What to Plant in May – Ultimate Guide

May is here when you have all the possibilities to enrich your vegetable garden because you can sow new seeds directly in the soil, transplant the seedlings, plant the new seedlings, and grow the flowers. In this article, we are going to explore all that we can do with the sowing of vegetables, and aromatic and fruit trees as well as take advantage of the time to perform other very important tasks in the garden.

In May, you will continue with many of the tasks you have started in the Garden in April, and that is very important to make your garden a success.

Flowers That Can Be Planted in May

It is quite attractive to incorporate in the orchard the sowing of flowers, especially in the month of May, they embellish, give color and are very easy to cultivate. It is important not to neglect the issue of pests that attack the flower planting as well as the rest of the plantation.

In May, you can plant the following flowers:

Daisies: It needs enough sun and little wind, and continuous watering, especially while growing. The soil with excellent drainage is sandy, taking into account that this plant is large and takes up space. Take care of worms, mildew, gray and white rot, and others. Learn more about how to grow African daisies from seed.

Begonias: It grows in warm or temperate climates, it is recommended to plant it in a place with enough light but without direct sun exposure. Soil with good drainage, but that maintains moisture from irrigation, which should be moderate. It is prone to attack by mites, mealybugs, aphids, white flies, leaf spots, and powdery mildew.

Dahlias: It is grown in warm climates, and it needs humidity as well as sunlight but not direct sunlight.  It should be sheltered from the wind because of its fragility. Abundant watering with well-drained soil. It gets sick with the attack of aphids, white charcoal, mildew, and wilt. Learn more about how to grow Dahlias.

Carnation: It grows very well in warm weather and prolonged sun exposure. Watering should be regular and abundant.  Loose and porous soil for strong growth. It is commonly attacked by aphids, red spider mites, white flies, and gets sick with rust and leaf spots. I recommend you read our article about different ways to grow Carnations.

What to Plant in May?

In the garden there is a feast of smells and colors with the warm weather, no worries about the cold or freezing nights. Now is the right time to harvest those vegetables that were planted in the fall or winter.

Sowing Vegetables Directly in the Soil

What to Plant in May? May is the time to plant vegetables directly in the soil, which meets all the conditions to receive them, such as no weeds, moist soil, and ample space for the best development of the plants. In the case of root vegetables, there are beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and radishes.  Planting these vegetables will enrich the vegetable garden while providing the necessary care for them: regular watering, moisture, and drainage.

The potato that you have planted previously, in this month will already be in full vegetation and begins to bloom, which indicates that the harvest is near because we already know that this is when the fattening of the tubers occurs. Learn more about when are potatoes ready to harvest.

You also have the possibility of sowing directly in the ground, peas, spinach that grows abundantly, arugula, green beans, and chard.  Now if you prefer to do it by seedbed there is no problem, it will depend on the space and the arrangement of the plants in the garden.

Ready seedlings can also be planted in May and growth will be fast: zucchini, onions, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, melons, and watermelons. Remember that advanced crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, beans, and tall plants need to be supported, so it is necessary to stake them. If this work is not done, the weight of the fruit will break the branches, causing considerable damage to the bush.

What to Harvest in May?

Broad beans, leeks, and artichokes are in their last stage to start harvesting. Also, the production of chard and peas.  Vegetables and spring vegetables are present in our garden and continue into the summer. So we see peas, beans, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, arugula, watermelons, carrots, eggplants, onions, and strawberries.

Care Of Fruit Trees in The Orchard in May

Fruit trees also have their protagonism, the month of May is the optimal season, you can plant a variety if you already have them in seedlings, especially those of deciduous leaves because they are already rooted and ready to be transplanted.

During May, some fruit trees will continue to bloom and in others, the first fruits will begin to form. Special care should be taken to avoid aphid infestations that affect many fruit trees. To control aphid infestations, you can use effective and environmentally friendly ladybugs.

At this time, fruit trees need more watering, so you will have to water them additionally if there is little rainfall during May.

Tips For the Plant in May

With fruit trees you must be very careful so that they can have a strong and healthy development, you must note in the calendar the following recommendations:

Sow and Plant in May

This is the optimal period for sowing because the seeds and seedlings adapt perfectly to the climatic conditions due to the onset of spring.

Select the Method to use for Sowing

You may want to keep the seedlings for a longer time to protect them either from a straggling frost, strong wind, or inclement sun.  This is very favorable because the seedlings get stronger when the time for transplanting arrives.

Now if you are going to plant the seeds directly, it is good to know the depth of sowing, that is to say, to know how deep the seed will be buried: if it is too deep it will not receive enough sun and if it is too shallow it is possible that it will be easily seen and the birds will eat it. Consider the time it will take to germinate.

Watering

Plants in seedbeds, as well as those planted directly in the soil, require normal watering, which means that they should never lack water because when they receive the sun’s rays the soil will lose its humidity and the plant will be damaged.

Some plants require more water than others, therefore abundant watering should be periodic for this type of plant, it could be said that daily but without flooding them.

Ideal Planting Location to Plant in May

The condition of light or shade for fruit plants is very important because it will depend on the position in which they are planted or placed.  Some plants are resistant to direct sunlight, while others do very well when they receive sunlight but also have shade.  At the time of planting, it is good to keep this in mind.

Favorable Growing Associations

When planting, it is very important to keep in mind that there are plants that can be planted together, this association is an art.  In the orchard they can coexist, taking advantage of space and soil, and minimizing insect and disease problems. For example, melon can be planted with corn, radish, or pumpkin.

Fertilizer to Plant in May

Fruit trees consume a lot of water and nutrients, at this time they are in full vegetation and provide a great effort in their fructification. That is why it is necessary to fertilize them with organic substances, avoiding chemical fertilizers that cause premature fruit drop.

We fertilize with our own homemade fertilizer and also with a commercial one, and with both, we have excellent results. We highly recommend this fertilizer (Order here).

Fighting Pests

When the plants are young and are already sprouting, they are prone to attack by aphids and caterpillars.  Mealybugs already attack the branches of the bush. There is also the Mediterranean fruit fly, a pest that damages fruit trees, causing fruit to drop and rot. This aspect must be kept in mind so that the orchard is in good planting conditions.

Pests can be combated naturally with neem oil. We recommend our article about how to mix neem oil for plants.

Final Conclusions

May is an excellent month to continue planting in the vegetable garden. A wide variety of flowers and vegetables grow in May. The risk of frost is over, and you don’t need to worry.

I hope that this article about what to plant in May will be of great help and that you will be able to plant a lot to have a bountiful harvest in the coming months. Keep an eye out for pests, because as the temperatures rise, pests will appear.

Spring comes alive in May, take advantage of this month to give life to your orchard!