Vegetable Seeds to Sow in May

Posted on 17. May, 2009 by Tracey in How To Grow Veg

There’s still time before the end of May to start sowing the following seeds in cells and pots in the mini greenhouse or straight into your raised beds. Seedlings in cells or pots can be planted out after the end of May when frost has passed.

Dwarf Beans

1. Dwarf French and Climbing Beans,

Dwarf French Beans grow low to the ground and are ideal for planting out under your bean poles before running beans are planted out or sow in patio pots.

Sow: April to June.
Harvest: June to September

Green Varieties include: Safari, Tendergreen, Sprite, The Prince
Purple Varieties (go green when cooked): Purple Queen.
Yellow Varieties include: Major, Valdor.

Check out my useful How To Guide to Growing Dwarf Beans.

Climbing French Beans
Climbing French Beans will grow to a height of 4 – 6 feet and will require bamboo cane or other type of support. The beans are either long slender and round or flat pods

Harvest: June to October.
Varieties Include: Blue Lake, Cobra, Limka, Eva, Goldfield (yellow), Blauhilde (purple), Helda, Necktar Queen.

Mange Tout

2. Mange Tout Peas

Mange Tout are short flat green pods with a sweet flavour. The plants crop very well and can reach up to 5ft in height. Sow straight into patio pots or raised bed.

Sow: May and June.
Harvest: July to September
Varieties include: Weggisser, Oregon Sugar.

Click here to view my Growing Mange Tout photo slide show.

Cabbage growing in raised bed

3. Cabbages

Cabbages are part of the brassica family and can be ball head (drumhead), pointed or oval (oxheart) or round with crinkled leaves (savoy). Sow into cells or pots or directly into the ground.

Summer Cabbages - Sow January to June in pots in the mini greenhouse or under cloche/fleece in raised beds. Harvest June to September,
Autumn & Winter Cabbages including Savoy types – Sow June to August direct into your raised bed or in pots. Harvest October to February,
Spring Cabbages - Sow July and August direct in your raised bed. Harvest April to May,
All year round cabbages – Sow February to July for harvest June to November or Sow July to August for Harvest throughout Winter months.

Summer Varieties include: Greyhound, Hispi F1, Golden Acre Primo, Minicole F1, Candisa F1.
Autumn & Winter Varieties include: January King 3, Kilaxy F1, Ormskirk (savoy), Tundra.
Spring Varieties include: Spring Hero, Durham Early.
All Year Round Varieties include: Advantage F1, Duncan.

Here’s my How To Guide to Growing Cabbages

Kale Redbor F1

4. Kale

Kale is a form of cabbage and comes in red or green varieties. Kale is a very hardy vegetable and can withstand neglect and drought. Sow directly into a raised bed.

Sow: March – May and Harvest: September – March.
Varieties include: Dwarf Green Curled, Nero di Toscano, Scarlet (red), Starbor F1 (green).

Grow Your Own Kale with my How To Guide Growing Kale

Butternut Squash

5. Squash

Squash is an easy to grow vegetable in warm weather and it doesn’t like frost. It is a heavy feeder and tends to ramble over the ground. Sow in pots in the mini greenhouse.

Sow: March, April and May.
Harvest: August to October.
Varieties include: Crown Prince F1, Hawk F1, Cobnut F1, Golden Hubbard, Lady Godiva, Sprinter.

Find out how I got on last year Growing Butternut Squash.

Swiss Chard Seedlings

6. Beet Leaf Chard

Chard always brightens up the garden with its leafy greens on bright colourful stems. Its very easy to grow in pots and the leaves can be harvested for months. It can also be steamed or stir fried like spinach. Sow in patio pots or direct into raised bed.

Sow: April to July.
Harvest: July to December.
Varieties include: Bright Lights, Rhubarb (pink), Canary Yellow, Swiss (white), Oriole Orange.

Leaf Beat Chard How To Guide – Growing Chard

Red Spring Onions

7. Spring Onions

Spring Onions are part of the allium genus and have a milder flavour than normal onions. They can be grown in pots or raised beds and require a light and sunny position.

Sow: February to July.
Harvest: June to October.
Varieties: White Lisbon, North Holland Blood Red, Paris Silverskin.

Find out how to Grow Your Own Spring Onions.

Carrot Harvest

8. Carrots

Carrots like well drained soil with no stones (as the carrots will grow forked) and no manure (this will burn the taproot). Sow directly into patio pots or raised beds.

Early Varieties: Sow Mid February to June to harvest in June to August,
Summer Maincrop Varieties: Sow March to August and harvest July to September,
Autumn Varieties: Sow March and August for harvest in June to November.

Varieties:
Container: Rondo (globe shaped), Early Nantes’ or ‘Chantenay’.
Early Varieties: Nantes 2, Amsterdam Forcing 3, Napoli F1 and Paris Market.
Maincrop Summer Varieties: James Scarlet Intermediate, Maestro F1, Flyaway, Purple Haze (purple), Samurai (red).
Autumn Varieties: Autumn King 2, Cortina F1, Flankee, Rothchild.

Check out my How To Guide to Growing Carrots.

Other Posts in the Vegetables to Sow Series:

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