What to plant in May in South Korea
16 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in May in South Korea, for the climate around Central Gangwon, South Korea (38°N, 127°E).
Climate: Cold continental winters with frosts from about October to April and nights reaching -16°C, then a warm, humid summer where most of the year's rain falls in July and August, so planting follows late spring and the monsoon.
Vegetables
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Cool spring and autumn weather suits it, and it bolts less than in the hot summer months.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Radish Raphanus sativus
Fast-maturing roots grow well in the mild spring and autumn with plenty of rain.
Harvest: 25–35 daysEasyIn pots
Carrot Daucus carota
Deep, loose soil in the warm growing season produces sweet roots before the autumn frosts.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Potato Solanum tuberosum
Cool spring soil and a summer harvest avoid the worst of the late-summer wet weather.
Harvest: 70–100 daysEasyIn pots
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Transplanted after the last frost, it ripens fully in the hot summer months.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Cucumber Cucumis sativus
Warm summer days and humid nights give fast, heavy yields.
Harvest: 50–65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Chili pepper Capsicum annuum
The hot summer and long autumn let the fruits ripen, and it is a staple of Korean cooking.
Harvest: 90–120 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Zucchini Cucurbita pepo
It loves the summer heat and produces heavily through the warm months.
Harvest: 45–55 daysEasyCare guide →
Chinese cabbage Brassica rapa
Autumn sowings mature in cool weather, the traditional season for kimchi cabbage here.
Harvest: 60–80 daysModerate
Fruits
Strawberry Fragaria × ananassa
Hardy crowns survive the frosts and crop reliably in late spring.
Harvest: 60–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum
Cold-hardy highbush types handle the winter, and it does well in containers with acidic soil.
Harvest: 2–3 yearsModerateIn potsCare guide →
Grape Vitis labrusca
Cold-tolerant American hybrid vines survive this winter and ripen in the warm late summer.
Harvest: 3 yearsModerate
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
It needs warm nights and rain, which the summer here provides.
Harvest: 30–40 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Perilla Perilla frutescens
Korean perilla leaves are traditional and thrive in the humid summer.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn pots
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
It tolerates light frost and grows well in the cool seasons.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Mint Mentha spicata
It is hardy to frost and spreads vigorously in the moist summer climate.
Harvest: 60–80 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →