What to plant in May in Australia
10 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in May in Australia, for the climate around Sydney, New South Wales.
Climate: Humid subtropical, mild Southern Hemisphere climate with light frosts only in June to August (coldest night 4 °C), hot humid summers reaching 42 °C, and rain concentrated in late summer and autumn.
Vegetables
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Cool autumn and spring weather suits lettuce, and it is best avoided in the hottest months.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Kale Brassica oleracea
Mild winters let kale grow steadily and the cool-season leaves are sweeter after light frost.
Harvest: 55–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Snow pea Pisum sativum
Cool autumn and winter weather suits peas, which then finish before the summer heat.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Garlic Allium sativum
Autumn planting gets the cool winter needed for bulb formation, and bulbs are ready by early summer.
Harvest: 180–240 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Fruits
Strawberry Fragaria × ananassa
Mild winters suit strawberries, and they fruit well in pots or raised beds.
Harvest: 90–120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Feijoa Acca sellowiana
It is a subtropical shrub that tolerates light frost and produces well in Sydney gardens.
Harvest: 3–4 yearsEasy
Herbs
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
Cool and mild seasons suit parsley, which keeps producing leaves for months.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Mint Mentha spicata
Mild weather and regular water give vigorous growth, best kept in pots.
Harvest: 60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
Sydney's sunny, well-drained conditions suit this Mediterranean herb, which tolerates light frost.
Harvest: 90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Cool seasons suit coriander, which bolts quickly in the summer heat.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →