May Garden Guide: What To Do. Planning, Planting & More…
May Gardening
May is an exciting time in the garden. It’s time to plant both indoors and outside. Time to order seeds if you haven’t already or checkout your local nursery. Discover what to harvest, what to plant and what to do in the garden in May.
May Garden Tasks
May gardening tasks will vary based on where you live and your garden zone. Varying temperatures and weather are likely to cause big changes in the garden this time of year.
Given springs variable weather frost cloth can be used to germinate seeds and protect seedlings.
It’s time to plant the spring garden. The month of May in our home is huge for planning, seed shopping, plot maintenance and seedling starts.
We start our outdoor vegetable and flower beds towards the end of April and cover it with frost cloth to help germinate the seeds and shorten the food gap. By the beginning of May we have salad greens, kale, spinach, radishes, cabbage, leeks, peas and many other flowers and herbs popping up around the soil. Being able to have a fresh homegrown salad the beginning of May is amazing.
This year we are adding more planters and growing up. Meaning we are growing more vertically with trellises to maximize our growing space. So our seed selection will include more peas, pole beans, squash and vining vegetables. I have also added a trellis rose to the cottage garden.
All the garden tasks for this month and throughout the year are based on our Pacific North West zone 7 urban homestead. Again they may vary slightly depending on mother nature.
May Garden Harvest
Things to harvest from the garden in May including greens and root vegetables. A greenhouse and cold frame or frost cloth coverage can increase your harvest during the early spring months.
Harvesting May Crops
- Asparagus
- Green Onions
- Kale
- Leeks
- New Potatoes
- Peas
- Radishes
- Rhubarb
- Salad Greens
- Swiss Chard
- Turnips
May Herb Harvest
- Bay Leaf
- Chervil
- Cilantro
- Chives
- Dill
- Fennel
- Mint
- Marjoram
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Savory
- Sorrel
- Tarragon
- Thyme
What To Do In The Garden In May
The weather is still a bit unpredictable in early spring. It’s a great time to mulch and add compost to the garden. Adding a layer of compost is a great way to feed the soil and nourish your new seedling.
This year we added a layer of composted mulch to all our vegetable and regular gardening beds. The difference in plant growth is amazing.
May Garden Chores
There will always be garden maintenance or garden chores to do no matter the month. May is no exception. Give or take the weather some tasks may require more time others not so much.
- Mulch garden beds or raised garden beds
- Start planting cold weather hardy crops once soil is workable like radishes, carrots, kale and beets.
- Plant salad greens, turnips, herbs, onions, asparagus and spinach.
- Depending on your last frost date you can seed start tomatoes and peppers indoors (check your seed packages to be sure)
- Towards the end of May you can plant tomato and pepper seedlings outdoors.
Spring Garden Supplies
What Is Good To Plant In May
Once the ground is workable you can actually plant a bunch in early spring. Like kale, salad greens, radishes, chards, turnips, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, beets, onions and leeks. Cool weather hardy crops.
It is a great time to plan what you want to plant this year, it’s not too late. You can start your tomato and pepper seedlings indoors if you have grow lights or in an outdoor greenhouse.
Tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries and other warm weather crops can be planted in the garden towards the end of the month as the temperatures start to rise.
What Vegetables To Plant In May
May in our area is quite variable in weather. It can go from cool and wet to sunny and warm. If you are looking to start your gardening season early a greenhouse is a good idea. You can start seedlings in a greenhouse or indoors. Now is a great time to start tomato, pepper and brassica seeds.
Once the ground is workable start a salad garden by planting greens, radishes, chard and other cool weather crops.
What To Do In The Vegetable Garden In May
May is all about preparing, planning and planting. This includes adding mulch and compost to the garden beds if it hasn’t been done already.
Planning the spring garden and the other seasons if you are gardening all year round. Ordering seeds and starting the seedlings indoors that need more time. May is an exciting time for gardeners. You can start seeding outdoors once the ground can be worked and the temperatures are right. Check you seed packages to be sure.
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