville | November 26 to December 13 |
| What to Plant in Georgia in November | 6a-9b (USDA) | Atlanta | November 13 to December 1 |
| What to Plant in Kentucky in November | 6a-7a (USDA) | Louisville | November 2 to November 12 |
| What to Plant in Louisiana in November | 8a-10a (USDA) | New Orleans | December 17 to January 8 |
| What to Plant in Maryland in November | 5b-8a (USDA) | Baltimore | October 26 to November 5 |
| What to Plant in Mississippi in November | 7b-9a (USDA) | Jackson | November 7 to November 22 |
| What to Plant in North Carolina in November | 5b-8b (USDA) | Charlotte | October 30 to November 8 |
| What to Plant in South Carolina in November | 7a-9a (USDA) | Charleston | November 20 to December 5 |
| What to Plant in Tennessee in November | 5b-8a (USDA) | Nashville | October 28 to November 8 |
| What to Plant in Virginia in November | 5a-8b (USDA) | Virginia Beach | November 10 to November 24 |
| What to Plant in West Virginia in November | 5a-7a (USDA) | Charleston | October 18 to November 1 |
Southwest
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Arizona in November | 4b-10b (USDA) | Phoenix | no reliable fall freeze; see the note |
| What to Plant in New Mexico in November | 4b-9a (USDA) | Albuquerque | October 29 to November 9 |
| What to Plant in Oklahoma in November | 6a-8a (USDA) | Oklahoma City | October 29 to November 8 |
| What to Plant in Texas in November | 6a-10a (USDA) | Houston | December 1 to December 19 |
West
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Alaska in November | 1a-8a (USDA) | Anchorage | September 22 to October 1 |
| What to Plant in California in November | 5a-11a (USDA) | Los Angeles | no freeze occurs in an average year |
| What to Plant in Colorado in November | 3b-7b (USDA) | Denver | September 30 to October 12 |
| What to Plant in Hawaii in November | 9a-13a (USDA) | Honolulu | no freeze occurs in inhabited areas |
| What to Plant in Idaho in November | 3b-7b (USDA) | Boise | October 7 to October 21 |
| What to Plant in Montana in November | 3a-6a (USDA) | Billings | October 1 to October 14 |
| What to Plant in Nevada in November | 4a-10a (USDA) | Las Vegas | December 8 to December 23 |
| What to Plant in Utah in November | 4a-9a (USDA) | Salt Lake City | October 18 to October 29 |
| What to Plant in Wyoming in November | 3a-6a (USDA) | Cheyenne | September 24 to October 5 |
Pacific Northwest
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Oregon in November | 4a-9b (USDA) | Portland | November 11 to November 27 |
| What to Plant in Washington in November | 4a-9a (USDA) | Seattle | November 13 to November 30 |
Canada (provinces and territories)
| Guide | Hardiness zone range | Reference city | Normal first fall frost |
|---|---|---|---|
| What to Plant in Alberta in November | 4a (Canadian system, not USDA) | Calgary | on average September 16 |
| What to Plant in British Columbia in November | 9a (Canadian system, not USDA) | Vancouver | on average November 10 |
| What to Plant in Manitoba in November | 3b (Canadian system, not USDA) | Winnipeg | on average September 22 |
| What to Plant in New Brunswick in November | 5a (Canadian system, not USDA) | Moncton | on average October 2 |
| What to Plant in Newfoundland and Labrador in November | 6a (Canadian system, not USDA) | St. John's | on average October 17 |
| What to Plant in Northwest Territories in November | 1b (Canadian system, not USDA) | Yellowknife | on average September 18 |
| What to Plant in Nova Scotia in November | 6b (Canadian system, not USDA) | Halifax | on average October 18 |
| What to Plant in Nunavut in November | 0a (Canadian system, not USDA) | Rankin Inlet | on average September 13 |
| What to Plant in Ontario in November | 7a (Canadian system, not USDA) | Toronto | on average October 16 |
| What to Plant in Prince Edward Island in November | 5b (Canadian system, not USDA) | Charlottetown | on average October 17 |
| What to Plant in Quebec in November | 5b (Canadian system, not USDA) | Montreal | on average October 5 |
| What to Plant in Saskatchewan in November | 3a (Canadian system, not USDA) | Saskatoon | on average September 18 |
| What to Plant in Yukon in November | 1b (Canadian system, not USDA) | Whitehorse | on average August 25 |
Frost dates for every state and province are on the first and last frost dates by state page.
What goes in the ground in November
Three jobs make up November planting in cold climates. All three work because the soil is cooling and the season ahead is dormant.
Garlic and spring-flowering bulbs
Plant garlic and spring-flowering bulbs in autumn, **once the soil has cooled and ahead of the ground freezing**. Both need the cold months underground to do their work, so planting them is a bet on winter, not a fight against it. Plant garlic cloves pointed end up. Plant bulbs with the pointed tip up and the flat root plate down.
The window is the part gardeners get wrong. Too early and warm soil pushes top growth you do not want. Too late and the ground is too hard to dig. Your state’s November page gives the timing for your state, and your county extension office can narrow it further.
Cover crops on empty beds
Sow cover crops on any bed you have emptied and do not plan to refill until spring. Bare soil takes winter rain and wind on the chin, and a cover crop holds it in place and feeds it when you turn it under. Do the job once the last crop is out and before the ground freezes. Choose the seed mix with your county extension office, since the right one depends on how cold your winter runs.
Hardy greens: protect, don’t restart
If you already have hardy greens growing, **protect them rather than starting new ones from scratch late in the season**. A row cover, a low tunnel or a cold frame over what is already established does more than a fresh sowing that has no time to size up. Seedlings started now are small and exposed when the hardest cold arrives. Established plants have roots and leaf area to ride it out.
Throughout this section, the timing that matters is the timing in your own state. That lives on the state page for the month, linked from the table below.
What not to plant in November, even on a warm afternoon
**Tomatoes and peppers are not planted out in autumn in cold climates.** They are warm-season crops, and the season they need is over. A single mild day does not change that.
A warm afternoon tells you about the air, not the soil. Soil warms slowly and cools slowly, and in November it is on its way down while the sun still feels pleasant at midday. A transplant set into cooling soil sits there doing nothing, and the next hard frost finishes it. You also give up a bed you could have used for garlic or a cover crop.
The mild third of the country is a different case, and the groups in the first section show where. Even there, a tomato planted in November is working against the shortening days. Warm-season planting belongs to spring, and the neighbouring guide to what to plant in May covers that side of the year.
If a bed stands empty and you feel the urge to fill it, use the November jobs: a cover crop, a row of garlic, or a layer of protection over greens already growing.
Reading the dates: United States and Canada are not measured the same way
The U.S. dates on the state pages come from NOAA’s 1991-2020 climate normals. They describe a freeze-probability window: the span in which the chance of a 32F freeze sits between 30 and 70 percent. A window is not a single day, and it should be read as a range.
The Canadian dates come from ECCC’s 1981-2010 climate normals, and they are an average date. Different period, different measure. **Never set a Canadian date next to an American one as if they were the same kind of number.** A window and an average answer different questions, and the two sets cover different decades.
Zones follow the same split. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 edition, applies to the United States only. Canada uses its own plant hardiness zone system, so a Canadian zone is never a USDA zone, and a zone number from one country does not translate to a zone number in the other. A U.S. state spans a range of USDA zones, which is why each state page gives a range and not a single number.
Every date is read at a reference city. That city is one place, and it does not stand for the whole territory. Texas spans four USDA zones, and Houston, its reference city, sits at the mild end. Your own garden may fall earlier or later than the figure on the page, especially if you garden on a hillside, at elevation or near open water.
Find your own date
Start with the table of state and province pages below this section. **Find your state or province, then open its page for the month.** It shows the zone range, the reference city and the normal frost window, which is the information you need to place yourself among the four groups.
Then check the timing against your county. The local cooperative extension office knows how your county differs from the reference city, and it can tell you when the ground in your area usually cools and freezes. A phone call or a visit to its website takes five minutes and is worth more than any generalized date.
For the freeze figures behind the whole month, use the frost dates by state page on this site. It lays the same data out for planning beyond November.
If you are catching up on the month before, the October planting guide sorts the same 63 states and provinces against that month’s frost.
Common questions
Can I plant garlic in November if the ground has not frozen yet?
Yes, and that is the ideal situation. Garlic goes in once the soil has cooled and before the ground freezes, so unfrozen ground means you are still within the window. Check your state page for the timing in your state, since it varies a lot from one climate to the next.
I forgot to plant my spring bulbs. Is it too late?
Not as long as you can still dig. Bulbs left out of the ground do not improve, so plant them as soon as the soil is workable, before it freezes. If the ground is already frozen solid, store the bulbs somewhere cool and dry until you can plant them, and expect a weaker first show.
Can I start hardy greens from seed in November?
You can, but a late sowing in a cold climate is a poor bet. The better move is to protect greens that are already growing with a row cover, low tunnel or cold frame. In the mild states, your state page says what suits the month.
My state has no freeze in an average year. Do the same rules apply?
Not the frost-based ones. If you are in Arizona, California or Hawaii, the idea of planting ahead of a freeze does not fit your climate. Use your state’s November page, which is written for where you actually garden, and check with your county extension office for local timing.
Confirm current rules and local timing with your state’s cooperative extension office before acting.