What to Start Sowing and Planting in May?
May is a day of change for young seedlings. I’m constantly moving trays of flowers and vegetables from the grow room into my removable greenhouse to free up more space, or hardening them off outside to prepare for going into the ground. By leaving, they make room for the next group of flowers and vegetables to be planted in mid-summer. If you catch me outside, I’ll likely have a few packets of seeds in my pocket, reminding me that I need to put something in the ground, too. Summer is just starting, but there are a lot of seeds to plant right now, either inside to let them germinate or by direct sowing outside.
Lawns
Take advantage of the recent rains to help germinate your lawn seeds. If you have areas of your lawn that need to be seeded, or you want to plant an entire summer lawn, contact your local garden center to find the right seeds. Germination really depends on water, so you need to balance the last frost date and warm enough weather for the seeds you’re planting with enough rain to avoid having to water constantly.
These are not just traditional lawns. If you have an organic lawn or clover lawn, you can beautify the area by adding red and strawberry clover seeds and English daisy seeds for the summer. Ideally, you don’t create a monoculture of one type of seed, so you can add other low-growing flowers.
Annual flowers
In most areas of the U.S., this month you’ll start getting enough sunlight to direct your seeds outside, meaning you’ll just plant the seeds in the soil rather than trying to grow seedlings inside to later plant outside. If you are going to try sowing annuals from direct seed, such as wildflowers, you can start planting them in the ground as soon as you are past the risk of frost. Pay attention to the instructions on the depth of planting of seeds on the package – many seeds cannot germinate if they are simply sprinkled with soil on top; they need soil cover. For example, sunflower seeds need a depth of about an inch or so. A good rule of thumb is to plant seeds at a depth appropriate to their size. Thus, tiny seeds such as celosia and poppy can be sown on the surface, but marigolds and zinnia need to be planted about a half-inch deep. If you want to scatter the seeds for a more natural look rather than making holes for the seeds, scrape the area so the seeds come into contact with the soil, then scatter them and cover them by sprinkling soil on top and patting them down. Finish with watering.
Remember that summer is limited, so if you haven’t planted annual flowers and want to sow seeds right away, you should do so before the end of May – although you can sow another round of flowers later in the summer. like zinnias or sunflowers.
Vegetables
All your tender summer vegetables are best planted in the garden as seedlings rather than seeds. Summer is so short that you need to make sure you have enough runway to grow tomatoes, eggplants and peppers before it’s over. Typically, most people either grow or buy seeds for the rest of their garden, including pumpkins, corn, cucumbers, squash and beans. But you can seed them directly, and now is the time to do so. Direct sowing has some advantages: you don’t need space inside to grow them, soil or pots. The downside is that the seeds on the outside are a little more vulnerable to squirrels and birds, and the young shoots are vulnerable to snails, slugs and squirrels. All of this is to say that you should replant (and remember to follow the seed package’s sowing instructions for the appropriate sowing depth for different types of seeds).
Be sure to take advantage of the last spring rain to sprout some extra carrots. Since they need constant moisture during germination, rain can take a toll here. At this time of year, I leave radish, lettuce, green onion, beet and kohlrabi seeds outside in a protected place so I remember to sow them once a week. You do not need to set the cost of the package every week, just indicate the quantity you will eat. It helps to mark the rows as you go so you don’t have to plant seeds in an area that’s already sown.
My favorite tip for getting summer lettuce is to sow the lettuce in a long, low lettuce planter, but you can just choose a corner of the bed. Sprinkle out the entire packet of seeds and be sure to mix it into the top layer of soil so that it is evenly distributed. Water the bag and when it sprouts, you have a pot of lettuce. But if it’s too crowded, it won’t grow much, so every week I take a scoop from the end of the pot, separate the seedlings and plant them in the beds. For most of the summer, the planter serves as a place to store lettuce, and each week I pull out a few leaves to plant.
Planting succession
Back inside, it’s time to get ready for midsummer. This can include more lettuce if you prefer to grow it inside, as well as chard, kale, beans, cucumbers and summer flowers. Again, you can seed them or grow them inside, which is a much more controlled environment.