🌱 Free Seasonal Guide · May 2026
What to plant, what to transplant, when to succession-sow, and the May mistakes that turn a great spring garden into a disappointing summer harvest.
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May is the great equalizer. Northern gardens are finally waking up while southern plots are in full swing. The transplants you've been nursing since February are ready to go. Here's exactly what moves in May, by zone.
Tended detects your exact USDA zone, tracks your beds, and builds a planting calendar around your specific crops and local frost dates.
Get my planting plan →May is when the indoor seedling operation you've been running since February finally pays off — or doesn't. Getting the transplant step right is the difference between plants that thrive and plants that sit there looking sad for three weeks.
Air temperature is misleading. Tomatoes need soil at 60°F minimum; peppers and eggplant want 65°F. Cold soil shocks roots and the plant stalls regardless of air warmth. A $8 soil thermometer saves the entire transplant.
Check at 4-inch depth, morning readingIndoor seedlings have soft tissue unused to direct sun, wind, and temperature swings. Start with 1–2 hours of filtered outdoor light, then build to full sun over 7–10 days. Skipping this causes sunscald and wind damage that sets plants back two weeks.
Start 10 days before transplant dateBright afternoon sun on freshly-disturbed root systems is a recipe for transplant shock. Overcast days or early evenings let plants settle into new soil with minimal stress. Water deeply immediately after, then daily for the first week.
Water in with diluted fertilizerTomatoes are the one crop that benefits from being buried up to 2/3 of their stem. The buried section develops roots, giving you a stronger, more drought-resistant plant. Remove lower leaves before planting and lay leggy transplants at an angle in a trench.
Remove leaves from buried portionFill the transplant hole with water and let it drain completely before placing the plant. This creates a moisture reservoir at root level exactly where new roots will be searching. Then water again after the plant is in and tamped down.
Especially critical in Zone 7+Newly-transplanted seedlings are peak slug food — soft tissue, stressed, at ground level. Set beer traps or copper tape two days before you transplant, not after. Slugs can decimate a flat of transplants in a single night.
Also effective: wood ash collarsMost gardeners plant everything at once and then wonder why they have 40 zucchinis on one Tuesday and none the following week. Succession planting staggers your sowings so harvests spread across the whole season. May is when you build that engine.
| Crop | Sow Interval | Days to Harvest | When to Stop Sowing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce | Every 2 weeks | 45–60 days | Mid-June (bolts in heat) |
| Radishes | Every 10 days | 22–30 days | Late June (heat causes pithy roots) |
| Cilantro | Every 3 weeks | 40–45 days | July (heat triggers immediate bolting) |
| Bush beans | Every 3 weeks | 50–60 days | Early August (last sow for fall harvest) |
| Sweet corn | Every 2–3 weeks | 65–85 days | Late June (needs time before fall frost) |
| Spinach | Every 3 weeks | 40–50 days | Mid-May, then restart in August |
| Carrots | Every 3 weeks | 70–80 days | Mid-July (last sow for fall storage) |
| Beets | Every 4 weeks | 55–70 days | Late July (sweeter in cool fall weather) |
What to plant, when to sow your next succession, and which recipes to make with the harvest — straight to your inbox every week.
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May mistakes are expensive because they compound — a poor transplant in May shows up as a weak August yield. These are the five you can prevent right now.
One frost event can set you back three weeks or wipe transplants entirely. "Last frost date" is a median — half the years in your zone, frost came after that date. Check your local 10-day forecast and soil temperature before any warm-season transplants go out.
✓ Fix: wait until 10-day forecast shows no frost riskSquash planted too early in cold soil sits and rots. Planted all at once, you get the August zucchini avalanche that ends marriages. Sow the first round when soil hits 65°F, then a second succession two weeks later. Two plants per person is roughly the right number.
✓ Fix: 2-plant limit; succession sow two weeks apartCrowded seedlings compete for water, nutrients, and light — every one of them loses. Carrots sown at 1/2-inch spacing need to be thinned to 3 inches. Beets to 4 inches. Lettuce to 6–8 inches. Failing to thin produces weak plants with small yields. Thin ruthlessly.
✓ Fix: thin when seedlings hit 2 inches tallUn-mulched soil in May heats up, dries out quickly, and gives weeds a clean runway. A 2-3 inch layer of straw, wood chips, or shredded leaves suppresses weeds, holds moisture, moderates soil temperature, and adds organic matter as it breaks down. It's free insurance.
✓ Fix: mulch immediately after transplanting — leave 2" gap at stemLettuce, spinach, and cilantro go from harvest-ready to seeding in 3–5 days once temperatures climb. When you see the central stalk shooting up, cut it immediately and harvest every leaf. Once bolted, the leaves turn bitter and the show is over for that planting.
✓ Fix: check every 2 days in warm weather; cut flower stalks on sightEvery seed you put in the ground in May is a meal in 45–90 days. Here's what you're really working toward — recipes from the Tended library that showcase the crops you're planting right now.
Summer squash at peak — sliced thin, high heat, fresh herbs. Ready in 10 minutes when you have too much zucchini.
Get the recipeFresh-picked beans roasted with olive oil and lemon zest. A five-ingredient side that proves garden-fresh makes all the difference.
Get the recipeCorn within hours of picking has 40% more sugar than store-bought. Grill it. Eat it immediately. No recipe needed after that.
Get the recipeCucumbers, dill, garlic, and vinegar. No canning required, ready in 24 hours, lasts 6 weeks in the fridge.
Get the recipeEarthy-sweet roasted beets, tangy goat cheese, toasted walnuts. A restaurant-quality dish from a $0 garden harvest.
Get the recipeOrganized by what you're growing, what's ready to harvest, and the season. Personalized to your garden.
Browse all recipesTended tracks your planting dates, sends you reminders when the next succession is due, and connects every harvest to a recipe suggestion. It's the garden brain you've been missing.
Put your harvest to work — these recipes pair with what this guide helps you grow.
Eggs poached directly in a spiced tomato and pepper sauce. One pan, minimal cleanup, and t…
⏱ 30 minA fast, classic omelette showcasing the brightness of garden herbs. Perfect when you've go…
⏱ 10 minCrispy pan-fried cakes that are the best answer to a zucchini surplus. Serve with a dollop…
⏱ 20 minThe simplest recipe when tomatoes are peak ripe. Great tomatoes need almost nothing — just…
⏱ 10 minThe classic Provençal stew that was invented precisely for garden surplus. Tomatoes, zucch…
⏱ 1 hr