What to Plant in May: A Monthly Planting Guide

The season has come. It’s time to plant out my summer garden!

I’ve already shared planting guides for what to plant in February, what to plant in March, and what to plant in April. These included flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetable seeds to start indoors and also the crops that I was direct sowing in the garden each month.

Now, it’s time for everything to be planted out into the garden, so let’s talk about what to plant in May!

A Race Against Time

Sometimes gardening can feel like a race against time, especially during peak gardening season or when starting a new vegetable garden. But this year, it really was a race against time; at least for me.

I did a speed challenge to see how fast I could plant out my summer garden! Check out the video to see the results.

You may not be racing, but I do want to help you save time and money in the garden! I hope you will use these blogs and the MIgardener YouTube channel to work smarter, not harder, giving you more opportunities to enjoy your garden and live life to the fullest.

Avoid Transplant Shock

A lot of the planting that happens in May is transplanting seedlings. It is very discouraging to invest all the time and effort into starting seeds indoors only to have them fail to thrive when planted outside.

So, remember to properly harden off plants and to use ideal practices for transplanting seedlings correctly to avoid transplant shock!

What to Plant in May

Most cold tolerant crops that I started indoors are already transplanted into the garden, like cauliflower, broccoli, beets, lettuce, cabbage, collards, brussels sprouts, and kale.

Now that the threat of frost has passed and warm weather is here, I am transplanting the rest of the seedlings into the garden. If you live in a different climate and are unsure when to plant, you may want to try using the Seedtime App or Clyde’s Garden Planner to help you decide when to transplant your seedlings.

The crops I am transplanting early in the month of May include:

What to Direct Sow in May

If you are growing zucchini and other types of summer squash , growing pumpkins and other winter squash varieties, pole beans, sunflowers, and other heat-loving plants, they can be direct sown now.

In a warmer climate, you may have planted your potatoes in January to March. If you live in a cooler climate, like me, you will want to wait until April or May to allow the soil to warm up for sprouting. If your seed potatoes aren’t in the ground yet, now is a good time to learn my secret to get 10 times more potatoes and get planting!

May Gardening Tasks

Starting these May tasks now will help your garden grow strong.

• Plant Flowers - When planting your garden this year, consider adding plants that will attract and benefit pollinators. Try to have something in bloom all season with plants like lavender, cosmos, milkweed, and sunflowers. Pollinators could not be more vital to the garden, especially to fruits and vegetables. So many of the fruits and vegetables that we consume daily need pollinators to produce! Honey bees, butterflies, flies, and even ants and birds can be pollinators.

• Water - Keep your garden thriving with good watering practices. Here’s everything you need to know about watering your garden properly.

• Fertilize - Feed your plants when they need it most. Pro-Tip: Use the Complete MIgardener Fertilizer Application Guide to learn how to fertilize your plants.

• Make Compost - Now is a great time to make compost tea or compost to use in your garden.

• Pest Control - Keep a watchful eye out for pests in the garden and use organic pest control when needed.

• Keep Animals Out of the Garden - Protecting your garden from animals isn’t a one-size-fits-all task. Read this post to learn how to keep animals out of your garden.

In the comments box below, let me know what you are planting in your garden in May!