What to plant in May?

Oh no! May Day has come and gone and you haven’t gotten any seeds in the ground! All your friends have been tending their plots since late March, but you’ve been too busy on Netflix to even notice. Well, have no fear! There is still plenty of time to have a bountiful, productive, and rewarding vegetable garden. But you should get started now.

So what can we plant in May? There are plenty of vegetables that will benefit from the warmer soil temperatures. Warmer ground temperatures allow for a fast germination, so the stables of summertime kitchens are great choices. Plant some melons, cucumbers, and squash.

In May there is basically no worry about frosts, so you can plant the more delicate herbs that love the heat. Great ones to start with are sage, basil, oregano and dill. Obviously you can always transplant herbs you’ve purchased, but in May, these are still great to start from seed.

Another excellent type of plant to start in May are beans. Beans come to fruit rather quickly, so with some strategic sowing, you can have fresh beans all summer. Get a few different varieties and sow them continually for 7 to 10 days. This will ensure a regular flow of bean crops, rather than one huge harvest. Having all your plants, especially if it’s one type, come to harvest at the same time is a great way to waste a lot of produce.

And of course, it is never too late for tomatoes. Tomatoes are probably the most popular garden plant for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they are delicious! The warmer weather will help your tomatoes grow nice and plump, so think about starting with transplants.

And even beyond May, there are lots of plants that do well getting started later in the summer. For instance, you can plant carrots in June or even mid-July for a wonderful fall harvest. Broccoli planted midsummer can yield all the way into November! Spinach, radishes, peas — all of these can begin in the summer.

So cut yourself some slack. Maybe you were a bit lazy in the early spring, but there are still plenty of ways to ensure a kitchen full of homegrown goodness.