Zone 8b planting calendar

What to plant in May: zone 8b

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 8b: last spring frost around March 20, first fall frost around November 25. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Typical last frost: March 20
Typical first frost: November 25
Winter lows: 15 to 20 °F
Zone 8b Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Succession sow

  • Bush bean2 sowings: May 1 and May 15

    Sowing 3: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Winter squash2 sowings: May 1 and May 22

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Sweet corn2 sowings: May 1 and May 15

    Sowing 3: replant every 14 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Beet2 sowings: May 8 and May 29

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Carrot2 sowings: May 8 and May 29

    Sowing 2: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

  • Cucumberaround May 15

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Zucchiniaround May 15

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

  • Basilaround May 15

    Sowing 3: replant every 21 days so one planting never has to feed you all season.

Garden care

  • Side-dress heavy feeders4 sowings: May 1 and May 8 and May 15 and May 22

    Tomatoes, peppers, corn and squash get compost or fish emulsion once fruit sets. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

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