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]()
Carrot Seeds - Scarlet Red
65 Days to maturity. Daucus carota subsp. sativus. Scarlet Red Carrot Seeds. Annual, Non-GMO, Open Pollinated. This deep red carrot grows 6-8" long and has strong green tops. The red...
Tomato Seeds - Salad - Glacier
56 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Glacier Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, determinate, salad tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. An extra...
Cucumber Seeds - Poinsett 76
65-70 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus. Poinsett 76 Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, monoecious, slicing cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds, and...
Bean Seeds - Pole - Bai Bu Lao Yellow
55-60 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Bai Bu Lao Yellow Pole Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, drought tolerant, pole, snap, romano, Asian bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden...
Pansy Seeds - Halloween II
91-98 Days to maturity. Viola × wittrockiana. Halloween II Pansy Seeds. Non-GMO, open-pollinated, Premium Quality Seeds, annual. Halloween II pansy seeds are a stunning, compact, and "spooky" addition to grow...
Cucumber Seeds - Pickling - Calypso Hybrid
50 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus. Calypso Hybrid Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid, gynoecious, pickling cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds, and...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Tangerine
85-90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Tangerine Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Amana Orange
85-90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Amana Orange Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Amana...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Phoenix Hybrid
70 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Phoenix Hybrid Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid, determinate, heat tolerant, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
Tomato Seeds - Salad - Rutgers VF
80-90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Rutgers VF Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, determinate, salad tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Campbell 33
69 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Campbell 33 Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, determinate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant...
Pea Seeds - Snap - Taichung 13
70 days to maturity.Pisum sativum. Taichung 13 Snap Pea Seeds. Non-GMO, cool-season annual, heirloom. This early edible podded snap pea has white flowers. The vines are vigorous and prolific, producing...
Squash Seeds - Japanese, Winter - Blue Kuri
Squash Seeds - Japanese, Winter - Blue Kuri. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Cucurbita maxima. 45 days after flowering, 95-110 days to maturity. Warm season annual. A traditional open pollinated Japanese kabocha squash...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Habanero Caribbean Yellow
110-119 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum chinense. Caribbean Yellow Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, deer resistant, hot pepper with extremely hot heat levels. 400,000 to 500,000 Scoville Heat...
Lettuce Seeds - Freckles (Organic)
,Lactuca Sativa (26 days to baby-55 days mature) Freckles is unlike any romaine lettuce you will see. This romaine has bright green leaves that look like someone splatter-painted burgundy spots...
Mighty Mustard® Kodiak - Cover Crop Seeds
35-40 Days. Brassica juncea. Cover Crop. Non-GMO. Annual. Mighty Mustard® Kodiak seeds are one of the most beneficial, diverse, and quickly maturing cover crops for the home garden. Mighty Mustard®...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Golden Marconi
80-90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Marconi Golden Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, drought tolerant, sweet pepper with no heat. 0 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable for...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Kentucky Dreamer
50-54 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Kentucky Dreamer Bush Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant, resistant to BCMV, high-yielding, bush, snap green bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden...
Lettuce Seeds - Summer 38 Celtuce
75-85 day maturity. Lactuca sativa var. asparagina ‘Summer 38 Celtuce’. Summer 38 Celtuce Lettuce Seeds. Non-GMO, cool-season annual heirloom. This variety of Chinese stem lettuce has pointed, light green leaves....
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Tender Bell Hybrid
40-49 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Tender Bell Hybrid Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid, high yielding, sweet pepper with no heat levels. 0 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Cayenne Fiesta Blend
60-69 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Cayenne Fiesta Blend Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, deer resistant, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, hot pepper with hot heat levels. 30,000...
Petunia Seeds - Pirouette Rose (pelleted)
98-105 Days to maturity. Petunia x hybrida. Pirouette Rose Petunia Seeds. Non-GMO, hybrid, Premium Quality Seeds, annual. Pirouette Rose Petunia seeds are brilliant, easy to grow, and renowned for their...
Eggplant Seeds - Casper White
Casper (White) eggplants have a shiny exterior with white flesh and skin. Fruits grow to be 6-10 inches long and around 3 inch wide. Plant seeds .25 inch deep in...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Habanero Caribbean Red (Organic)
110-119 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum chinense. Caribbean Red Organic Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, high yielding, deer resistant, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, hot type pepper with...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Ancho Sanchez Hybrid
70-79 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Ancho Sanchez Hybrid Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, F1 hybrid, hot-type pepper with mild heat levels. 1,000 to 2,000 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Momotaro Gold Hybrid
80 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Momotaro Gold Hybrid Japanese Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, F1 hybrid, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised...
Carrot Seeds - Lunar White
65-80 days. The Lunar White carrot is a unique pale white variety. Each root grows to be up to six inches long, and has a classic tapered end. The roots...
Asparagus Seeds - UC 157 F1
Second season harvest. Asparagus officinalis. UC 157 F1 Asparagus Seeds. Non-GMO, perennial, F1 hybrid. This crop is suitable for garden plots, raised beds, and fields. Classic UC Riverside hybrid known...
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Kyoto No. 3
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Kyoto No. 3. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Brassica rapa Pekinensis group. 80 days. Cool season annual. A Japanese heirloom or dento yasai variety of Japan, this cabbage has...
Lettuce Seeds - Red Iceberg (Organic)
55-65 Days to maturity. Lactuca sativa. Organic Red Iceberg Lettuce Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Red Iceberg...
Cucumber Seeds - Parisian Pickle
60 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus. Parisian Pickle Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, monoecious, pickling cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds, and...
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