Veggie seeds that can be planted in November
The table below lists which vegetable seeds can be planted this month in North East Melbourne. In addition, for each vegetable, it shows: how it should be planted (direct, seed trays, etc); how far apart to plant it; its lifecycle (annual, perennial, etc); its crop rotation group (for those doing crop rotation); and its moon phase planting quarter (for those doing moon phase planting). It is an extract from our North East Melbourne veggie & herb planting guide.
| Plant | Planting method | Plant spacing | Rotation planting group | Moon phase planting quarter | Plant type |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Asparagus | crowns | 30cm | in its own bed | 3rd | perennial |
 | Beans | sow direct | 7cm | legumes | 2nd | annual |
 | Beetroot | sow direct | 20cm | roots | 3rd | biennial grown as annual |
 | Carrot | sow direct | 10cm | roots | 3rd | biennial grown as annual |
 | Chives | sow direct or in seed trays | 5cm | anywhere | 3rd | perennial |
 | Cucumber | sow direct | 2-3 in a mound | cucurbits | 2nd | annual |
 | Globe artichoke | sow direct | 90cm | in its own bed | 3rd | perennial |
 | Gourd | sow direct | 2-3 in a mound | cucurbits | 2nd | annual |
 | Jerusalem artichoke | tubers | 45cm | in its own bed | 3rd | perennial grown as annual |
 | Lettuce | sow direct or in seed trays | 20cm | anywhere | 1st | annual or biennial |
 | Mizuna | sow direct | 20cm | brassicas | 1st | biennial grown as annual |
 | Mustard greens | sow direct | 30cm | brassicas | 1st | annual |
 | Okra | in seed trays | 30cm | anywhere | 2nd | annual |
 | Parsley | sow direct | 20cm | anywhere | 1st | biennial grown as annual |
 | Peanut | sow direct | 30cm | legumes | 2nd | perennial grown as annual |
 | Potato | tubers | 30cm | solanums | 3rd | perennial grown as annual |
 | Pumpkin | sow direct | 2-3 in a mound | cucurbits | 2nd | annual |
 | Radish | sow direct | 5cm | anywhere | 3rd | annual |
 | Rocket | sow direct | 25cm | brassicas | 1st | annual |
 | Silverbeet | sow direct | 20cm | anywhere | 1st | biennial |
 | Sweet potato | tubers | 30cm | roots | 3rd | perennial grown as annual |
 | Sweetcorn | sow direct | 20cm | cucurbits | 1st | annual |
Crop rotation
As fruity things, cucurbits (cucumbers, etc) and solanums (tomatoes, etc) are heavy feeders. Brassicas (cabbages, etc) are medium feeders. As rooty things, alliums (onions, etc) and umbellifers (carrots, etc) are light feeders. Legumes (beans, etc) are non-feeders (they can fix their own nitrogen). Many leafy greens (lettuce, spinach, silverbeet, etc) don’t have much impact on the soil and can thus be planted anywhere. So, one sensible crop rotation would be:
- Legumes (beans, peas, etc).
- Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, etc).
- Alliums (onions, leeks, etc).
- Cucurbits (cucumber, pumpkin, etc).
- Umbellifers (carrots, etc).
- Solanums (tomatoes, potatoes, etc).
This is a 6-year crop rotation. To make it shorter, you have to do one or more of three things:
- Combine some things: so, for example, combine alliums and umbellifers as ‘roots’.
- Omit some things: so, for example, never plant brassicas.
- Plant a cool season crop (e.g. brassicas) followed by a warm season crop (e.g. solanums or cucurbits) into a single bed over the course of a year.
You also have to decide whether the annual rotation should be in Spring or in Autumn.
For a comprehensive discussion of crop rotation, read Angelo Eliades’ article.
Moon phase planting
Lots of people (including, by anecdote, many farmers) practice moon-phase planting whereby different types of veggie are planted at different times in the moon’s 28-day cycle.
The basic idea/assumption/rationale/sophistry is that one wants to root crops to grow downwards, and thus when the upward pull of the moon is lessening, and thus when the moon is waning. By contrast, one wants leafy and fruity crops to grow upwards, and thus when the upward pull of the moon is increasing, and thus when the moon is waxing. This gives the following phasing:
- 1st quarter: leafy – plant crops where one eats the leaves/foliage.
- 2nd quarter: fruits – plant crops where one eats the fruit.
- 3rd quarter: roots – plant root crops.
- 4th quarter: have a rest!
This is so helpful, thank you so much Guy !
Thanks for the thanks, Karin!
Great advice.
Such an amazing site, thanks for all the info.
I have a question about moon phase planting though as i have never come across it before… how does it work when the moon has the same mass all month… the size of the moon is constant, only what is visible changes, so i guess the “pull” of the moon referring to the amount of light reflected at different times of the month? thanks is advance for response.
Hi Emily,
Thanks for your kind words which are much appreciated.
You sound like you understand the physics! But I’m not sure that physics is the right starting point when thinking about moon phase planting! Here are two reasons for following moon phase planting.
1. Discipline reasons. Consider capsicum seeds, which are best planted in August or September. There will be usually be precisely one week in August, and another in September, where the moon is in its 2nd quarter. So, you only have two opportunities in the whole year to plant capsicum seeds and if you miss both these opportunities then you won’t have any capsicum plants. So, if you want homegrown capsicums, then you have to be organised and disciplined to get your act together in these two weeks.
2. Cadence reasons. Those of us who are retired know that days and weeks can flow into each other, with time passing and little rhythm to one’s life. Anything that makes one day different than another, or one week different than another, is welcome.
Guy
Hi Emily, I think of it like the pull of the tides, as the Moon is waxing (growing to full from the new moon) the sap/energy is rising and as it is waning, after full moon to new moon the sap/energy is opposite, hence root crops in 3rd quarter. A good starting point for thinking about the energy of the Moon and a general rule of thumb for all things moon related, Wicca as well, is waxing, bring to you, waning, push away.
….so I shouldn’t plant while I have the opportunity, now, during full moon?
Hi Ron,
Correct (if you are doing moon phase planting)!
Is the 2nd quarter the full moon? Also why are some moon calendars saying that 2nd quarter is for root vegetables? Thanks.
Hi Slavica,
The full moon is at the end of the 2nd quarter. All moon phase calendars that I have ever looked at have said that the 3rd (or, possibly, 4th) quarters are for root vegetables.
Is 1st quarter the period from new moon to half moon?
Yes.
Excellent advice, thanks.
Wonderful advice. Thank you.
Amazing, thanks.