May is the month when the gardening season shifts into high gear across most of the country. In cold-winter zones, the last frost is finally behind us, and it's time to get warm-season crops in the ground. In mild-winter zones, the garden is already humming, and the focus turns to keeping up with rapid spring growth. And in the warmest zones, the race is on to get heat-lovers established before summer temperatures take over. Whatever your zone, May is a month of momentum.
Zones 1-7a: May is the main planting kickoff in cold-winter zones, when gardens finally move from starts and prep into full outdoor action. Early May often still favors hardy transplants and direct-sown cool-season crops, while mid-to-late May is when many areas can safely set out warm-season plants as frost risk drops. Keep hardening off seedlings, use row cover if nights run cold, and focus on steady watering and early weed control so young plants establish quickly.
Zones 7b-9a: May is prime warm-season planting time in mild-winter zones, with soil temperatures rising and growth accelerating. This is the month to get main-season crops established outdoors, keep up with succession sowing, and set up supports before vines and tall plants take off. Watch moisture as days warm, mulch to hold soil moisture, and keep an eye out for the first big flush of pests as the garden hits its stride.
Zones 9b-12: May marks the shift into early summer conditions in the warm-winter zones, and gardens respond fast with rapid growth. Warm-season crops should be planted and growing strongly now, and succession sowing keeps harvests coming even as temperatures climb. Stay ahead of heat stress by mulching, watering consistently, and planting in the coolest part of the day - and in the hottest areas, begin planning for shade cloth and other summer protection.
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![Legend: H for Heirloom, O for Organic, A for AAS Winner, F for staff favorites]()
Watermelon Seeds - Picnic - Dixie Queen
80 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Dixie Queen Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, picnic watermelon. The Dixie Queen watermelon is popular in the southern United States....
Gourds Seeds - Turks Turban
Non-GMO Turks Turban is ready in 100+ days. Brightly colored ornamental squash has large, flattened fruits measuring 8 to 10 inches across. This gourd is striped with scarlet, white, orange,...
Pumpkin Seeds - Wee-B-Little
Wee B Little Pumpkin is the perfect miniature pie pumpkin. This orange pumpkin was a AAS Winner for 1999. Wee B Little grows an orange pumpkin that is small enough...
Pumpkin Seeds - Show Winner
Cucurbita maxima As the name implies, this is the pumpkin to grow if you want to win a novelty contest. The giant pumpkins develop in an array of colors, including...
Pumpkin Seeds - Galeaux d'Eysines
100 days. Cucurbita maxima. Galeaux d'Eysines Pumpkin Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated winter squash. This crop is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and pumpkin patches. At first glance, this...
Melon Seeds - Korean - Dae Jang Geum Hybrid
65 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo var. makuwa. Dae Jang Geum Korean Hybrid Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, Asian Melon. Suitable for growing in garden...
Melon Seeds - Honeydew - Orange Flesh
105 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Orange Flesh Honeydew Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Honeydew Melon. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Pumpkin Seeds - Musquee De Provence
C. moschata (122 days) Musquee De Provence is a French heirloom that was introduced to this country by Vaughan's Seed Store in 1899. One of the most distinct pumpkins you...
Watermelon Seeds - Giant - Congo
95 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Congo Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, giant watermelon. Resistant to Anthracnose (1). Congo Watermelon produces sweet, red-fleshed melons up...
Pumpkin Seeds - Dickinson
C. moschata (115 days) Nearly round to elongated fruits, 18 inches long by 14 inch diameter. Up to 40 pounds. Slightly furrowed but smooth buff-colored rind. Pumpkin Seeds - Dickinson...
Gourd Seeds - Bitter Green - Hybrid
56-63 Days to Maturity (after transplanting). Momordica charantia. Bitter Green Bitter Gourd Seeds. Non-GMO, warm-season, annual, hybrid. This bitter gourd produces a generous crop of large, heavy, and uniform fruits...
Gourd Seeds - Cucuzzi (Italian Edible)
Cucuzzi (Italian Edible) gourds can be eaten like a squash. Gourds have light green smooth skin and pale yellow flesh, and grow up 30-48" long and 2" wide. Plants grow...
Melon Seeds - Japanese - Ichiba Kouji Hybrid
55-60 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Ichiba Kouji Japanese Hybrid Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, Asian Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds,...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Athena Hybrid
75 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Athena Hybrid Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to...
Gourds Seeds - Large & Small Mix
Large and Small Gourd Mix is ready in 90-120 days. This mix of small and large, non-gmo gourd seeds is a collection of gourds that will grow into different shapes...
Melon Seeds - Piel de Sapo
90-110 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Piel de Sapo Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, drought tolerant specialty Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots and raised...
Gourd Seeds - Speckled Swan
105-125 days. Speckled Swan gourd is a very unique looking variety that is shaped very similarly to an actual swan. The gourds have a large round base that narrows to...
Watermelon Seeds - Picnic - Kleckley's Sweet
85 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Kleckley’s Sweet Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, picnic watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots. Kleckley's Sweet was also called...
Watermelon Seeds - Icebox - Yellow Petite
65-78 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus Yellow Petite watermelon seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, mini watermelon. Petite Yellow watermelon is perfect for those with a short growing...
Pumpkin Seeds - Blue Harvest F1
Blue Harvest F1 Hybrid Pumpkin Seeds. Cucurbita maxima. F1 Hybrid. Non-GMO. Annual. 95 days to maturity. Uniquely blue skinned pumpkin usually weighs 7-8 lb 9 x 10 in. fruit. About...
Gourd Seeds - Bonanza
80-90 days to maturity. Luffa acutangula ’Bonanza’. Bonanza Gourd Seeds. Non-GMO, warm-season, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom gourd seed. This vigorous and productive plant produces a high yield of edible fruit on...
Pumpkin Seeds - Harvest Jack F1
Cucurbita pepo (105 days) 22-28 lb, Dark orange skin and four inch long handles make handling easy. Exceptional yield potential under most growing conditions. Pumpkin Seeds - Harvest Jack F1...
Watermelon Seeds - Icebox - Yellow Gem Sweet
80 days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Yellow Gem Sweet Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heat tolerant, seeded, icebox watermelon. Now a true yellow Crimson Sweet watermelon. ~ 400 seeds per...
Gourd Seeds - Tennessee Spinning
Cucurbita pepo. 1 gram seed packet ~25-30 seeds. AKA: Spinning Top Gourd, Dancing Spinning Top Gourd. Remember spinning tops? Well this heirloom gourd was grown for just this purpose. Children...
Watermelon Seeds - Giant - Florida Giant
90 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Florida Giant Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, giant watermelon. The Florida Giant watermelon, AKA: Cannon Ball Watermelon, was developed in...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Ball 2076 Hybrid
85 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Ball 2076 Hybrid Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Tuscany
78 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Tuscany Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. The Tuscany...
Pumpkin Seeds - Kentucky Field
Cucurbita moschata (113 days) Kentucky Field Pumpkin Seeds. Fruits can be variable in shape, normally deeper/longer than they are wide. Kentucky Field generally weights between 10-15 pounds. The skin is...
Gourd Seeds, Bitter - Futo - Spindle
60 to 70 Days to maturity. Momordica charantia. Bitter Gourd Seeds - Futo - Spindle. Non-GMO Annual Heirloom. Originally from Japan, this warm season annual is vigorous and easy to...
Pumpkin Seeds - Baby Bear
Non-GMO Baby Bear Pumpkin is an AAS Winner who is ready in 105 days. Pumpkin vines produce bright orange fruits that measure 5 to 6 inches across and weigh 1...
Gourd Seeds - Bitter
Bitter Gourd Seeds. 80 Days. Momordica charanita. Non-GMO, Heirloom, Open Pollinated. Annual. AKA: Bitter Melon, Balsam Pear, Foo Gwa. Warty, green, tapered fruits that grow 8 to 10 inches long...
Gourd Seeds - Emerald - Hybrid
80-90 days to maturity. Luffa cylindrica ’Emerald’. Emerald Gourd Seeds. Non-GMO warm-season annual hybrid. This beautiful plant produces early maturing, smooth-type fruits that average 45-50cm long, 4-5 cm in diameter,...
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