What to plant in May in Portugal
8 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in May in Portugal, for the climate around Central Portugal, Santarem district (lat 39, lon -9).
Climate: Mild Mediterranean climate with cool, damp winters (coldest nights around 2-6 °C, rare light frost), hot dry summers with highs near 39 °C, and almost no rain from June to September, so summer beds need irrigation.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Warm, sunny summers ripen fruit well once seedlings are set out after the last cold nights in spring.
Harvest: 60-85 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Sweet pepper Capsicum annuum
Long hot days in summer give peppers the heat they need to thicken and sweeten.
Harvest: 70-90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Courgette Cucurbita pepo
Fast-growing and productive in the warm season, and it copes well with the dry summer.
Harvest: 45-60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Green bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Warm soil from spring onward gives quick, heavy pickings before the late summer heat slows plants.
Harvest: 50-65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Fruits
Orange Citrus sinensis
Mild winters above freezing and warm summers suit sweet oranges, though nights near 2 °C need some shelter.
Harvest: 3-5 yearsModerateIn pots
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Needs the long hot summer days that this location reliably provides.
Harvest: 80-100 daysEasy
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Thrives in the hot sunny summer and needs only frost-free nights.
Harvest: 30-50 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
Native to dry Mediterranean hillsides, it thrives on the summer drought and mild winters.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →