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]()
Oregano Seeds - Common Italian (Organic)
90 days. Organic Oregano Culinary Herb Seeds. Origanum vulgare. Perennial. Non-GMO. Organic culinary oregano seeds deliver one of the more pronounced, robust, aromatic herbs in the mint family. Tenacious and...
Watermelon Seeds - Mini - Sugar Baby
75-80 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Sugar Baby Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, mini watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots and large containers (minimum 7...
Crimson Clover - Cover Crop Seeds
70-90 Days. Trifolium incarnatum. Cover Crop. Non-GMO. Annual. Heirloom crimson clover seeds are an ideal annual garden companion and cover crop for plants and soils deficient in nitrogen. Use to...
Lavender Seeds - Common English (aka Vera)
2nd Year Maturity. Non-GMO, Heirloom Common English Lavender Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Also known as Vera Lavender. Lavandula angustifolia. Lavender is a flowering perennial herb, native to...
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Golden Cal Wonder
72 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Golden Cal Wonder Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, drought tolerant, sweet-type, with no heat levels. 0 Scoville Heat Units. Suitable...
Tomato Seeds - Salad - Better Boy Plus Hybrid
70 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Better Boy Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat tolerant, indeterminate, salad tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Pepper Seeds - Sweet - Sweet Banana
70 Days to maturity (from transplant). Capsicum annuum. Sweet Banana Pepper Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, sweet pepper with mild heat levels. Drought tolerant, heat tolerant. 0 to 500 Scoville...
Radish Seeds - Daikon Minowase
Raphanus sativus (45 days) AKA Japanese Minowase Daikon Radish. Daikon is a root vegetable reported to have originated in the Mediterranean and brought to China for cultivation around 500 B.C....
Squash Seeds - Winter - Vegetable Spaghetti
80-100 days. Vegetable Spaghetti Winter Squash Seeds. Cucurbita pepo. Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. Grow your own pasta replacement with Vegetable Spaghetti Winter squash seeds. This spaghetti squash is ready in just...
Lettuce Seeds - Butterhead - Buttercrunch
60-70 days. Buttercrunch 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 in the garden...
Nasturtium Seeds - Jewel Mix
54-63 Days to maturity. Tropaeolum majus. Organic Nasturtium Jewel Mix Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom. Jewel Mix nasturtium is brilliant, easy to grow from seed, and perfectly suited for many dry...
Tomato Seeds - Paste - San Marzano Indeterminate
85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. San Marzano (Indeterminate) Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, paste tomato. Often compared to the famous Roma tomato in terms of...
Lemon Balm Seeds
Melissa officinalis Perennial. Non-GMO, Heirloom Lemon Balm Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Melissa officinalis. Lemon Balm resides in the mint family and is native to regions in West...
Kale Seeds - Vates Blue Scotch Curled
60-70 days. Vates Blue Scotch Curled Kale Seeds. Brassica oleracea var. acephalla. Non-GMO. Heirloom. The premier variety of curled kale, Vates Blue Scotch is a tenacious cold-weather favorite known to...
Tomato Seeds - Salad - Celebrity Plus Hybrid
72 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Celebrity Plus Hybrid Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, hybrid, AAS winner, semi-determinate, salad tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Hales Best Jumbo (Organic)
85-110 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Hale's Best Jumbo Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated, organic, heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds,...
Chamomile Seeds - German
Non-GMO, Heirloom German Chamomile Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Matricaria chamomilla. German Chamomile plants originated in Western Asia and were later cultivated in Europe, where chamomile has been...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Contender
50-65 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Contender Bush Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high yielding, heat tolerant, bush, snap, stringless bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised...
Radish Seeds - Champion
Non-GMO, Heirloom, champion radish seeds. 25 days. AAS Winner. Recommended by USU. Deep scarlet, globe-shaped root is very firm and stands well without becoming pithy. Fresh, spicy-sweet flavor, Champion radishes...
Beet Seeds - Golden Detroit
55-60 days. Golden Detroit beet seeds. Beta vulgaris. Annual. Non-GMO. The Golden Detroit is an easy to grow beet that can be harvested as early as fifty days after planting,...
Borage Herb Seeds
60-70 Days. Borage Culinary Herb Seeds. Borago officinalis. Non-GMO. Heirloom. Borage seeds are grown as both an indoor culinary herb and an open-pollinated garden herb. Non-GMO Borage seeds produce some...
Pepper Seeds - Hot - Jalapeno (Organic)
Organic, heirloom, Non-GMO Jalapeno pepper seeds are a great hot pepper to start due to their ease and versatility. The heat is between 2,000 and 8,000 Scoville Units. Hot peppers...
Cucumber Seeds - Straight Eight
55-60 days. Straight Eight Cucumber Seeds. Cucumis sativus. Non-GMO. Heirloom. Nearly a century-old American heirloom, the Straight Eight is an award-winning slicing cucumber known for its uniformly straight 8 inch...
Cabbage Seeds - Red Acre
100 days. The Red Acre cabbage is a hardy garden crop that can be grown in climate zones three through nine. The plant produces medium sized, maroon heads that can...
Lettuce Seeds - Gourmet Mix (Organic)
45-65 days. Organic Gourmet Mixture Lettuce Seeds. Lactuca sativa. Heirloom. Mixed Greens. Organic Gourmet Mix lettuce seeds feature a specialty blend of choice tender loose-leaf lettuce greens to help diversify...
Zinnia Seeds - California Giant Mix
75-90 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. California Giant Mixture Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. The “king of summer annuals" California Giant Mix seeds are the largest variety of Zinnias ever,...
Common Thyme Seeds (Organic)
Certified Organic. Non-GMO. Perennial. 85 days. Non-GMO, Heirloom Organic Common Thyme Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Genus Thymus. Common Thyme is a cold hardy perennial that grows as...
Stevia Seeds - Sweet Herb
40 to 60 days. Stevia rebaudiana Annual in cold climates. 40 to 60 days. Non-GMO, Heirloom Sweet Stevia Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Stevia rebaudiana. Stevia is a...
Onion Seeds - Long - Walla Walla
90-110 Days to maturity. Allium cepa. Walla Walla Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, cold tolerant, bulbing, long-day onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, and raised beds. Walla...
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