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]()
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Brandywine Pink (Organic)
90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Organic Brandywine Pink Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, potato leaf, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds,...
Corn Seeds - Sweet - Kandy Korn Hybrid
80-90 Days to maturity. Zea mays. Kandy Korn Hybrid Corn Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, hybrid, Sweet Corn. Suitable for growing in garden plots or raised beds. Corn tolerates heat and drought-prone...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Hungarian Yellow Wax Sweet
70 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Hungarian Yellow Wax Sweet Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, sweet pepper with mild heat levels. 0 to 500 Scoville Heat...
Mustard Seeds - Mizuna
30 days. This japanese mustard green has dandelion-like jagged edged green leaves with a mild, sweet, earthy flavor. Mizuna grows fast and makes an excellent salad green. It can be...
Pea Seeds - Perfection Dark Seeded
Non-GMO, Heirloom Dark-seeded Perfection Pea Vegetable Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Pisum sativum. Around 4,000 years ago, garden peas were cultivated in Europe. This heirloom is an early-to- harvest...
Radish Seeds - White Icicle
Non-GMO White Icicle Radish Seeds, Heirloom. White Icicle Radish has grown in the United States since the late 1800s. Radishes are known for providing high amounts of nutrition. White radishes...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Cayenne Long Red Thin (Organic)
70-79 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Cayenne Long Red Thin Organic Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, deer resistant, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, hot pepper with hot...
Melon Seeds - Canary Yellow
80-120 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Canary Yellow Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. This winter melon...
Pea Seeds - Snap - Sugar Sprint
Non-GMO Sugar Spring Snap Peas are ready in 58 days. It is one of the earliest varieties, so plant these in succession for some early spring vegetables. These are delicious...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Dark Red Kidney (Organic)
90-100 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Organic Dark Red Kidney Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, bush, shelling bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds,...
Pumpkin Seeds - Cinderella
95 to 150 days. Cinderella Pumpkin Seeds. Also known as Rouge vif D'Etampes. Kids love this antique french heirloom pumpkin. Flatter than regular pumpkins and darker of color, this is...
Bean Seeds - Pole - Kentucky Wonder (Organic)
65 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Organic Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, drought tolerant, high-yielding, pole, snap, romano bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots,...
Zinnia Seeds - Profusion Series (Coated)
54-70 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans x angustifolia. Profusion Series Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. Profusion Series Zinnia flower seeds promise to turn your tired summer bedding into an award-winning...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Marconi Red
73 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Marconi Red Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high yielding, drought tolerant, sweet pepper with no heat. 0 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable...
Rudbeckia Seeds - Black-Eyed Susan
84-98 days maturity. Rudbeckia hirta. Rudbeckia Black-Eyed Susan Seeds. Non-GMO, Perennial. Ornamental. Black-Eyed Susan seeds grow some of the season's most timeless and familiar blooms of varieties native to the...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Beefmaster Hybrid
80 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Beefmaster Hybrid Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, greenhouses. Resistant to...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Mortgage Lifter
85-90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Mortgage Lifter Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
Asclepias Seeds - Butterfly Milkweed
91-98 Days to maturity. Asclepias tuberosa. Butterfly Milkweed Seeds. Perennial, non-GMO, heirloom, open-pollinated. Butterfly Weed Asclepias seeds invite perennial color into your home, patio, or garden. Asclepias flowers are easy...
Mustard - Farmer's Favorite Cover Crop Mix
35-45 Days to maturity. Brassica juncea. Farmer's Favorite Mustard Cover Crop Mix Seeds. Non-GMO, Open Pollinated, Annual. This is a blend of several mustards that work well together to provide...
Hairy Vetch - Cover Crop Seeds
80-90 Days. Vicia villosa. Annual. Heirloom. Non-GMO. Such a vigorous annual cover crop that it is considered invasive in much of the United States, non-GMO hairy vetch is a European...
Squash Seeds - Honeynut
Cucurbita moschata (100-110 days) Honey Nut Squash originates from Cornell University. We remember being in Cornell's fields just a few years ago as they were developing this squash. It is...
Radicchio Seeds - Palla Rosa
Heirloom and Non-GMO Palla Rosa Radicchio is ready in 80-85 days in the garden. Radicchio is growing in popularity, and is known for its red leaves with white veins. Palla...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Lemon Boy Hybrid
75-80 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Lemon Boy Hybrid Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, F1 hybrid, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds,...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Large Red Cherry Hot
Non-GMO Large Hot Cherry Pepper ready in 80 days. Hot Cherry Peppers are great for container gardens. These hot peppers are rated between 3,000- 5,000 on the Scoville scale. As...
Carrot Seeds - Chantenay Red Core
65-70 days. Red Core Chantenay carrot Seeds. Daucus carota subsp. sativus. Non-GMO. Heirloom. The Chantenay Red Core carrot seeds produce blunt roots that can grow up to six inches long....
Cabbage Seeds - All Seasons Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata (87days) (Also known as "The Vandergaw" and "Novelty") A good mid-season cabbage for those regions with a moderate to warm summer. All seasons cabbage is heat...
Pea Seeds - Snap - Sugar Daddy
70-80 Days to maturity. Pisum sativum. Sugar Daddy Snap Pea Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to powdery mildew...
Beet Seeds - Chioggia (Organic)
55 Days. Beta vulgaris. Organic. Open-pollinated. Pronounced "key-oh-jah" after the small Venetian villa town, non-GMO Chioggia beet seeds are a classic Italian garden heirloom grown and sold throughout the Mediterranean...
Thyme Seeds - Creeping Thyme
2nd Year maturity. Thymus serpyllum. Creeping Thyme Seeds. Non-GMO, Perennial. Creeping Thyme, also known as "Mother-of-Thyme" is a cold hardy perennial often planted as a trailing ground cover, garden filler,...
Parsnip Seeds - Harris Model
100-120 days. Heirloom. Non-GMO. Pastinaca sativa. Harris is THE parsnip that people think of when they think of parsnips. This has been the standard for years and for good reason....
Sunflower Seeds - Velvet Queen
90-110 Days to maturity. Helianthus annuus. Velvet Queen Sunflower Seeds: Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. Ornamental. Annual. Heirloom. Velvet Queen seeds grow one of the summer's most exclusive and rare blooms, exceptional...
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