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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Spinach Seeds - Lakeside - Hybrid
Spinach Seeds - Lakeside - Hybrid. Non-GMO. Spinacea oleracea. 25-30 days maturity for baby leaf, 40-60 days to full maturity. Cool season annual. Lakeside has uniform thick dark green smooth...
Lettuce Seeds - Crisphead - Great Lakes Mesa 659
Great Lakes Mesa 659 crisphead lettuce is often found at grocery stores. Round iceberg heads are strong and firm with uniform leaves. Download Free Vegetable Growing Guide PDF Lettuce Seeds...
Cabbage Seeds - All Seasons (Organic)
87 Days to maturity. Brassica oleracea var. capitata Organic All Seasons Cabbage was first listed by J.J.H. Gregory & Son, of Marblehead, Mass in 1886. A few years later it...
Lettuce Seeds - Romaine / COS - Dark Green Cos
65-70 days. Dark Green COS Romaine Lettuce Seeds. Lactuca sativa. Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. Its dark green leaves are long, narrow, and very crisp. The leaves are dark green in color...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Salad Bowl Red
40-50 days. Loose leaf type. Large upright plants, long deep-lobed bronze leaves, bronze-red inner balanced leaves, good keeper and decorative. These non-GMO Salad Bowl Red seeds grow into red leaves...
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Aichi
70 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa var Pekinensis ‘Aichi’. Aichi Chinese Cabbage Heirloom Seeds. Annual. This very old traditional, dento yasai, Chinese cabbage variety is from the Aichi Prefecture of...
Pak Choi Seeds - Hotau Hybrid
30-35 days to maturity.Brassica rapa var chinensis. Hotau Hybrid Pak Choi Chinese Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, warm or cool-season annual, hybrid. Mini type pak choi, 8-10cm (3-4 inches), uniform, wide and...
Pak Choi Seeds - Joi Choi Hybrid
40-50 days to maturity.Brassica rapa var chinensis. Joi Choi Hybrid Pak Choi Chinese Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, warm or cool-season annual, hybrid. Growers love this hybrid pak choi for its uniformity....
Beet Seeds - Bulls Blood - Organic
55 days. Certified Organic Bull's Blood Beet Garden Seed. Bull's Blood Beet Seeds have been known to grow well in containers, flowerbed borders, and cottage gardens. Plants grow to be...
Mustard Seeds - Misome Hybrid
30 days to maturity. Brassica campestris Narinosa group. Misome Hybrid Mustard Seeds. Non-GMO, warm-season, annual, hybrid. A relatively recent hybrid between Komatsuna and Tatsoi, this versatile, uniform, and hardy green...
Mustard Seeds - Japanese Red Giant
60-80 days. Brassica juncea var. rugosa. Japanese Red Giant Mustard Seeds. Non-GMO. Annual. Exceptionally broad-leafed and textured, Red Giant (Aka taka-na) is a Japanese mustard green specifically grown for its...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Prizehead
40-50 days. These non-GMO Prizehead lettuce seeds grow into large green leaves with maroon tips. Prizehead Lettuce is ready to harvest in 48 days. The Prizehead thrives in full sun...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Royal Oakleaf
Royal Oakleaf lettuce is an improved Oakleaf variety that is slower to bolt. Heads form large rosettes of uniform leaves that are heat resistant. Leaves are dark green and shiny...
Lettuce Seeds, Leaf - Red Sails - Organic
Organic Red Sails Leaf Lettuce Seeds. 45 days to maturity. Baby leaf maturity at 21 days. Heirloom, Non-GMO, Annual. Lactuca sativa. Radiant bronze-red leaves form a full rosette delicately ruffled...
Kale Seeds - Dazzling Blue
Dazzling Blue Kale Seeds. 50 - 60 days to maturity. Brassica oleracea. Open Pollinated, Annual. Make any salad gorgeous with the unique coloring of Kale Dazzling Blue. Approximately 8,000 seeds/ounce...
Lettuce Seeds - Red Oakleaf - Organic
Lactuca sativa (38 days) A deep merlot colored leaf resembling an oak leaf with deep lobes. Excellent for baby leaf production. Unlike some other reds, oakleaf maintains a mild flavor...
Mighty Mustard® Pacific Gold - Cover Crop Seeds
35-40 Days. Brassica juncea. Cover Crop. Non-GMO. Open-Pollinated. Mighty Mustard® Pacific Gold seeds are one of the most beneficial, diverse, and quickly maturing cover crops for the home garden. Mighty...
Lettuce Seeds - Butterhead - Way-A-Head
Way-A-Head butterhead lettuce is crisp and mild. Heads are compact and medium size. A great crop to grow in limited space for high yields. Leaves are medium green and smooth....
Beet Seed - White Detroit
55 Days. Beta vulgaris. Annual. Heirloom. Open-pollinated. Same classic flavor, non-GMO Detroit White beet seeds grow a clean, stainless alternative to traditional messy old-world garden beets. Widely known as 'sugar...
Beet Seeds - Gourmet Blend
50-60 days. Beta vulgaris. Gourmet Blend Beet Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. This crop is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and containers. A colorful five-variety mix—Bull's Blood, Detroit Dark Red,...
Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Petite Rouge
70 Days to maturity. Lactuca sativa. Petite Rouge Romaine Lettuce Seeds. Also known as Petite Rouge Cos lettuce. Non-GMO. Annual. Open Pollinated. Matures into a beautifully speckled bronze leaf used...
Pak Choi Seeds - Dwarf White Stem
40-45 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa Chinensis group. Dwarf White Stem, Pak Choi (Bok Choy) Seeds. Non-GMO Annual, Heirloom. This ‘Baby Bok Choy’, is the famous Asian green. It grows...
Cabbage Seeds - Early Jersey Wakefield
Brassica oleracea var. capitata (63 days) Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage forms a compact, somewhat conical head with glaucous-green leaves. Early Jersey Wakfield is a wonderful early heading variety, occupying little...
Parsley Seeds - Plain or Single
70-80 Days to maturity. Petroselinum crispum. Plain or Single Parsley Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Plain or Single...
Broccoli Seeds - Chinese Broccoli - Late Jade - Hybrid
60-70 days to maturity. Brassica oleracea var alboglabra ‘Late Jade’. Late Jade Chinese Broccoli Seeds. Non-GMO, Hybrid, Cool-season Annual. Originating in the Mediterranian, Chinese Broccoli was introduced to China in...
Beet Seeds - Red Ace Hybrid
50 days. The Red Ace beet is a variety that is highly adaptable and that can grow in cooler temperatures. The Red Ace matures a week before many other beets,...
Lettuce Seeds - Tom Thumb - Organic
Lactuca sativa (50 days) Introduced some time in the 1850s. Small, round head with delicate leaves. About the size of a baseball. Perfect for one-person salad. Can be planted close...
Lettuce Seeds - Heatwave Mix - Organic
The Heatwave Lettuce Mix lettuces that thrive in the heat and remain productive. Our choice" slow-bolt" varieties such as Great Lakes, Iya Sol, and Oakleaf Royal. These lettuce types texture...
Burdock Seeds - Gobo Takinogawa
85-95 days to maturity. Arctium lappa ‘Gobo Takinogawa’. Gobo Takinogawa Burdock Seeds. Heirloom, Non-GMO, Annual, Open-pollinated. Burdock has been grown for centuries, primarily in China and Japan, for its culinary...
Spinach Seeds - Carmel Hybrid
40 days. Spinacia oleracea. Carmel Hybrid Spinach Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid. This crop is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and containers. Carmel is a fast-growing, very uniform hybrid...
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