What to sow in May in the UK

In May you can sow cantaloupe melon, courgettes, edamame, french beans, kale, oregano, rosemary, runner beans, summer squash, sweet potatoes, sweetcorn, thyme and more. Sow tender crops under cover and hardy crops outdoors once the soil is workable.

May harvests in the UK include broad beans, cabbage, carrots, coriander, kale, lettuce, peas, radishes, rhubarb, rocket, rosemary, sage and more, depending on your sowing dates and region.

In May, hardy crops can usually go outdoors across most of the UK, but wait until after the last frost (around mid-May, later in the north) for anything tender. Use a cloche or fleece to start earlier.