Sowing and planting in May

Sowing in the open field

From now on, you can be more generous with your seed collection: Carrots, peas, sweet peas, chard, melilot, kohlrabi, broccoli, chicory and beet. The list of possible crops to sow in May is long. For simple mixed crops, the gaps can be filled with radishes, spinach and lettuce. Bush beans and cucumbers are also sown at the beginning of May. Late carrots, winter leeks and bolt-resistant fennel can be sown at the end of May.

Herbs and flowers for the balcony

In general, annual herbs can now be sown directly on the spot. Now is a particularly favourable time for heat-loving species such as nasturtium, marigolds, savory, marjoram and purslane. Dill, chervil, cress and rocket can be resown as required.

If you also want to do the (pollinating) insects a favour, you can sow seed mixtures for a flower meadow now. Green manure can also be very attractive for bees and other beneficial insects: mustard, lupins and phacelia provide food for insects and are also very useful for us gardeners.

Plants in May

Lettuce, cabbage, leeks and celery are relatively cold-tolerant and can be planted in the bed at the beginning of the month. Plants that need warmth, such as tomatoes, peppers, zucchinis, melons and corn, should only be planted in unprotected open ground after the Ice Saints in mid-May. Now is also the time to plant perennial herbs such as thyme, sage, mountain savory and mint.