Shanghai in November: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, November in Shanghai has run 10.2–18.3°C with about 72 mm of rain across the month. Here is what weather like that will carry to harvest.
Everything above is a five-year average. In the game it is this — the weather Shanghai is actually having, today.
Grow one in Shanghai's weather right now →❄️ In 1 of the last 5 years, Shanghai saw at least one night at or below 0°C in November (record low -0.2°C). Cold-sensitive crops need cover.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Feb 23, first autumn frost around Dec 8 — roughly 289 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 7.1 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it cools by about 4.6°C from the first ten days to the last — the window for autumn sowings is opening.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-November, then adding up the warmth Shanghai usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🥬 Napa cabbage | 162 | Apr 25 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 153 | Apr 16 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 136 | Mar 30 |
⏳ Too late this month: Cauliflower, Peas, Chrysanthemum greens, Lettuce, Daikon radish, Cherry Radish, Strawberry, Beetroot, Marigold would still be in the ground when the first frost arrives (around Dec 8). Sow them earlier in the year, or grow them under cover.
Best crops to sow now
They are all ideal for this month — the only real difference is how long each one takes, so pick whatever you want to eat.
- 🥬 Cauliflower about 93 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Napa cabbage about 85 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas about 69 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens about 46 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥗 Lettuce about 64 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 85 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 52 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 71 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish about 33 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 74 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot about 69 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold about 83 days to harvest Recent mean 14.2°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 14.2°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 14.2°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 14.2°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Shanghai
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Shanghai, averaged day by day over the last 5 years. Whether a crop finishes in time is worked out from its own starting temperature and heat requirement — those numbers are listed on each crop page if you want to check them.