What to sow in May

In zone 8, most of the UK, May has 33 crops to sow or plant: lettuce, radish, carrot, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, flower strip and climbing bean.

Sow direct in May

Plant out in May

What to harvest in May

In the other zones

Zone 6−23 to −18 °C (−10 to 0 °F): high mountains	tomato, cherry tomato, lettuce, radish, carrot, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, spinach, strawberry, basil, flower strip, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, pea, beetroot, turnip, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, potato, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, melon and celery
Zone 7−18 to −12 °C (0 to 10 °F): upland Britain, eastern France, the Alps	tomato, cherry tomato, lettuce, radish, carrot, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, basil, flower strip, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, pea, beetroot, turnip, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, potato, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, melon and celery
Zone 8 (reference)−12 to −7 °C (10 to 20 °F): most of the UK and France	tomato, cherry tomato, lettuce, radish, carrot, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, basil, flower strip, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, pea, beetroot, turnip, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, potato, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, melon and celery
Zone 9−7 to −1 °C (20 to 30 °F): south-west England, Brittany, Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts	tomato, cherry tomato, lettuce, radish, carrot, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, basil, flower strip, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, melon and celery
Zone 10−1 to 4 °C (30 to 40 °F): Isles of Scilly, the French Riviera, coastal Corsica	tomato, cherry tomato, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, basil, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, sweet pepper, aubergine and melon

Indicative months. A cold year or a garden at altitude shifts everything by a month; watch the frosts too.

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nothing new this month: tend and harvest

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Questions about May

What to sow in May in zone 8?

Sow direct: lettuce, radish, carrot, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, flower strip, climbing bean, pea, beetroot, turnip, parsley and chives. Plant out: tomato, cherry tomato, courgette, basil, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, potato, thyme, rosemary, mint, melon and celery. The table above covers zones 6 to 10.

What is harvested in May?

lettuce, radish, carrot, onion, garlic, spinach, broad bean, strawberry, green manure (phacelia), pea, beetroot, turnip, raspberry, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives and mint, depending on the sowing or planting date.

I am in zone 7 or zone 9, what changes?

Zone 7: tomato, cherry tomato, lettuce, radish, carrot, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, basil, flower strip, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, pea, beetroot, turnip, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, potato, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, melon and celery. Zone 9: tomato, cherry tomato, lettuce, radish, carrot, courgette, dwarf bean, sweet corn, sunflower, basil, flower strip, leek, cucumber, winter squash, red kuri squash, climbing bean, beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, sweet pepper, aubergine, parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives, mint, melon and celery. A colder zone shifts sowing by about a month; Hortipix uses your own zone.

Updated 20 October 2026, Hortipix catalogue version 1. Windows still being checked against Le Guide Clause, Vilmorin and Terre vivante (RHS and Cornell for the UK and the US), compared with OpenFarm (CC0). They remain indicative.