May is the month of the first real heat and the ideal month for planting many summer vegetables. No more late frosts will come to spoil your work, except perhaps in mountain areas. You can abandon heated seedbeds and sink your hands directly into the soil outdoors. In addition, those who have worked well during March and April will be able to transplant their seedlings into the vegetable garden.

May is also the ideal month to prepare outdoor seedbeds that will provide seedlings for the vegetable garden during July and August. A box of fertile soil will be sufficient to grow, for example, cabbage seedlings that you will eat in autumn. The warm weather in May will ensure the growth of these vegetables without the need for a greenhouse.

Open field sowing

In May you can really indulge in sowing fruit and vegetables. Sow melons and watermelons, tomatoes and chillies, carrots and peppers, chard and ribs, carrots and thistles, lettuces and all sorts of salads.  All aromatic herbs such as basil, parsley, marjoram or mint. In short, May is the perfect month to prepare our vegetable garden and enjoy its fruits during the summer.

Moon phases

There are theories that claim that the moon influences the growth of our vegetable seedlings. However, there are no studies that confirm their reliability. If you would like to follow the phases of the moon for sowing, then we can advise you:

• Berry vegetables, as well as flower or fruit vegetables, should be planted during the waxing moon phase.
• The waning moon phase is thought to be more suitable for planting vegetables that grow underground.
• Leafy vegetables also seem to prefer the waning moon.

It would certainly be interesting to try the lunar calendar and discover its secrets.