Zone 8a planting calendar

What to plant in May: zone 8a

Zone 8a averages its last spring frost around March 30 and its first fall frost around November 15. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.

Last frost: March 30

First frost: November 15

Winter lows: 10 to 15 °F

Zone 8a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Succession sow

Cucumberaround May 4
Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Zucchiniaround May 4
Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Basilaround May 4
Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Bush beanaround May 11
Sowing 3: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Winter squasharound May 11
Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Sweet cornaround May 11
Sowing 3: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Beetaround May 18
Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Carrotaround May 18
Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Bush beanaround May 25
Sowing 4: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Cucumberaround May 25
Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Zucchiniaround May 25
Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Sweet cornaround May 25
Sowing 4: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.
Basilaround May 25
Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

Garden care

Side-dress heavy feedersaround May 11
Tomatoes, peppers, corn and squash get compost or fish emulsion once fruit sets.
Prune and stake tomatoesaround May 18
Pull suckers and lower leaves for airflow. The main defense against blight in humid heat.
Shade the cool-season bedaround May 25
30-40% shade cloth keeps lettuce, cilantro and spinach from bolting in peak heat.

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