What to Plant in May in Zone 3
Here is what you can sow in May if you garden in USDA zone 3. Dates use typical zone 3 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
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| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicingBig Beef | spring | May 22 – Jun 20 |
| Tomato, cherrySun Gold | spring | May 22 – Jul 6 |
| Tomato, pasteAmish Paste | spring | May 22 – Jun 13 |
| Pepper, bellAce | spring | May 31 – Jun 23 |
| Pepper, hotJalapeño | spring | May 31 – Jun 23 |
| Cucumber, slicingMarketmore 76 | spring | May 22 – Jun 29 |
| Cucumber, picklingExcelsior | spring | May 22 – Jul 9 |
| Squash, summerZucchini Dunja | spring | May 22 – Jul 13 |
| Sweet CornInspiration | spring | May 22 – Jun 25 |
| Bush BeanProvider | spring | May 15 – Jul 4 |
| Pole BeanKentucky Wonder | spring | May 22 – Jun 24 |
| Snap PeaSugar Snap | spring | Mar 24 – May 5 |
| PotatoKennebec | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| CilantroCalypso | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| ParsleyItalian Flat-Leaf | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| Lettuce, leafSalad Bowl | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| Lettuce, romaineChalupa | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| Lettuce, headButtercrunch | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | spring | Mar 24 – May 5 |
| ArugulaAstro | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| KaleDazzling Blue | spring | Apr 7 – May 5 |
| Swiss ChardBright Lights | spring | Apr 21 – Jun 5 |
| CollardsGeorgia Southern | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| Mustard GreensFlorida Broadleaf | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| KohlrabiWinner | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| CarrotNapoli | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| BeetDetroit Dark Red | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| RadishCherry Belle | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| TurnipPurple Top | spring | Apr 7 – May 10 |
| Onion, bunchingEvergreen | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| Lima Bean (Bush)Henderson | spring | May 22 – Jun 24 |
| Edamame (Soybean)Envy | spring | May 22 – Jun 25 |
| Southern Pea (Black-Eyed Pea)California Blackeye No. 5 | spring | May 29 – Jun 24 |
| Fava Bean (Broad Bean)Broad Windsor | spring | Apr 3 – May 5 |
| English Shelling PeaLittle Marvel | spring | Mar 24 – May 5 |
| Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)Sierra | spring | May 1 – May 20 |
| Bean, dryPinto | spring | May 22 – Jul 14 |
| Corn, dent (grinding)Reid's Yellow Dent | spring | May 22 – Jun 29 |
| Amaranth, grainGolden Giant | spring | May 29 – Jul 4 |
| Sorghum, grainMennonite | spring | May 29 – Jul 4 |
| Pigeon peaGeorgia-2 (early dwarf) | spring | May 29 – Jun 24 |
| Bok ChoyJoi Choi F1 | spring | Apr 3 – May 1 |
| MizunaMizuna Early | spring | Mar 21 – May 1 |
| EndiveFrisée Fine Maraîchère | spring | Apr 7 – May 5 |
| EscaroleBatavian Full Heart | spring | Apr 7 – May 5 |
| SorrelProfusion | spring | Mar 24 – May 5 |
| Amaranth LeafRed Garnet | spring | May 15 – Jun 5 |
| New Zealand SpinachCommon | spring | May 15 – May 29 |
| WatercressCommon | spring | Apr 7 – May 5 |
| CeleryTango | spring | Apr 17 – May 15 |
| SalsifyMammoth Sandwich Island | fall | May 26 – Jul 7 |
| Fennel, FlorenceOrion | spring | Apr 3 – May 8 |
| TomatilloToma Verde | spring | May 22 – Jun 28 |
| Ground CherryAunt Molly's | spring | May 22 – Jun 23 |
| Sunflower, confectionMammoth Grey Stripe | spring | May 29 – Jun 20 |
| Strawberry, day-neutralAlbion | spring | May 1 – Jun 3 |
| Pepper, bananaSweet Banana | spring | May 31 – Jun 19 |
| Pepper, poblanoPoblano | spring | May 31 – Jun 14 |
| Pepper, serranoSerrano Tampiqueno | spring | May 31 – Jun 24 |
| Pepper, cayenneLong Slim | spring | May 31 – Jun 19 |
| Pepper, shishitoShishito | spring | May 31 – Jun 29 |
| Pepper, habaneroOrange Habanero | spring | May 31 – Jun 11 |
| DillFernleaf | spring | May 8 – Jun 26 |
| OreganoGreek | spring | May 8 – Jun 26 |
| ThymeEnglish | spring | May 8 – Jun 26 |
| RosemaryTuscan Blue | spring | May 15 – Jun 26 |
| SageBroadleaf | spring | May 15 – Jun 26 |
| MintSpearmint | spring | May 15 – Jul 10 |
| ChivesCommon | spring | May 1 – Jun 26 |
| MarjoramSweet Marjoram | spring | May 29 – Aug 7 |
| ChervilCurled | spring | Apr 24 – May 29 |
| Lemon BalmCommon | spring | May 29 – Jul 24 |
| Summer SavoryCommon | spring | May 29 – Aug 7 |
| BlueberryBluecrop (northern highbush) | spring | May 1 – Jun 14 |
| Raspberry, redHeritage (everbearing) | spring | Apr 24 – May 11 |
| BlackberryTriple Crown (thornless) | spring | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| Strawberry, June-bearingHoneoye | spring | May 1 – Jun 5 |
| GooseberryHinnonmaki Red | spring | Apr 24 – May 8 |
| Haskap (Honeyberry)Borealis | spring | Apr 15 – May 22 |
| ElderberryAdams | spring | May 1 – May 8 |
| AsparagusJersey Knight | spring | Apr 24 – May 29 |
| RhubarbVictoria | spring | Apr 15 – May 29 |
| HorseradishBig Top | spring | May 1 – Jun 14 |
| Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke)Stampede | spring | Apr 24 – Jun 5 |
| Artichoke, globeImperial Star | spring | Apr 17 – May 22 |
| PeanutValencia | spring | May 29 – Jun 29 |
| LavenderMunstead (English) | spring | May 15 – Jun 26 |
| Bay LaurelSweet Bay | spring | May 29 – Jul 14 |
| BorageCommon | spring | May 15 – Jul 24 |
| SteviaSweet Leaf | spring | May 29 – Jun 29 |
| Catmint (Catnip)Nepeta cataria | spring | May 15 – Jul 14 |
| Scarlet Runner BeanScarlet Emperor | spring | May 22 – Jun 30 |
| PopcornRobust Pop | spring | May 22 – Jul 14 |
| Cucamelon (Mouse Melon)Melothria scabra | spring | May 29 – Jul 8 |
| Tomato | spring | May 22 – Jun 20 |
| Pepper, sweet | spring | May 31 – Jun 23 |
| Cucumber | spring | May 22 – Jun 29 |
| Bean | spring | May 15 – Jul 4 |
| Lettuce | spring | Apr 7 – May 22 |
| NasturtiumJewel Mix | spring | May 15 – Jun 26 |
| Calendula (Pot Marigold)Resina | spring | Apr 24 – May 29 |
| Chamomile, GermanCommon | spring | May 1 – Jun 12 |
| Mache (Corn Salad)Vit | spring | Mar 31 – May 8 |
| Cress, gardenCurled | spring | Apr 7 – May 29 |
| Currant, redRed Lake | spring | Apr 24 – May 8 |
Zone 3 in May
May in Zone 3: Frost Clears and the Whole Garden Changes at Once
Wait for the soil, not just the calendar, before tender crops go out
Tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash all belong on soil that holds 60 degrees at a 2 inch depth for 3 consecutive days, not simply soil that feels warm to a bare hand. Pepper is choosier: hold it back until that same 2 inch reading climbs another 5 degrees, to 65, checked 4 inches down, before its transplants leave the tray. A cheap soil thermometer pushed in each morning is worth more than any date circled on paper.
Frost here can still surprise a garden even after the average date has passed, so keep row cover or an old sheet within reach for the first 2 weeks after transplanting anything tender. One unplanned 30 degree night can undo a full spring of seed starting in a single evening.
The cool crops from earlier months are finishing, not failing
Spinach, arugula, and the loose-leaf lettuces on this month's last-chance list are bolting because of longer daylight and rising heat, not because you did anything wrong. Harvest whatever is left this week rather than waiting, since bolted greens turn bitter within days once a seed stalk starts to form.
Reseed a fast greens mix into the space they leave behind. A 25 day baby lettuce mix sown into that freed row now can still finish well before real summer heat settles in for good.
Water the reseeded row twice a day for the first week if rain does not fall on its own. Warm soil dries fast at the surface, and a seed that dries out even once during germination usually fails rather than simply slowing down.
May in zone 3: common questions
What can I plant in May in zone 3?+
In May, USDA zone 3 gardeners can sow Tomato, slicing, Tomato, cherry, Tomato, paste, Pepper, bell, Pepper, hot, Cucumber, slicing, and more. Dates use typical zone 3 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 3 is one band of the map, but planting time is set by your local frost dates, not the zone number. Enter your ZIP code in the free planner and it uses your actual frost dates, which can differ by weeks within a single zone.
Are these May planting dates exact?+
They are typical zone 3 windows. Two gardens in the same zone can be a week or two apart because of elevation and local climate, so treat these as a starting point and tune them to your ZIP code with the free planner.