What to plant in May: zone 5a

Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

Soil is ready 0 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 1 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Soil is ready 2 weeks after last frost.

Warm soil: first summer sowing of bush bean.

Warm soil: first summer sowing of cucumber.

Warm soil: first summer sowing of zucchini.

Warm soil: first summer sowing of sweet corn.

Warm soil: first summer sowing of basil.

Soil is ready 3 weeks after last frost.

Warm soil: first summer sowing of winter squash.

Safe to set out 1 weeks after last frost. Needs a long, warm, frost-free season to set seed; stake plants, as the thin stalks flop once seed heads fill out.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Bury 2/3 of the transplant stem. Roots form along the buried stem for a stronger plant.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Pinch first flowers on transplants so the plant invests in roots before setting fruit.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Pinch flower spikes the moment you see them: leaves stay sweet all season.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest just before flowering for the strongest flavor. Dries beautifully.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs sharp drainage. Plant in gravelly soil or a raised bed edge. Never wet feet.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Prune hard in spring to prevent woody stems and keep the plant productive for 5+ years.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. This is a fall crop: frost is what turns the sprouts sweet. Around 4 weeks before harvest, top the growing tip so the plant pushes size into the sprouts.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Celery is a water crop: it turns stringy and bitter the moment it dries out. Keep soil consistently moist and feed steadily. Homegrown stalks are thinner and far more flavorful than store celery.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Lean, gritty, well-drained soil and no coddling. Plant on a slight mound, skip the fertilizer, and prune a third of the plant after bloom to stop it going woody.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Buy French tarragon as a plant, never seed: true French tarragon rarely sets viable seed, and seed sold as tarragon is usually the near-flavorless Russian type. Divide the crown every 3 years.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs a long, steady season: start indoors early and keep soil evenly moist the entire time or the knob stays small.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Flowers self-pollinate then push a stalk (peg) into the soil to form the pod underground: keep soil loose around the base.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Grows from a small tuberous root that overwinters indoors in pots north of zone 7; pick fruit at grape size for the best crunch.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant at least two for pollination: a single tomatillo rarely sets fruit. Husk turns papery and splits when ripe.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit drops when ripe, husk and all: rake or hand-pick off the ground every few days rather than picking from the plant.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs more heat and a longer season than bell peppers; start indoors early and don't rush it outside until nights stay above 55F.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Corking (light brown cracks near the stem) means the pepper is fully ripe and at peak heat, not damaged.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Picked green it's a poblano; left to ripen red on the plant and dried, it becomes an ancho chile.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Thin-walled pods dry easily on the plant or strung indoors; harvest for drying once fully red.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Pick while still green and wrinkled for the classic blistered appetizer; about 1 in 10 fruits carries real heat.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Soak seed 24 hours before sowing to soften the hard seed coat; it thrives in summer heat that bolts true spinach.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Doesn't come true from seed; buy or divide root cuttings, and divide the clump every 3 years to keep it vigorous.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest just before flowering for the best flavor, then shear the whole plant back for a second flush.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Cut back hard before it flowers and sets seed, or it self-sows into every corner of the garden.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Grows 4-6 ft tall once established; give it the back of the bed and divide the crown every few years to keep it productive.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Self-sows aggressively once established; pinch spent flower spikes if you don't want volunteers taking over next spring.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fence it off if cats roam the neighborhood: they'll flatten the plant and any seedlings around it rolling in the scent.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Deadhead spent spikes to extend bloom all summer; bees and hummingbirds favor it over almost anything else nearby.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Self-sows freely once established; use a light hand in cooking, since the flavor is strong and a little goes a long way.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant at least two genetically distinct trees; pawpaw needs cross-pollination and its flowers smell faintly of rotting meat to draw flies, not bees.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit is astringent until fully soft-ripe; wait until it looks nearly rotten and falls into your hand, not before.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant it as a decoy near berry patches: birds strongly prefer mulberries and will often leave raspberries alone if both are ripening.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant two different cultivars for better fruit set; cut clusters when berries turn deep purple-black and cook before eating, never raw.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Check state rules before planting: currants can be restricted near white pine stands due to blister rust; resistant cultivars exist where it's allowed.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Prune to an open vase shape each dormant season; good airflow through the center is the best defense against mildew.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit looks ripe well before it's ready; wait until berries turn nearly black and soften slightly to avoid the sharp astringency of early picking.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant two different cultivars for pollination; it flowers and fruits earlier than almost any other berry, often before strawberries.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs one male plant for every 6-8 females to fruit; the branches are thorny, so many growers cut whole fruited branches to harvest rather than pick berry by berry.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit is too astringent to eat raw; pick once golden and fragrant and cook it down for jam, paste, or poached quince.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Blooms very early, so it's often frost-hit; plant on a north-facing slope or against a wall to delay bloom by a few key days.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Thin fruit to one every 4-6 in along the branch in late spring or the tree overbears and branches can snap under the weight.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Plant one male vine for every 6-8 females; unlike fuzzy kiwi, the smooth skin means fruit can be eaten whole, no peeling.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Prune hard each dormant season; it suckers and sprawls readily, and untended plants turn into an unmanageable thicket fast.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Needs boggy, acidic soil, pH 4-5; without a naturally wet, peaty spot, grow it in a lined bed you can flood periodically.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Mulch with pine needles or peat to hold the acidic soil pH it needs; it can produce two crops a year in longer seasons.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Netting is close to mandatory: birds often strip a tree bare within a day or two of the berries ripening.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Harvest as husks turn brown and nuts start dropping on their own; squirrels usually beat gardeners who wait too long.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Give it a wide berth from the vegetable garden and other fruit trees; juglone in fallen leaves and roots can persist in soil for years.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Choose blight-resistant Chinese or hybrid cultivars; the American chestnut itself was nearly wiped out by chestnut blight last century.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit is inedible until it bletts. Pick after a hard frost and hold it in a cool place for two to three weeks until the flesh turns soft and brown.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Leaves, twigs, and pits contain cyanogenic compounds and are toxic to people and livestock. Use only the cooked, strained pulp, and keep wilted prunings away from animals.

Safe to set out 2 weeks after last frost. Fruit is sour and best after frost; buy the American species rather than the European lookalike, whose fruit is bitter and far less useful.

Safe to set out 3 weeks after last frost. Plant rooted slips, not seed. Wait until soil holds 65F, then let vines sprawl and cure roots at 80F for 10 days before storage: that curing step is what makes them sweet.

Safe to set out 3 weeks after last frost. Eggplant sulks in cold soil. Transplant 3 weeks after last frost, not on it. Harvest while skin is glossy: dull skin means bitter, seedy flesh.

Safe to set out 3 weeks after last frost. Okra wants hot soil, 70F+, or seed rots. Pick pods at 3-4 in every other day: one pod left to toughen tells the plant to stop producing.

3-4 in of straw or leaves now holds water, blocks weeds, and cools roots for the whole summer.