What to do in the garden in May: tasks that cannot be missed
Kyiv • UNN
May is the optimal time for sowing and planting almost all crops, following the favorable dates of the lunar calendar.
In May, gardeners have a lot of things to do: from sowing and planting to treating plants against pests. To get all the work done on time, you need to follow a plan. What tasks in the garden and flowerbeds should not be missed - UNN will tell you.
Favorable dates for planting in May
May is the time when you can plant almost all vegetables and fruits on your plot: the air temperature has already stabilized and the soil has warmed up sufficiently. However, when planting, most gardeners still rely on the lunar sowing calendar to get a rich harvest. The phase of the moon, as is known, affects the health and yield of plants.
In 2025, the best May days for working in the garden and vegetable patch are: May 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, and 16. However, there are different "best" dates for different crops. For example, in 2025:
- carrots, beets, radishes, and potatoes are best planted on May 10, 11, 20, and 21;
- parsley, dill, cilantro, spinach, lettuce - 13, 14, 22, 23;
- tomatoes, peppers, eggplants - 11, 12, 13, 20;
- zucchini, cucumbers, melons, watermelons - 13, 14, 18, 19;
- annual flowers - 10, 11, 13, 14;
- perennials and bulbous flowers - 11, 12, 20, 21;
- indoor flowers - May 13.
It is not recommended to sow and plant plants on the following dates in 2025: May 3, 4, 17, 18, 27. On these days, it is better to focus on other work on the plot: weeding, fertilizing, cleaning, etc.
What to do to ensure seedlings or vegetable seeds take root well
Carrots, beets, radishes, and beans are most often sown directly into open ground. Carrots are sown in rows to a depth of 1-1.5 cm. Some gardeners recommend watering the furrow before sowing. Beet seeds are best soaked for a day before sowing to ensure faster germination. Radishes grow quickly and can be sown every 10-14 days to have a continuous harvest. Beans and peas are sown when the risk of frost has passed. Corn is planted when the soil temperature reaches 10-12°C.
Seedlings for planting in open ground
Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants require a warm, windless location. It is recommended to plant them when the risk of frost has passed. It is advised to leave 40-50 cm between tomato bushes. Cucumbers can be planted under temporary cover if the nights are still cool.
What trees and shrubs can be planted in May
In May, you can also plant apple trees, pear trees, and grapes. Strawberry and garden strawberry seedlings can also be planted during this period, as can seedlings of berry shrubs with a closed root system: raspberries, currants, gooseberries.
Tasks that cannot be missed in May
In May, weeds actively begin to appear in the garden. Therefore, it is important to weed the garden of pests that take useful elements and moisture from the soil, not only to make life easier for the plants but also to regularly loosen the soil to improve oxygen access to the roots. In May, it is crucial to loosen the soil under strawberries, but be careful not to damage the plant's young runners.
Watering and mulching plants
With the increase in daytime temperature, it is important to regulate plant watering. Especially light sandy loamy soils require moistening. If there is enough moisture, it is important to loosen the soil in a timely manner. This will help prevent the formation of a soil crust and protect the soil from cracking. Otherwise, there is a risk of reducing the amount of oxygen in it and, accordingly, worsening the condition of plant roots. To prevent soil compaction and slow down moisture evaporation, gardeners usually mulch garden inter-rows. For this, a layer of 5-8 cm of perennial branches shredded with a garden shredder is poured around garden plantings.
Work in the garden
Fruit trees have already begun to bloom in gardens, so it's time to treat them against pests according to the stage of development. To avoid harming bees and other pollinators during this period, chemicals, especially insecticides, should not be used. All fruit trees need treatment:
- apple trees and pear trees: before flowering (pink bud stage) and after it, they are sprayed with insecticides (against weevils, leafrollers) and fungicides (against scab). During flowering, shoots affected by powdery mildew are cut off;
- plum and cherry plum need to be treated against fungal infections;
- cherry and sweet cherry are sprayed against moniliosis and other fungal diseases;
- apricot and peach - treated in the pink bud stage against fungi and leaf-eating pests;
- raspberries are treated with Fitosporin when there are signs of anthracnose, purple spot, septoria, insecticides against gall midges and aphids.
Care for the lawn and flowerbeds
In May, it is time to divide late-growing crops (autumn asters, large sedums, helenium, goldenrod, echinacea) and plant heat-loving plants that have been waiting for night temperatures to stabilize (dahlias, gladioli, chrysanthemums). Also in May, annuals and biennials can be sown in flowerbeds: cornflowers, godetia, delphiniums, marigolds, iberis, etc.
At the beginning of the month, seedlings of cold-resistant flowers can be planted in the soil, and from the middle of the month - heat-loving ones (asters, cosmos, verbenas, gaillardias). Also in May, take time to treat roses against pests and diseases before flowering. Do not forget to mow the lawn. Mowing is done regularly. If the shoots reach a height of 7-10 cm, they are cut by 2/3 of the current length.
