What Seeds To Plant In May

may planting list post

May’s crisp mornings and cooler temps are your cue to get stuck into the garden. Whether you’re prepping veggie patches or sprucing up flower beds, here’s your no-nonsense checklist to make the most of autumn’s gentle shift into winter.  (Jump to seeds to sow)

1. Sow Winter Veggies

May’s cool soil is prime time for winter crops. Direct sow seeds for broccoli try Sprouting Calabrese for a lovely old fashioned variety that is very disease resistant,  the leek Autumn Giant is a champ, and  for carrots, Thumbelina is the perfect shape foe roasting. Don’t forget spinach for stir-fries and sugar snap peas for crunchy pods.

Top tip: Mix compost into beds for a nutrient boost, and space seeds as per packet instructions as crowded seedlings equals sad harvests. 

2. Prune Smart, Not Hard 

Grab those secateurs and trim overgrown shrubs and fruit trees after their last fruiting: stone fruits, looking at you. Remove deadwood and crisscrossing branches to let light and air in.

For natives like grevilleas, a light tip-prune encourages bushiness. Sharp tools equal clean cuts and avoid hacking into old wood on spring bloomers. It is best to wait wait until after flowering. 

3. Prepare For Frost

In southern regions frost can ambush tender plants. Protect seedlings with frost cloth pegged loosely or rig up DIY cloches from old bottles. Mulch thickly with straw or sugarcane around roots but keep it away from stems to prevent rot. Potted plants? Shift them to sheltered spots.

Top tip: Water soil, not leaves, before a frost as damp earth holds heat better. 

4. Brighten Up with Winter Blooms

Check out the list of flowers to plant in your area and sow them in sunny spots with well-drained soil. Sweet peas are good to go for most states climbing sweet peas will brighten a drab fence whilst short varieties look heavenly tumbling out of pots or handing baskets.

Tidy Now: Thank Yourself Later

Rake up leaves and clear finished summer plants to deter slugs and fungal hitchhikers. Toss the debris into the compost layering veggie scraps with dry leaves for black gold. Check for pests under pots and stones and evict snails before they throw a winter feast. 

May’s all about setting the stage for a thriving winter garden. Whether you’re sowing seeds or sharpening tools, a little effort now pays off big time. Happy gardening! 

seeds to sow

If you are unsure of your climate zone check out the zone map.

Cool Mountain

  • Vegetable: Broad Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Mizuna, Mustard greens , Onion, Pak Choy , Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Spinach , Spring onions , Turnip.
  • Herbs: Salad Burnet, Valerian

Arid

  • Vegetable: Beetroot , Broad Beans , Broccoli, Burdock, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chinese Cabbage , Endive, Artichokes, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mustard greens, Onion, Pak Choy, Parsnip, Peas, Radish, Rocket, Silverbeet, Spinach, Thyme, Turnip.
  • Herbs: Calendula, Catnip, Fennel, Lovage, Parsley, Salad Burnet, Tansy, Yarrow
  • Flowers: Alyssum, Linaria, Marigold, Sweetpeas, Snap Dragon, Veronica

Temperate

  • Vegetable: Beetroot, Broad Beans , Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chives , Lamb’s Lettuce, Fennel, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mizuna , Mustard greens, Onion, Pak Choy, Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spinach, Turnip.
  • Herbs: Agrimonia, Bergamot, Borage, Calendula, Comfrey, Dill, Echinacea, Heartsease, Hyssop, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Mugwort, Nasturtium, Nettle, Oregano, Parsley, Poppy, Queen Anne’s Lace, Salad Burnet, Sorrel, Tansy, Wormwood, Yarrow
  • Flowers: Ageratum, Alyssum, Carnation, Catnip, Celosia, Chrysanthemum, Cornflower, Cosmos, Dianthus, Everlastings, Gaillardia, Gypsophilia, Larkspur, Lavatera, Lavender, Livingstone Daisy, Marigold, Native Iris, Nigella, Sweetpeas, Swan River Daisy, Rudbeckia, Snap Dragon, Stock, Valerian, Veronica, Wallflower, Wild Pansy

Sub-Tropical

  • Vegetable: Beetroot, Broad Beans, Broccoli, Burdock, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chicory, Chives, Collards, Endive, Florence Fennel, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mizuna, Mustard greens, Onion, Pak Choy, Peas, Radish, Rocket, Shallots, Silverbeet, Peas, Strawberry, Turnip.
  • Herbs: Agrimonia, Bergamot, Borage, Calendula, Chamomile, Comfrey, Coriander, Dill, Echinacea, Heartsease, Lemon Balm, Lovage, Marjoram, Mint, Mugwort, Nasturtium, Nettle, Oregano, Parsley, Poppy, Sorrel, Tansy, Wormwood, Yarrow
  • Flowers: Alyssum, Carnation, Catnip, Celosia, Chrysanthemum, Cornflower, Cosmos, Dianthus, Everlastings, Gaillardia, Gypsophilia, Larkspur, Lavatera, Lavender, Linaria, Livingstone Daisy, Marigold, Native Iris, Nigella, Queen Anne’s Lace, Swan River Daisy, Rudbeckia, Salad Burnet, Snap Dragon, Stock, Sweetpeas, Valerian, Veronica, Wallflower, Wild Pansy

Tropical

  • Vegetable: Amaranth, Angelica, Artichokes, Asparagus, Asparagus Pea, Beans, Beetroot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Cape Gooseberry, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chicory, Chilli, Chinese Cabbage, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Fennel, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Lettuce, Mizuna, Mibuna, Mustard greens, Warrigal greens, Okra, Oregano, Pak Choy, Peas, Potato, Pumpkin, Radish, Rockmelon, Rosemary, Sage, Salsify, Summer savory, Winter savory, Shallots, Silverbeet, Spring onions, Bunching onions, Squash, Strawberries, Sunflower, Sweet corn, Tomatillo, Tomato, Turnip, Watermelon, Zucchini.
  • Herbs: Angelica, Basil, Burdock, Calendula, Catnip, Chamomile, Chives, Coriander, Dandelion, Fennel, Feverfew, Hyssop, Lemon Balm, Linaria, Lovage, Marigold, Marjoram, Marshmallow, Mint, Parsley, Perilla, Sage, Salad Burnet, Savory, Sorrel, Tansy, Yarrow, Valerian
  • Flowers: Ageratum, Alyssum, Amaranth, Aster, Dahlia, Salvia, Snap Dragon, Sweetpeas, Veronica, Zinnia



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