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Zone 6A — May

What to Plant in May in Zone 6A

May in Zone 6A: 2 crops to start indoors, 96 to plant or direct sow outside, and 21 entering harvest window. Last frost averages April 18. Reference city: Columbus, OH.
2 Start Indoors
96 Plant Outside
21 Harvest

Start Indoors in May

Plant Type Start Indoors Transplant Outside Harvest Window
Chayote squash chayote May 2 May 2 Aug 30 – Sep 29
Nopales pads nopales May 2 May 2 Jul 1 – Aug 30

Plant Outside in May

Plant Type Action Target Date Harvest Window
Amish Paste Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 15 – Jul 26
Anaheim Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 18 – Jul 26
Anise hyssop leaves and flowers anise hyssop Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 31
Bachelor's button edible flowers bachelors button Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 21
Banana Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 8 – Jul 18
Beefsteak Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 21 – Jul 26
Better Boy Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 16
Bhut Jolokia Ghost Pepper pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 31 – Aug 30
Big Jim Hatch Chile pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 16
Bitter melons bitter melon Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 31
Black Cherry Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 5 – Jul 16
Black Krim Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 21
Black Oil Sunflower Microgreens microgreen Transplant May 2 May 9 – May 14
Brandywine Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 21 – Jul 31
Broccolini vegetable Transplant May 2 Jun 21 – Jul 11
Brussels Sprouts vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 26 – Aug 20
Butternut Squash vegetable Transplant May 2 Aug 10 – Aug 30
California Wonder Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 20 – Jul 23
Cantaloupe vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 21 – Jul 31
Caribbean Red Scotch Bonnet Pepper pepper Transplant May 2 Aug 5 – Aug 30
Carolina Reaper peppers hot pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 31 – Aug 30
Cayenne Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 26 – Aug 5
Celebrity Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 13
Celeste Fig fruit Plant Out May 2 May 2 – May 1
Chayote squash chayote Transplant May 2 Aug 30 – Sep 29
Cherokee Purple Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 19 – Jul 26
Cherry Bomb peppers hot pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 21
Chicago Hardy Fig fruit Plant Out May 2 May 2 – May 1
Corno di Toro Pepper pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 21
Crosne tubers crosne Transplant May 2 Oct 29 – Dec 8
Cubanelle Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 10 – Jul 18
Culinary Turmeric turmeric Transplant May 9 Jan 4 – Mar 5
Cupid Grape Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 11
Datil peppers hot pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 31 – Aug 20
Delica kabocha squash kabocha Transplant May 2 Aug 5 – Aug 20
Early Girl Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jun 23 – Jul 3
Elephant garlic bulbs elephant garlic Transplant May 2 Oct 29 – Dec 28
Fresno Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 21
Genovese Basil herb Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 11
Ginger ginger Transplant May 9 Jan 4 – Mar 5
Green Cabbage vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Aug 10
Green Zebra Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 19
Habanero Pepper pepper Transplant May 9 Aug 7 – Sep 6
Hairy vetch cover crop stands hairy vetch Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 31
Honeydew Melon vegetable Transplant May 2 Aug 10 – Aug 25
Hungarian Hot Wax Pepper pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 16
Improved Meyer Lemon fruit Plant Out May 2 May 1
Jacob's Cattle beans dry bean Transplant May 2 Jul 21 – Jul 31
Jalapeño Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 16
Jerusalem artichoke tubers sunchoke Transplant May 2 Aug 20 – Sep 29
Jimmy Nardello Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 28 – Aug 7
Juliet Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jun 30 – Jul 2
King Arthur Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 10 – Jul 16
Luffa gourds luffa Transplant May 2 Aug 10 – Aug 30
Lunchbox Mini Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 3 – Jul 8
Marketmore 76 Cucumber vegetable Transplant May 2 Jun 29 – Jul 9
Midnight Snack Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 11
Mortgage Lifter Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 21 – Jul 26
Mountain Magic Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 13 – Jul 16
Mucho Nacho Jalapeño Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 9 – Jul 11
Nagami Kumquat fruit Plant Out May 2 May 1
Nopales pads nopales Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Aug 30
Padron Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 8 – Jul 13
Patio Princess Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 11
Phacelia cover crop and bee forage phacelia Transplant May 2 Jun 16 – Jul 1
Pinkeye Purple Hull Pea cowpea Transplant May 2 Jun 26 – Jul 9
Poblano Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 16
Potato onion clusters potato onion Transplant May 2 Jul 31 – Aug 30
Purple Basil herb Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 26
Rambo Radish Microgreens microgreen Transplant May 2 May 8 – May 12
Red Cabbage vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Aug 20
Red-Stem Malabar Spinach malabar spinach Transplant May 2 Jun 26 – Jul 11
Roma VF Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 21
Romanesco vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Aug 10
Rosemary herb Plant Out May 2 Jul 21 – Aug 10
Rutgers Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 21
San Marzano Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 19 – Jul 29
Serrano Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 21
Shishito Peppers pepper Transplant May 9 Jul 8 – Jul 13
Signet marigold edible flowers signet marigold Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 6
Snow Crown Cauliflower vegetable Transplant May 2 Jun 21 – Jul 1
Speckled Pea Shoot Microgreens microgreen Transplant May 2 May 10 – May 16
Sugar Baby Watermelon vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 21
Sun Gold Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jun 28 – Jul 6
Supersweet 100 Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 6
Sweet 100 Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 6
Sweet Million Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 6
Thai Basil herb Transplant May 2 Jul 1 – Jul 6
Thai Hot Peppers pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 26
Tiny Tim Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jun 16 – Jun 26
Trinidad Moruga Scorpion peppers hot pepper Transplant May 2 Jul 21 – Aug 30
Tumbling Tom Red Tomato tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 6 – Jul 11
Waltham 29 Broccoli vegetable Transplant May 2 Jul 16 – Jul 31
White clover living mulch white clover Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 31
Winter rye cover crop stands winter rye Transplant May 2 Oct 29 – Dec 8
Yellow Pear Tomatoes tomato Transplant May 2 Jul 11 – Jul 19

Harvest in May

Plant Type Planted / Sown Harvest Window
Astro Arugula vegetable Apr 18 May 9 – May 28
Buckwheat cover crop Apr 18 May 18 – Jun 2
Cherry Belle Radish root Apr 25 May 16 – May 25
Chinese Broccoli (Gai Lan) vegetable Apr 18 May 18 – Jun 7
Daikon Radishes daikon radish Apr 4 May 19 – May 29
Dill herb Apr 18 May 28 – Jun 12
French Breakfast Radish root Apr 25 May 16 – May 23
Mesclun Mix vegetable Apr 18 May 9 – May 18
Mizuna vegetable Apr 18 May 28 – Jun 7
Mustard Greens vegetable Apr 18 May 23 – Jun 7
Peppermint herb Apr 18 May 18 – Jun 2
Spearmint herb Apr 18 May 18 – Jun 2
Sweet Alyssum flower Apr 18 May 28 – Jun 12
Water spinach stems and leaves water spinach Apr 18 May 18 – Jun 2
Black Oil Sunflower Microgreens microgreen May 2 May 9 – May 14
Celeste Fig fruit May 2 May 2 – May 1
Chicago Hardy Fig fruit May 2 May 2 – May 1
Improved Meyer Lemon fruit May 2 May 1
Nagami Kumquat fruit May 2 May 1
Rambo Radish Microgreens microgreen May 2 May 8 – May 12
Speckled Pea Shoot Microgreens microgreen May 2 May 10 – May 16

Key Tasks for May in Zone 6A

  1. 1 Start 2 varieties indoors this month under grow lights or in a sunny south-facing window. Use a seed-starting mix and bottom heat (70–75°F) for best germination rates.
  2. 2 Harden off transplants before moving outdoors — set them outside in a sheltered spot for increasing hours over 7–10 days before planting in the ground.
  3. 3 Check soil moisture before watering — stick a finger 2 inches into the soil. Water only when the soil is dry at that depth. Consistent moisture is more important than frequency.
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