Everything you need to plant this month, written for a small raised bed on the Santa Cruz County coast. There’s nothing to sign up for. Read it here, and come back next month for the next one.
This month: November
If you’re starting now, this Starter fills every square in your bed, tucks smaller plants around the big ones, and leaves some pots to give away. Sow in newspaper pots, then plant on Saturday, December 19. You have until Sunday, December 20.
| By Sat, Nov 7 | Sow broccoli |
| By Sat, Nov 21 | Sow kale, lettuce and cilantro |
| By Sat, Nov 28 | Sow snap peas |
| By Sat, Dec 5 | Sow radishes |
| Fri, Dec 11 | Start giving your seedlings more time in open air |
| Sat, Dec 19 | Plant your bed and give the rest away |
What to sow
| Crop | Variety | Seeds per pot | 2 x 4 bed | 2 x 4 give | 4 x 4 bed | 4 x 4 give |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | Happy Rich F1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Kale | Winterbor F1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Lettuce | Muir Organic | 1 | 4 | – | 8 | – |
| Cilantro | Calypso | 9 | 1 | – | 2 | – |
| Snap pea | Super Sugar Snap | 2 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 8 |
| Radish (tucked in) | Rover F1 | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | – |
| Total pots | 19 | 12 | 38 | 24 |
That’s 31 newspaper pots for a 2 x 4, or 62 for a 4 x 4. Sow a few spares too, about 1 extra for every 5. One packet of each seed from Johnny’s Selected Seeds is plenty, and the variety names above link to each one. Snap peas climb, so add a trellis along the north side of your bed.
Where it all goes
Stand facing north. Columns A to D run left to right, and row 1 is the north edge. Each square is 1 foot and shows how many pots go in it. A plus sign means tuck that pot in around the main plant. A 2 x 4 uses rows 1 and 2. A 4 x 4 uses all four.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snap pea, 4 pots | Snap pea, 4 pots | Kale, 1 pot | Kale, 1 pot |
| 2 | Broccoli, 1 pot + 1 radish | Broccoli, 1 pot + 1 radish | Lettuce, 4 pots | Cilantro, 1 pot |
| 3 | Snap pea, 4 pots | Snap pea, 4 pots | Kale, 1 pot | Kale, 1 pot |
| 4 | Broccoli, 1 pot + 1 radish | Broccoli, 1 pot + 1 radish | Lettuce, 4 pots | Cilantro, 1 pot |
Also this month, for landscaping
Growing for a school’s grounds, a nonprofit’s front walk or a community path? These can start from seed in newspaper pots now.
California natives: California buckwheat, coffeeberry, baby blue eyes, Chinese houses and blue-eyed grass.
Edible and medicinal flowers: calendula, Johnny jump up, bachelor’s button and German chamomile.
Some of these need a little extra care, like time in the fridge, and most natives are best planted as the rains begin. The printable guide has how to sow each one, when it’s ready to give, and where to find native seed.
Rolling newspaper pots
- Cut a strip of black and white newsprint, about 5.5 x 13 inches. Skip glossy or color pages.
- Roll it around a 2-inch jar or can, with about 1.5 inches hanging off the end.
- Fold the overhang into the bottom and press the jar down to flatten it.
- Fill it with seed-starting mix, not potting soil, and sow.
Rolling this many pots goes faster with a little help. This is the pot maker I use, but a jar or can works just fine.
Caring for your seedlings
- Light: a bright, sheltered spot outside. On a windowsill, seedlings tend to grow tall and floppy.
- Water: pour water into the tray and let the pots drink from below. Paper dries fast, so check every day, but don’t leave them soggy.
- Toughen up: about 8 days before planting, start giving them more time in open air.
- Plant: gently open the bottom and plant the whole pot. Bury the paper rim completely, and don’t pull the roots out.
The year at a glance
You can begin in any month. Each row is a Starter that fills your whole bed. Each crop has its own sow by date, and the first one is shown here. Past it? Start with the next month, or skip that crop for now.
| Starter | First sow by | Plant and give | Main crops | Tucked in around them |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | Nov 7 | Dec 19 | Snap peas, broccoli, kale | Lettuce, radish, cilantro |
| December 2026 | Dec 5 | Jan 16 | Fava beans, cabbage, beets | Lettuce, dill |
| January 2027 | Jan 9 | Feb 20 | Snap peas, cauliflower, beets | Spinach, scallions, arugula |
| February 2027 | Feb 6 | Mar 20 | Broccoli, cabbage, chard | Lettuce, radish, cilantro |
| March 2027 | Mar 13 | Apr 17 | Snap peas, kale, beets, chard | Lettuce, radish, calendula |
| April 2027 | Apr 3 | May 15 | Tomato, zucchini, bush beans | Basil, radish, lettuce |
| May 2027 | May 8 | Jun 19 | Tomato, zucchini, cucumber | Basil, bush beans, nasturtium, sunflower |
| June 2027 | Jun 5 | Jul 17 | Cherry tomato, zucchini, cucumber | Basil, bush beans, radish |
| July 2027 | Jul 10 | Aug 21 | Zucchini, cucumber, bush beans | Basil, beets, chard |
| August 2027 | Aug 7 | Sep 18 | Broccoli, cabbage, kale | Beets, lettuce, radish, cilantro |
| September 2027 | Sep 11 | Oct 23 | Snap peas, cauliflower, kale | Scallions, lettuce, radish, calendula |
| October 2027 | Oct 9 | Nov 20 | Fava beans, cabbage, beets | Spinach, arugula, radish |
These dates are new and still being tested. Your own garden is the real guide. See where this plan works.
Prefer to print the guide?
You can get the printable PDF for free. It has every pot count and seed list, native plants and flowers to grow for landscaping, and pages to hand over with the plants you give away. Leave your email and I’ll send it to you.
