What to plant in May in Spain
7 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in May in Spain, for the climate around Madrid, Spain.
Climate: Continental Mediterranean climate at about 650 m: cold winters with frosts down to -3 °C, hot dry summers that reach 41 °C, and most rain falling in autumn and spring with a very dry July to September.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Transplanted after the last frost, it ripens fully in the long, hot summer sun.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Courgette Cucurbita pepo
Warm soil and summer heat give fast, heavy yields with little care.
Harvest: 50–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Common bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Once the soil warms in late spring it pods well through the summer.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Sweet pepper Capsicum annuum
Hot, dry summer days suit it well if it is kept watered.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Chard Beta vulgaris
It handles both the cold and the heat, so it can be harvested for much of the year.
Harvest: 50–60 daysEasyIn pots
Fruits
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
The long, hot, dry summer gives sweet melons when planted after the frosts.
Harvest: 80–100 daysModerate
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Warm summer days and a sunny spot give lush, aromatic leaves.
Harvest: 30–40 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →