My Planting Calendar

What to plant in May in zone 10

USDA zone 10 has winter lows of 30 to 40°F, a typical last spring frost around Jan 30 and first fall frost around Dec 15, roughly 330 frost-free days. May is the "peak growing season" there.

9 crops have a sowing or planting window this month.

Dates come from the typical frost dates of USDA zone 10 (last frost Jan 30, first frost Dec 15). A zone covers many climates, so for dates tuned to your town use the planting calendar, or pick your state below.

Peak growing seasonSow or plant: 9Start indoors: 0Harvesting: 29

Zone 10: planting activity through the year

77
69
27
9
9
4
3
3
18
30
26
54
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Frost riskFrost-free: Jan 30 – Dec 15
Bars count the vegetables, herbs and fruit with a sowing or planting window in each month, from the state’s average frost dates. 9 have one in May; the busiest month is January (77).

Harvesting in May

First harvests expected this month from crops sown or planted on time earlier in the season.

Potato · Mar 27 – May 16Tomato · Apr 7 – May 2Sweet Corn · Apr 7 – May 17Onion · Apr 9 – May 9Shallot · Apr 9 – May 9Bell Pepper · Apr 14 – May 14Southern Pea (Cowpea) · Apr 14 – May 14Brussels Sprouts · Apr 16 – May 16Ground Cherry · Apr 17 – May 7Sunflower · Apr 17 – May 17Shiso (Perilla) · Apr 17 – May 7Lima Bean · Apr 19 – May 19Edamame (Soybean) · Apr 22 – May 17Tomatillo · Apr 22 – May 17Chili Pepper · Apr 24 – May 24Cantaloupe / Muskmelon · Apr 24 – May 14Watermelon · Apr 24 – May 24Eggplant · Apr 26 – May 16Leek · Apr 26 – Jun 15Winter Squash · Apr 27 – May 27Parsnip · May 3 – Jun 2Salsify · May 6 – Jun 15Pumpkin · May 7 – Jun 6Rosemary · May 7 – Jun 6Celery · May 10 – Jun 19Celeriac · May 10 – May 30Luffa (Loofah Gourd) · May 14 – Jul 13Peanut · May 17 – Jul 6Sweet Potato · May 21 – Jun 20

Peak growing season: May garden jobs in zone 10

  1. Water deeply two or three times a week rather than a little every day - about an inch a week, more in heat. See watering a vegetable garden.
  2. 31 weeks until the average first frost (December 15). Plan the fall garden now - most fall crops are sown 8-12 weeks before first frost. See the fall and winter garden guide.
  3. Check the undersides of leaves twice a week - catching pests early is most of the battle (pest identification guide).
  4. Harvest often: potato, tomato, sweet corn, onion should be coming in. Picking regularly keeps beans, squash and cucumbers producing.

Questions gardeners ask

What can I plant in zone 10 in May?

9 crops have a window in May: . The tables above give the exact dates for each.

When are the last and first frost in zone 10?

The typical last spring frost is around Jan 30 and the first fall frost around Dec 15. These are broad zone averages, so your own town can be a week or two either side: look yours up by ZIP code in the planting calendar.

What can I harvest in zone 10 in May?

From plantings made on time: potato, tomato, sweet corn, onion, shallot, bell pepper, southern pea (cowpea), brussels sprouts, ground cherry, sunflower.

May in states with land in zone 10

ArizonaCaliforniaFloridaNevadaTexas

Zone 10 in other months

JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberZone 10 overview →

What to plant in May in other zones

Zone 3Zone 4Zone 5Zone 6Zone 7Zone 8Zone 9All states →

Dates are computed from the zone’s typical frost dates and each crop’s timing in our crop database. Your garden may be a week or two either side.