What to plant in May in USDA zone 10

Sow outdoors in May — zone 10

Direct-sow these seeds into prepared garden beds or large containers. Soil temperature matters more than the calendar date — wait for a sustained warm-up before sowing tender crops.

• Sweet potatoes, okra, southern peas, tropical herbs

Harvest in May — zone 10

These crops should be ready or in active harvest in May for zone 10 gardens. Pick fruiting crops every 2-3 days to keep production going.

• Tomatoes, peppers, squash, beans, onions, garlic, citrus

Maintenance in May — zone 10

• Shade cloth, mulch, drip irrigation — Daytime crop production slows once temps top 35 °C.

Prep and planning — zone 10

• Summer cover crops (cowpeas, sun hemp) for fallow beds

Universal May tasks

These apply across most US and UK gardens in May, regardless of zone.

• Plant warm-season crops after last frost — tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers, squash.
• Mulch beds heavily once soil has warmed to retain moisture.
• Stake or cage tomato plants before they sprawl.
• Direct-sow corn, beans, cucumbers, squash, and melons once soil hits 16 °C.
• Begin succession sowing of bush beans every 2-3 weeks.
• Pinch herbs to encourage bushy growth.

Why this works for zone 10

Zone 10 has average annual minimum temperatures of 30 to 40°F (-1 to 4°C) and a frost-free window from frost rare or never to frost rare or never — about 365 growing days. Summer can be too hot for many tomato varieties. Winter is the prime growing season for cool-loving crops.

Dates are zone-wide averages. Local microclimates (south-facing slopes, urban heat, lakeside warmth, elevation) can shift the window by 1-2 weeks within the same zone.

UK gardeners — May

May is the UK's tender-crop month. Plant out tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, runner beans, and sweetcorn after the last frost (typically mid- to late May). Direct-sow French beans, courgettes, sweetcorn, and squashes. Harvest asparagus, rhubarb, and first lettuce.

Source and methodology

Frost-date averages from NOAA Climate Data Online within USDA zone 10. Hardiness boundaries from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023). Crop timing curated against US Cooperative Extension Service publications (UNL, UMN, NC State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS, Oregon State) and cross-referenced against the RHS sowing calendar. Curated by the Growli editorial team.

Keep going

• ← April in zone 10
• June in zone 10 →
• All zones — what to plant in May
• USDA Zone 10 — frost dates and crop list
• Full 12-month planting calendar

Other zones — May

• What to plant in May in zone 3
• What to plant in May in zone 4
• What to plant in May in zone 5
• What to plant in May in zone 6
• What to plant in May in zone 7
• What to plant in May in zone 8
• What to plant in May in zone 9