UK growing guide · Spring
What can I plant in May?
Last updated
May is planting-out month, with a catch. Vegetables to plant in May in the UK include tomatoes, courgettes, beans and sweetcorn, but only after you have hardened them off and your own nights have turned mild.
In the south that is often the second half of the month. Further north and in Scotland it is often early June. The forecast on your plot matters more than a date in a book.
What to sow in May
Vegetables to plant in May in the UK, split between sowing under cover and sowing outside.
Indoors or under cover
There is less need to sow indoors now, except for a last batch of tender plants or anything that failed.
Courgettes — a backup sowing if the first failed
Cucumbers — still fine under cover
Pumpkins — early in the month- French beans — in pots if nights are still cold
Sweetcorn — in modules, for planting out later
Outdoors
Soil is warm enough in most gardens for direct sowings, including beans towards the end of the month if your nights are mild.
- French beans — after the soil has warmed
Carrots
Beetroot
Lettuce — sow in the shade of a taller crop if it is hot
Radishes
Peas — a last sowing early in the month- Sweetcorn — direct, in mild gardens, late May
- Swede — a good month to sow
What to plant out in May
Harden plants off for a week or ten days: outside by day, in at night, then out altogether once frost is unlikely. Don't skip this. Soft greenhouse growth scorches and collapses.
Tomatoes — after hardening off, once frost risk has passed- Courgettes — rich soil, plenty of room
- Cucumbers — a warm spot or the greenhouse
- Pumpkins — at the edge of the compost heap works well
- Sweetcorn — in a block, not a single line
- Leeks — later in the month if they are pencil-thick
Brussels sprouts — into firm ground
Broccoli — winter and sprouting types
What to harvest in May
Asparagus and rhubarb are the stars, alongside the last spring cabbage and the first salads from this year's sowings.
Asparagus — stop around mid-June so the crowns can recover- Rhubarb — established plants; leave new crowns alone
- Spring cabbage
- Lettuce
- Radishes
Spinach
May jobs on the plot
Water, stake and watch the forecast. May can be glorious and then throw a late frost at the one bed you left uncovered.
Harden off before you plant out
A week of gentler conditions stops the sulk. Plant into moist soil, not a baked surface.
Put supports in for beans and tomatoes
Canes now, while the plants are small. Cordon tomatoes want a single stem and their side shoots pinched out.
Earth up potatoes
Keep covering the stems. It protects against a late frost and gives you more potatoes.
Net soft fruit
Birds will find strawberries and gooseberries the week before you do.
Frost and where you garden
North and south in May
Frost risk is falling, but it has not gone. Southern and coastal gardens are usually safer from mid to late May. Northern England, Scotland and high ground can still freeze into early June. If in doubt, wait, or keep fleece on for the first nights.
Further north, and high ground
In northern England and Scotland, don't rush tender plants out in the first warm spell. A late frost is common into early June. Beans and courgettes sown in pots can wait. Hardy brassicas and leeks are the crops to get into the ground.
The south and sheltered coasts
Many southern plots can plant out tomatoes and courgettes in the second half of May, after hardening off. Have fleece ready for a surprise clear night, especially away from the coast.
Easy mistakes in May
The costly May mistake is planting out on a calendar date instead of on your weather.
Skipping hardening off
Leaves grown under glass burn in a single afternoon outside. Ease them out.
Planting into dry, lumpy soil
Water the hole, plant, then water again. A puddle on a dry surface does not reach the roots.
One long row of sweetcorn
Sweetcorn is wind-pollinated. A block of short rows sets cobs. A single line often doesn't.
Keep May on the dashboard
Sproutly is a web garden diary for UK fruit and veg growers. Add the plants and the jobs, then see what's due on your dashboard.
Record your sowings
Note what you sowed in May, and which bed it went in.
Plan the month's jobs
Add planting, covering and picking as tasks with a due date.
See what's due
Your dashboard shows what's due and what's overdue. Sproutly does not email you or send a push to your phone.
Sketch the beds
Use the garden planner to try a layout before you plant it for real.
Ready to plan your May garden?
Add this month's plants and jobs to your diary. Basic is free for up to 3 plants and 3 tasks. Pro is £5 a month if you want more, including recurring tasks.
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Gardening advice is provided as a general guide based on typical UK conditions. Weather soil and local climate can vary so always use your judgement and adjust timing as needed for your own garden.