May Vegetables & Herbs Calendar

Go to:-  Main Calendars Page  |  May Fruit Calendar

See individual growing pages for details

General

Continue to dig and prepare the ground for sowing and planting if you haven't already done so. Leave at least a week before attempting to rake the soil to a fine tilth just before sowing seeds.

Keep an eye on the weather and protect tender crops with fleece or water when necessary

Make succession sowings of crops such as carrots and lettuce to ensure a continuous supply of crops throughout the season

Harvesting Vegetables in May

Continue harvesting asparagus, broad beans, sprouting broccoli, spring cabbage, early carrots, chard, endive, early lettuce, parsley, early peas, spinach, spring onions

Start harvesting summer radish, leaf beet

Sowing & Planting Vegetables & Herbs in May

Outdoors

Towards the end of May  sow:-  All types of green beans, calabrese, courgettes, marrows, pumpkin, outdoor cucumbers, late tomatoes

Under Protection Towards the end of May  sow Sweetcorn

Continue sowing:-  Beetroot, Broad Beans,   Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Summer, winter, savoy & Red Cabbage, Carrots,  Chard,  Endive,  Kale, Kohl Rabi,  Leaf Beet, Leeks, Lettuce, Mangetout, Parsnips, Peas, Maincrop Potatoes ( tubers),  Radish, Spinach  Spring Onions,  Turnips

Transplant any brassica seedlings which were sown in a seed bed to their permanent positions by the end of the month

Indoors

Up to the 2nd week in May continue to sow Aubergines, Chillies, Courgettes,  Cucumber, French beans, Marrows, Peppers, Pumpkin, Squash, Sweetcorn, Tomatoes

Sowing & Planting Herbs  in May

Outdoors

Plant shop bought container plants outdoors provided they are hardy varieties

Continue to sow Borage, Chervil, Chives, Coriander, Dill, Parsley

Indoors or in heated greenhouse

Continue to sow Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme

Care and Protecting Vegetables & Herbs in May

Towards the end of May, when all danger of frost has passed, start hardening off indoor raised seedlings ready for planting in their permanent positions by the end of the month

Water plots, beds and containers in dry weather

Start staking plants such as peas when they are about 12cm/5"  tall

If slugs and snails are a problem apply a slug killer to the soil as early as possible. This may have to be re-applied especially after rain.

Continue to thin  seedlings (see individual growing pages for spacing)

Start earthing up potatoes

Remove protective coverings on all early sown plants by the middle of the month

Buying Vegetables and Herbs in May

Buy shop raised vegetable and herb plants in mid May. 

See Individual growing pages