Seeds to Start in May: Zone 5A

Alright friends… we are almost out of indoor seed starting for the season if you’re in zone 5A.  This is even more exciting than last month because that means we are getting into directly planting in the garden.   You’ll notice most of the vegetable, flower, and herb seeds to start in May should only be started up until mid-May.

There is a very good reason for nearly no indoor planting past mid-May…

Y’ALL!  Outdoor garden season is upon us!  As much as I enjoy seeing my little seedlings under my grow lights, I LOVE seeing them actually growing in the garden.

Don’t Forget to Harden Off Seedlings

This month you should keep in mind hardening off those seedlings once you’re temperatures reach 45 degrees (F) consistently.  I will address that in a separate post for now, just keep in mind that you need to acclimate your frost tender seedlings to the outdoor sun, wind, and temperature conditions.  Hardening off is a bit of a pain but so necessary to make sure you do not shock and kill your seedlings.

About 7 to 14 days before your last frost date, you’ll want to start acclimating your seedlings to outside more and more as you near your last frost date.

Sorry for the teaser but I’d hate for you to miss hardening off your seedlings.

With that addressed, let’s get back into what seeds start in May.

Vegetable Seeds to Start in May

• Cantaloupe (until mid-month)
• Celery (until mid-month)
• Chicory (until mid-month)
• Chili Peppers (until mid-month)
• Collards (until mid-month)
• Cress (until mid-month)
• Cucumber (until mid-month)
• Fennel (until mid-month)
• All Gourds (until mid-month)
• All Melons (until mid-month)
• Okra (until mid-month)
• Pumpkin & Winter Squash (mid until end of the month)
• Radicchio (all)
• Spinach (until mid-month)
• Swiss Chard (until mid-month)
• Tomatillo (until mid-month)
• Tomato (until mid-month)

Flowers to Start in May

• Agastache (until mid-month)
• Ageratum (until mid-month)
• Aster (until mid-month)
• Calendula (until mid-month)
• Celosia (until mid-month)
• Chamomile (until mid-month)
• Cleome (until mid-month)
• Coleus (until mid-month)
• Convolvulus (until mid-month)
• Coreopsis (until mid-month)
• Cuphea (until mid-month)
• Gaillardia (until mid-month)
• Gazania (until mid-month)
• Geranium (until mid-month)
• Gomphrena (until mid-month)
• Heliotrope (until mid-month)
• Impatiens (until mid-month)
• Lantana (until mid-month)
• Lavender (until mid-month)
• Marigold (until mid-month)
• Monarda (until mid-month)
• Morning Glory (until mid-month)
• Nasturtium (all)
• Nicotiana (until mid-month)
• Nigella (until mid-month)
• Osteospermum (until mid-month)
• Petunia (until mid-month)
• Portulaca (until mid-month)
• Salpiglossis (until mid-month)
• Salvia (until mid-month)
• Scarlet Sage (until mid-month)
• Tansy (until mid-month)
• Verbena (until mid-month)
• Vinca (until mid-month)
• Zinnia (until mid-month)

Herb Seeds to Start in May

• Basil (all)
• Catnip (until mid-month)
• Chamomile (until mid-month)
• Cilantro (until mid-month)
• Comfrey (until mid-month)
• Dill (until mid-month)
• Lemon Balm (until mid-month)
• Lemon Verbena (all)
• Lemongrass (starting mid-month)
• Lovage (until mid-month)
• Marjoram (until mid-month)
• Oregano (until mid-month)
• Parsley (until mid-month)
• Sage (until mid-month)
• Tarragon (until mid-month)

Alright, guys…I think that’s pretty much it for starting seeds indoors for the year.

Hopefully, these monthly reminders of what seeds you can start indoors throughout January, February, March, April, and now May were helpful for you and you can expand upon them based on your experience or testing of planting of timeframe limits.

Blessings!