In this video I answer the question, “What vegetables can I plant in May?” with my top choices for vegetables to sow in May. Whether you sow these warm season or cool season vegetables indoors or outdoors depends on when your average last frost date is for your area. (your zip code)
FREE PLANTING CALCULATOR: http://www.plantingcalculator.com/
GROWING GUIDE VIDEOS FOR THE CROPS MENTIONED
How to Prune & Trellis Tomatoes:https://youtu.be/EfENBDBs-2M
How to Sow Tomato Seeds: https://youtu.be/ed8OR49Bj4k
How to Grow Tomatoes: https://youtu.be/9w-7RoH_uic?si=SapQf9bn1BrHCtBU
How to Grow Sweet Potatoes: https://youtu.be/KQKVniLsqS4?si=SOMgr9Prf42Iho8H
How to Grow Summer Squash Vertically to Save Space: https://youtu.be/MEOLY9D5n2k?si=QK6tj9g6HtId6l0a
How to Get Rid of Squash Vine Borer: https://youtu.be/zNVTvmRmBw4?si=tRgZXao98SXdd4WE
How to Get Rid of Squash Bugs: https://youtu.be/3MZ_4R5GDC4?si=vcI0oNdcLgi1G47_
How to Grow Beans: https://youtu.be/nkZH0rKhMr8?si=CmWbltO-FOyga6J_
DIGITAL TABLE OF CONTENTS
02:19 – How to grow lettuce
02:27 – How to grow spinach
02:35 – How to grow radishes
02:45 – How to grow carrots
02:45 – How to grow beets
02:56 – How to grow peas
03:38 – How to grow tomatoes
04:05 – How to grow peppers
04:19 – How to grow winter squash and summer squash
04:30 – How to grow bush beans and pole beans
04:41 – How to grow pumpkins and melons
05:23 – The best flowers for your vegetable garden
06:06 – Herbs to plant in May – Basil, cilantro, thyme, oregano, rosemary, dil, parsley
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Hey Guys, I’m Brian from Next Level Gardening
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Hey guys, welcome back to Next Level Gardening. It’s May. Can you believe it? The great part about May is you can feel the sun on your face. The weather’s warming up. There’s optimism in the air for the garden that’s on its way or should be on its way. So, if you watch our second channel, Little Homestead Big Dreams, you know that we had a death in the family earlier this year, and that has pushed everything back so far. This is the latest I’ve ever been. How about you guys? Do you have your plants in? Are you feeling like you’re right on time, or are you feeling late like me? Well, I can tell you right now that it is absolutely not too late. In fact, some of you may just be warming up enough right now to get some things outside. In this video, I’m going to talk with you about no matter where you live, what you can start growing in May. If you’ve been gardening as long as I have, you’ll realize that gardening is very forgiving. There’s lots of second chances. It’s never too late for something at least. You don’t have to have it all planned. You don’t have to be ready to go January 1st. You can start messy. You can start late. But if you start, magic always happens. All right, quick garden nerd moment. Your USDA zone matters, but not the way you think. It mainly tells you your average winter lows, but it doesn’t tell you what the weather is like in May. If you’re in zones 3 through six, your weather is probably just now starting to warm up, where seeds will start to pop. If you’re in zones 7 and up, welcome to the jungle. It’s time to get the warm season crops going. Either way, there’s a list of things you can still plant. Because there is such variance in what you can plant depending on where you are. Um we have created our free planting calculator and garden companion. You can get it at plantingcalc.com. Again, totally free, but all you have to do is put in your zip code and it will tell you when it’s time to plant and how to do it and full growing guides for everything you want to grow. I’ll leave a clickable link down in the video description. If you’re in a place that’s still cool in May, great news. is you still have some time to get some delicious cool season crops in. And here’s what you can sew right now. Roma, butterhead, even loose leaf lettucees. Sew them thickly and harvest baby greens if it gets too hot outside. Spinach is another great one if you want bigger harvests before the heat kicks in. Look for fast maturing varieties like Bloomsdale or Baby Leaf. If you like radishes, cherry bell French Breakfast are two good ones. They go from seed to harvest in under one month. This is a great time to plant carrots and beets. If you get them started now before the weather heats up too much, they’ll be able to grow and mature through the heat of summer. If you still have cool days, you still have a chance to get peas in the ground. Sugar snap, snow peas, shelling peas. They climb and love the still cool weather in early May. Trellis them with a simple bamboo teepee or some old sticks tied together. If it starts getting too hot before you plant, you can always harvest the peashoots, the little ends that have the tendrils, maybe a flower, a couple tender leaves. They’re great in salads and stirfries. If it’s warming up, but you want to try some of these anyway, plant them in partial shade, and that will at least give you a better chance. Now, if you’re past your last frost date or are very soon, it’s time to start thinking about warm season crops. Tomatoes are the undisputed king among warm weather crops to grow. They’re the most popular crop to grow in the entire gardening world. If you live in a really hot climate like Texas, Florida, Arizona, we are pushing the limits of lateness right now. However, if you get them under shade cloth, it’s going to bring the temperature down quite a bit. and at least help them get through the summer and maybe still produce. Peppers love steady warmth and they do not like to be put outside too soon. So, make sure your nights are 50° Fahrenheit or above or you’re going to stunt your peppers growth and they may never recover. Winter squash and summer squash are great to put in right now and you can direct seed them into the garden. They’ll be up in possibly less than a week and they grow really fast. You can sew bush beans for a quick compact harvest or pole beans for a bigger vertical harvest. The bonus is they enrich the soil with nitrogen and share it with the plants around them. Pumpkins and melons love the heat of early and midsummer and they’re going to take off really fast when started now. Give them a sunny spot and space to sprawl. And don’t be shy about feeding them compost. They are heavy feeders and the more you give them, the more they’ll produce. And don’t forget to mulch around your crops. Keeps the roots cool, keeps the water in, and keeps the weeds down. Now, if you’re starting late and wonder if you have enough time for a harvest, go for quick maturing varieties like early girl tomatoes, bush champion cucumbers, and little baby flower watermelons. With these, you get a short season, but a big harvest. Never underestimate the power of flowers in and around your garden. Not just for beauty, but for pollinators, pest control, and pure joy. Some of my favorite flowers for the vegetable garden are sunflowers, zenas, maragolds, and cosmos. not only to attract pollinators, but to attract special beneficial insects that’ll take care of the pest control in your garden without you even worrying about it. Want even more blooms? Dead head your flowers. Just pinch off the spent blossoms. It tells the plant to keep producing. May is an amazing time to get herbs going. Even if you only have a small balcony, you can grow herbs for pennies of what you pay in the grocery store. All kinds of basil are great for warm weather. Holy basil, sweet basil, lemon basil, Italian basil. The world needs more pesto, guys. If you don’t hate cilantro and you still have cool weather, you can grow that right now. If you’re going to be heating up shortly, I would put it in partial shade. Plant dill near cucumbers if you’re dreaming of making homemade pickles later this summer. Parsley is a great companion plant to tomatoes, either curly or flat leaf. My Mediterranean herb garden right now is overflowing. I’ve got oregano, I’ve got thyme, I’ve got lavender, I’ve got rosemary. They thrive on neglect. And if you don’t have hard winter freezes, they’re going to come back year after year. I want you to know, and I’m telling this to remind myself, May is a month of second chances. Don’t get lost in thinking you’re too late or you should have done it sooner or you’re super behind. You didn’t miss your window. The truth is there’s almost always a seed you can plant. But especially in May and gardening, it’s not about perfection. It’s about showing up messy, hopeful, excited, running late. Just trust that something beautiful will come out of it. All right, guys. What are you planting this month? Let me know down below. I always love to hear what you’re growing. Again, get the link to our planting calculator down below. And I think I’m going to put a video right here for you to click on if you are ready to grow companion plants. These are scientifically proven companion plants and what you should grow them with. I’ll see you next time.
46 Comments
What are YOU planting this May? Drop your zone (if you know it!) and let’s inspire each other. 🌍👇
Whether it’s your first time sowing seeds or your 20th garden season, there’s always something new to try — and someone who can learn from your experience. 💬💚
Let’s grow together!
I'm in the south. No greens or radish, beets and carrots. No cool days. Hot steamy. Lots of rain
Mendocino coast , lots of shade from the redwoods so soil is still too cold for direct seed sowing of most crops . Kale and other greens do O.K.
This guy makes it sound like nothing grows in heat. I just got everything sprouting and growing . I won't start harvesting until June and July but I'll be eating g this stuff all the way through November. I live in western PA. I planted right before our last frost in April. So they have a long time to grow yet. This dude makes no sense. I have squash, pees, lettuce, broccoli, pepper, tomatoes, basil, parsley, onions,cabage,melons, all kinds of stuff that will grow all summer.
Just plant outdoors before the last frost by 1 week, and then let the rain do its thing watering only on dry days. What doesn't sprout was inferior. So, just replant in May and follow the weather watering when needed. Soil comp should be sifted top soil, compost, Pete moss or any moss, mushroom soil, a few stones, and burnt wood debre is fine. When it gets too hit and dry, put a thick dark bug net over top to break up the sun and water them at night and in the morning. Peace ✌️
I have had sweet potatoes planted for a few weeks due to having made a hinged hoop house. Planted some onions today. Have 13 varieties of tomatoes but afraid to put them out right now. Can't wait for a good tomato. Planted potatoes on top the soil a few weeks ago. Love watching your channel
Im in Zone 7A mystic Ct
I was hoping to til my gardens today here in western Pennsylvania, but the rain has other plans for me today, but I'll be putting in my tomatoes, cucs, and zucs in as soon as I can. Oh, and some corn.
I’m just planting herbs and salad greens in the lower Hudson valley of NY. Love your channel❤
I am so grateful for a gardening video! I saw a thumbnail saying you were quitting and I'm so glad I got that wrong! zone 9b thanks Brian!
Too cold here yet . . I’m in west MI
As a first timer this was helpful because I don't have fancy beds, but want to start growing my own organically. Seems the things I use most and purchased seeds are fall. Onions, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage and I am in PA which is now according to government Zone 7 Blows my mind how that changed. Anyway I also have carrots Basil, Romaine, celery etc. and growing in a Greenstalk and Container Bags. I bought the Rich Potting Mix and fertilizer and have partial shade on my driveway if I put on Pallets and I bought Netting to cover as I live in a Borough and so many are now growing. It's brings pests, and I don't have to grow tomatoes, Zucchini, Squash as my neighbors share and I can what they give or freeze, so we all share. I am totally Overwhelmed, but hopefully I can get under control. Thank you for the video. We have been so wet on weekends but our last frost was 2 weeks ago. Weather is crazy. Thank you for the growing zone.
Zone 9a it was wet and cold here. Late for tomatoes and peppers. Garlic harvest in a few weeks. Eating bib lettuce.
I taught you can only plant with an R in the month
I have a question – my zip code (92821) says n/a for last frost date so what do I do to get times to plant my seeds?
My last frost date is 5/15. My tomatoes and peppers are huge and ready to go. I've already harvested Kale for my bearded dragon.
Thank you for inspiring me to plant more flowers for the garden. I enjoyed this video SO much.
Good to see you Brian 🌞
I am growing potatoes onions garlic several salads I'm sorry several lettuces several herbs several flowers peppers tomatoes sunflowers galore and spinach and chamomile and puppies and I think that's not all of it but most of it
Poppy's not puppies lol
I'm in zone 7B Oklahoma where the winds are crazy
Zone 8b Texas and my mountain man tomatoes are loaded with buds and I already have 5 fruits starting. I needed this because I always become paralyzed if I miss the seed starting window. You give me hope that I should just do it and see what happens.
I just love the positivity that you exude. I know it’s not easy but we all love it!!! Thank you.!
I'm very far behind. I had cancer surgery then complications from infection and back in the hospital. I'm so tired and have to rest often. So I'm so far behind
Zone 7. Planting now!
I’m in northeastern Ohio, zone 6. My garden has been tilled and is ready to plant after 5-15, our last frost date. I’ve got peppers and tomatoes started in the greenhouse. And, the lettuce in the greenhouse will be ready to eat in another week. Just hoping the peppers and tomatoes will be up enough to survive the transplant into the garden. I direct seed zucchini, butternut squash, bush beans, plus more lettuce. I’ll buy eggplant from the nursery. I always include zinnia, marigold and sunflowers in the garden. This year I’ll move the sunflowers to the coop area, they shade my garden crops too much. Thanks for all your help. Always pre Kate’s.
In KS this is when I start planting seeds and start plants outside. Otherwise it snows, temps drop or hails and it kills everything.
But I do not know what to make with other types of basil. If I do not know what to do with the strange but good scent/flavor I cannot grow it. That is why I grow Amazil basil.
Texas here, I have potatoes about ready, picked some green beans, got cucumbers full of fruits, blueberries starting to turn, have some jalapeños ready, lots of green tomatoes, made mulberry jam, blackberries r loaded but green . Zone 8b
Zone 5-6 here in central Oregon. It’s tough here. Hot as hades during summer days but low 50s to high 50s at night. Only 8 days in a year have never frosted, all in July and August. Peas are down and are up! Tomatoes are in the green house and will sow parsley, lettuce, kale, and beet seeds outdoors next week. Onions sown indoors will be planted outdoors next week too. I’ll sow basil indoors next week. My parsley winters over, shocked me, and thyme winters over too. Tomatoes will be planted mid June as well as green bean seeds and dill.
Nice to hear the message at the end as a new gardener. Thank you
This was so encouraging
My Green Beans, carrots and onions are finishing up.. my tomatoes are starting to produce, and I am getting my sweet potatoes and peppers started.
Mothers day is just after the last frost where I'm at. Pretty typical to plant seeds now and plants around the time the weekly forcast comes the week before mothers day.
We need a lesson on how to collect seeds from all these plants for the following season.
Expecting a cold snap next week (<40 at night) 6A Rocky Mountains. Also trying to get rid of a raccoon first. Everything is sort of in a holding pattern. 😒🥲
I'm in NC, zone 7b last frost about 4/15. I planted out all my tomatoes (romas, cherry, beefsteak, vining paste) and tomatillos about a week ago (a little late but still fine). Then I immediately started direct seeding my melons (watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe), squashes (yellow and grey zucchini, crookneck, pattypan, spaghetti, honeynut), cukes (just pickling – I really prefer them for salad) and beans (contender, jade, lima, edamame) – many have already sprouted. I'm also doing many different herbs and am committed to actually using them this year! I have a bunch of peppers (hot and sweet) that I started inside but am going to wait about 2 more weeks to plant them out (we have a low of 49 forecast for tomorrow night). My asparagus didn't come back well (2024 was a rough year for me); I'm planning to put some more in the ground when crowns become available this fall/winter. So excited for this growing season.
Herbs are so worth it. There is almost nothing I love more than running out to the garden to grab some herbs for a Shrimp Scampi, or a soup, or chicken enchiladas, or cucumber sandwiches, or a pasta sauce, or whatever! I miss, miss, miss it once the snow flies!!
You asked: what am I planting this month? CUCUZZA!!! I always get extra excited about the long vines, watching them grow, seeing how much bigger they get every day, and cucuzza is a monster that doesn't disappoint. Really helps that it tastes so dang good, and not like anything else (but if pressed, I might say it's like a zucchini and cucumber had a baby). Also helps that Louis Prima sang a song about it (apparently cucuzza is a synonym/slang for sweetheart). So I sing that to them. Probably makes the neighbors nervous.
Fantastic video! So inspiring, and a bit magical 👌👌Hearing how May is the month of second chances really lifted my spirits. Just walked in from planting cucumbers, squash, and sunflowers here in Central Texas, and I realized I switched up the seeds on the beds from the original plans. You turned my frown upside down. Thanks!!! 🤗
In Georgia is to hot! ;((
NE MS; we are planting bell peppers, tomatoes,
sweet potatoes, okra, squash, beans & peas. 8:03
I may try planting beets and radishes. I am in zone 8.
SE Michigan, zone 6B. Already planted broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces, kale, spinach, cilantro, potatoes, carrots, radishes, beets, onions, strawberries. In the greenhouse are tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cantaloupe, marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, parsley, Brussels sprouts. Planning to plant all the greenhouse plants and flowers around May 17th along with corn, green beans and cucumbers which will direct sow. Watching the weather! 😊
Zone 8b, Tehachapi mountains. Still having nights in the 30s, had snow and hail last week. Have broccoli, brussel sprouts and cabbage in, as well as onions and garlic. Also some sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Some vounteer potatoes are up too…gues we missed a few last year! In the house i have peppers, super sauce and bodacious tomatoes, pumpkins, cantaloupe and basil. Planning to direct sow corn on monday, the plants in the house have to wait until Mother's day to be sure we are past our frost date. Caught a couple of pesky gophers the last 2 days so that's great. Thank goodness for raised beds and gopher wire! Happy growing everyone!🌻
8b about 50 miles north of Seattle on Camano Island. Still in the mid to upper 40’s at night, lucky if the days are upper 50’s to low 60’s. Can’t put out squashes until late May. I planted some pole bean seeds a couple weeks ago, very sluggish half aren’t coming up.
This area has totally different planting time frames the sunny Southern California!
But I love your videos Brian, keep up the great work!