What to Plant in May: What to Sow and Grow Now

Fruits and vegetables to plant in May

Planting fruits and vegetables this month comes with plenty of benefits; you’ll enjoy locally-grown produce from your own backyard that costs less and tastes better than what you’ll find in the stores.

So grab your favorite trowel, and let’s get planting!

The best vegetables to plant in May

• Harden off all homegrown vegetable seedlings before transplanting, bringing them in and out for a week before planting.
• Make new sowings of warm-season veggies after harvesting early, cool-weather crops once your soil has warmed to 50 degrees F. Examples include:
  • Beans
  • Cucumber
  • Melon
  • Pumpkins
  • Squash
  • Zucchini
• Make succession sowings of salad crops–lettuce, green onions, radishes, and spinach–to maintain a continuous harvest.
  • Sow lettuce and spinach every two weeks until about eight weeks before maximum daytime temperatures are expected to average about 80°F.
  • Learn more about succession planting vegetables.
• Plant lettuce under shade cloth to slow bolting and extend your harvests into hotter weather.

• Place a stake by seeds of squash and cucumbers when planting in hills so you can locate the root zone – for watering the plants after the vines have run.

• Set out Brussels sprouts starts this month for summer-to-fall harvest.
  • Keep plants growing vigorously by keeping the soil evenly moist.
• Sow main-crop carrots in May.
  • Sow successive crops at three-week intervals.
• Set out tomato, peppers, and eggplant transplants once your soil warms up.
  • They’ll do best when the soil has warmed to 55° (F).
  • Place support stakes or structures alongside each plant at planting time.
• Begin planting sweet corn when your soil is warm enough.
• Plant sweet potatoes once your soil temperature reaches 70 degrees.

Here’s how to make planting in May easy… Get a FREE gardening checklist for May when you join my newsletter. It’s everything you need to do in May.

Herbs

May is a great month to add some fragrant flavorings to your kitchen garden.

Let’s explore some delicious herb choices that’ll have you itching for summertime dishes in no time!

1. Direct-sow herbs such as dill, cilantro, chervil, fennel, and parsley.
   • Thin-out seedlings in a couple of weeks or use square foot spacing and reduce thinning chores.
2. Take cuttings, 3 to 4 inches long, of marjoram, rosemary, sage, and thyme from last year’s growth to propagate new plants.
3. Divide and replant mint and thyme that has overgrown pots or has become straggly in the garden.
4. Set out basil seedlings when the danger of frost has passed.
   • Set seedlings 12-15 inches apart and water well in the early stages until the plants are established.

Related: The best seed catalogs.

Fruit to plant

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Raspberries