Zone 8 · May · 8 weeks after last frost
What to plant in May in Zone 8
Typical last frost in zone 8 is around Mar 20, and first frost around Nov 1. The main planting month across most of the northern hemisphere. Cold zones finally pass their last frost; warm zones are already moving into maintenance.
Start indoors this month
Seed trays indoors, under a light or in the brightest window you have. These are slow crops that need a head start on the season.
Nothing in our dataset needs an indoor start this month in this zone.
Set out into the final container
Transplants go into the pot they will finish in. Hardening them off for four to five days first prevents most transplant shock.
No transplanting window is open this month here.
Direct sow
Sow straight into the final pot. These crops resent root disturbance, and transplanting them usually costs more time than it saves.
No direct-sowing window this month in this zone.
Sow for autumn
A second sowing timed backwards from first frost. Fewer pests, less watering, and better flavour in most cool crops.
No autumn sowing window opens this month in this zone.
Harvesting this month
- Cherry Tomato — harvest from May 31 (5 gal, 12" deep)
- Bush Bean — harvest from May 21 (3 gal, 9" deep)
- Loose-leaf Lettuce — harvest from May 4 (2 gal, 6" deep)
- Kale — harvest from Apr 30 (3 gal, 10" deep)
- Bush Cucumber — harvest from May 21 (5 gal, 12" deep)
- Zucchini — harvest from May 16 (7 gal, 14" deep)
- Spinach — harvest from Apr 13 (2 gal, 6" deep)
- Carrot — harvest from May 15 (3 gal, 12" deep)
Not this month
- Radish — next window opens in September. Starting it now means 4 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.
Zone 8 at a glance
Zone 8 gets about 200 frost-free days with long hot summers. Spring and autumn are the productive windows; midsummer is for heat-lovers only.
Next and previous
April in zone 8 · —