What to plant in May in zone 6a
97 crops to start indoors, direct sow, or transplant in May in USDA hardiness zone 6a. Typical last spring frost around Apr 29, 2026, first fall frost around Oct 16, 2026 — exact dates vary by location within the zone.
Zone 6a covers a lot of ground. Enter your ZIP for May dates from your nearest weather station and a month-by-month calendar:
Direct sow outside
Sow these straight into the garden bed this month.
Transplant outdoors
Move these hardened-off seedlings into the garden.
- Achillea
- Agastache
- Aji Pepper
- Alpine Strawberry
- Amaranth
- Amaranthus
- Armenian Cucumber
- Basil
- Black Cumin / Nigella
- Cape Gooseberry
- Chamomile
- Chiltepin Pepper
- Chinese Toon
- Creeping Thyme
- Cucamelon
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Epazote
- Ethiopian Eggplant
- Feverfew
- Gourd (Angled Luffa)
- Gourd (Bitter)
- Gourd (Bottle)
- Gourd (Luffa)
- Gourd (Ornamental)
- Gourd (Turban)
- Gourd (Wax)
- Grain Amaranth
- Ground Cherry
- Holy Basil
- Hybrid Coneflower
- Japanese Mugwort
- Korean Mint
- Korean Summer Squash
- Lavender
- Lemon Basil
- Lime Basil
- Malabar Spinach
- Marjoram
- Melon
- Melon (Pickling)
- Mexican Tarragon
- Mitsuba
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Oregano
- Paracress
- Pennyroyal Mint
- Pepper (Habanero)
- Pepper (Hot)
- Pepper (Sweet & Hot)
- Pepper (Tabasco)
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin (Maxima)
- Pumpkin (Moschata)
- Roselle
- Russian Sage
- Savory
- Shiso
- Stevia
- Summer Savory
- Summer Squash
- Sweet Annie
- Thai Basil
- Tomatillo
- Tomato
- Veined Catmint
- Vietnamese Culantro
- Water Pepper
- Watermelon
- West Indian Gherkin
- Wild Arugula
- Winged Bean
- Winter Squash (Acorn)
- Winter Squash (Banana)
- Winter Squash (Buttercup)
- Winter Squash (Butternut)
- Winter Squash (Cushaw)
- Winter Squash (Delicata)
- Winter Squash (Hubbard)
- Winter Squash (Spaghetti)
- Yarrow
Plant out
Set out these crops (sets, tubers, or starts) now.
Keep going
Timings use NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals for a representative location (Utica, OH) in zone 6a, computed with the same engine as GardenDraft’s in-app schedule. Guidance, not guarantees — your exact dates depend on your address.