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]()
Pea Seeds - Shelling - Lincoln (Treated)
60-70 Days to maturity. Pisum sativum. Lincoln Pea (Treated) Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to powdery mildew...
Lettuce Seeds - Crisphead - Blonde De Paris
50-60 days. Blonde de Paris Batavia Lettuce Seeds. Lactuca sativa. Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. An award-winning and absolutely hardy cultivar of butter head, Buttercrunch is tender, delicious, and looks as good...
Cress Seeds - Curled (aka Garden, Pepper)
Non-GMO, Heirloom Curled Cress Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Lepidium sativum. Cress is native to Persia, which is known as West Asia. Curled Cress is herbaceous also known...
Cabbage Seeds - Brunswick
Brassica oleracea (70 days) Introduced 1924. Large drumhead type cabbage. This cold hardy cabbage is perfect for fall/winter growing. Originating in Germany this cabbage makes an excellent sauerkraut that has...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Firecracker
120-140 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Firecracker Hot Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated, deer-resistant, heat-tolerant, hot pepper with hot heat levels. 30,000-40,000 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable for...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Royalty Purple Pod (Organic)
50-65 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Organic Royalty Purple Pod Bush Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, organic, heirloom, high-yielding, bush, snap bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised...
Mustard Seeds - Mizuna Red Leaf
Another great Japanese mustard, especially well suited to microgreen production. The red leaf is not a deeply divided as regular mizuna. Spicy flavor, easy to grow. Approximately 18,000 seeds per...
Burdock Seeds - Chiko
Non-GMO, Heirloom Burdock Chiko Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Arctium lappa. Burdock biennial herbs originated from regions in Europe and Asia and is a diverse herbal remedy that's...
Tomato Seeds - Cherry - Tiny Tim
60 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Tiny Tim Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, determinate, cherry tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, greenhouses, containers, and...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Pretty N Sweet Hybrid
100-109 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Pretty N Sweet Hybrid Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid, AAS winner, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, sweet pepper with no heat levels....
Carnation Seeds - Lillipot Mix (Treated)
154-175 days to maturity. Dianthus caryophyllus. Carnation Lillipot Mix Seeds. Non-GMO, Annual, or Biennial. Ornamental. Treated seeds. Lillipot Mix carnation seeds promise a spectacular and fragrant alternative to the traditional...
Swiss Chard Seeds - Rhubarb
55 days. Rhubarb Swiss Chard leaves are a beautiful variety and excellent in the kitchen as well. Recommended by USU. This plant produces dark reddish-green, heavily crumpled leaves, beautiful crimson...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Dutchman
69-85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Dutchman Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Sorghum Seeds - Multicolored Broomcorn
105-119 days to maturity. Sorghum bicolor. Multicolored Broomcorn Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, ornamental grain. This crop is suitable for growing in fields, garden plots, and raised beds. Multicolored broomcorn (sometimes...
Wildflower Seeds - Dryland Pollinators
Dryland Pollinators Wildflower Seed Collection. 80,000 seeds. Non-GMO. Heirloom. Annuals and Perennials. Specialty blend featuring 20 of the most showy, drought resistant wildflowers native to the driest and most challenging...
Squash Seeds - Winter - Cushaw Green Striped
Cushaw Green Striped Squash Seeds. 95 to 105 Days. Winter Squash. Heirloom, Open Pollianted, Non-GMO. Cucurbita argyrosperma. AKA: Green Striped Cushaw Pumpkin, Sweet Potato Pumpkin, Improved Cushaw, Striped Crookneck. A...
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...
Salvia Seeds - Sizzler Series
63-66 Days to maturity. Salvia splendens. Salvia Sizzler Series Seeds. Non-GMO, perennial or annual. Ornamental. Sizzler Series seeds promise exotic, early-blooming, and easy-to-grow salvia plants for especially hot, humid gardens...
Mustard Seeds - Nemagon
Nemagon is a natural bio-fumigant for root-knot nematode. What is bio-fumigation? Well, there are a lot of big words and some fancy jargon, but it condenses down to this: Bio-fumigants...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Golden Cal Wonder (Organic)
72 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Organic Golden Cal Wonder Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, drought tolerant, sweet-type, with no heat levels. 0 Scoville Heat...
Fennel Seeds - Sweet
90-115 days. Foeniculum vulgare var. azuricum. Sweet Fennel Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated. This early strain is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and containers. Sweet Fennel is a cool-bulbing...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Thai - Prik Mun
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Thai - Prik Mun. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Capsicum annuum. AKA chilli api, Dragon Pepper, la chiao, la jiao, lombok kecil, miris, murich, ot, siling labuyo, togarashi....
Cardoon Seeds
60-75 days. Cynara cardunculus. Cardoon Seeds. Non-GMO, perennial, heirloom, open-pollinated. This crop is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and ornamental borders. Cardoon is a tall, architectural relative of the...
Tomato Seeds - Cherry - Currant Yellow
70 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Currant Yellow Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, cherry tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Currant...
Lettuce Seeds - Tango
Lactuca sativa (33 days) Tango is a curled baby leaf variety that has a crisp, clean texture and holds up well with numerous salad dressings. Uniform attractive plants form tight...
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...
Pampas Grass Seeds
2nd year maturity. Cortaderia selloana. Pampas Grass Seeds. Non-GMO, Perennial. Open Pollinated. Ornamental. Pampas grass is one of the most popular non-flower ornamental plants in the entire world. Seeds mature...
Bean Seeds - Pole - Purple Mart Tsu In Yard...
75-80 Days to maturity. Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis. Purple Mart Tsu In Yard Long Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant, pole, snap, Asian, specialty bean. Suitable for growing in...
Swiss Chard Seeds - Yellow
55 days. The Yellow Swiss Chard is a variety that produces dark green leaves on bright Yellow stems. These stems are excellent as an ornamental piece in the garden, but...
Rudbeckia Seeds - Cherry Brandy
91-105 days maturity. Rudbeckia hirta. Rudbeckia Cherry Brandy Seeds. Non-GMO, Perennial. Ornamental. Cherry Brandy seeds grow one of the summer's most vibrant and exclusive rudbeckias, compact and tidy 18-24 inch...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Rainbow Bell Blend
60-69 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Rainbow Bell Blend Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, high yielding, drought tolerant, sweet pepper with no heat levels. 0 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable...
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