What to plant in May in Switzerland
15 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in May in Switzerland, for the climate around Eastern Switzerland near Liechtenstein and Lake Constance, Northern Hemisphere.
Climate: Cold continental winters with hard frosts down to about -30 °C from November to March, a short frost-free season from roughly May to September, and rain spread through the year with peaks in autumn and summer.
Vegetables
Potato Solanum tuberosum
Tubers tolerate cool springs and the summer rain, and they store well through the cold winter.
Harvest: 80–120 daysEasyIn pots
Carrot Daucus carota
Cool summers suit carrots well, and the sweetness develops in the autumn chill.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Quick and cool-tolerant, lettuce can be sown in succession from spring until early autumn.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Pea Pisum sativum
Peas are hardy in cool springs and finish before the summer heat.
Harvest: 60–75 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Beetroot Beta vulgaris
Beetroot grows well in cool summers and tolerates light frost.
Harvest: 55–70 daysEasyIn pots
Courgette Cucurbita pepo
Courgettes need warm soil, which arrives in late May, and then they produce heavily through summer.
Harvest: 50–65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Tomatoes ripen in a sunny sheltered spot or a balcony pot once the frosts are over.
Harvest: 70–100 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Radish Raphanus sativus
Radishes are fast and cool-tolerant, so they fit into gaps in spring and early autumn.
Harvest: 25–35 daysEasyIn pots
Kale Brassica oleracea
Kale survives hard frost and its flavour improves after cold nights.
Harvest: 60–80 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Fruits
Strawberry Fragaria × ananassa
Strawberry plants are fully hardy and their runners root easily in the moist summers.
Harvest: 1 yearEasyIn potsCare guide →
Herbs
Chives Allium schoenoprasum
Chives are fully hardy and return every spring from the bulbs.
Harvest: 60–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
Parsley tolerates cool weather and light frost and keeps producing into autumn.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Dill Anethum graveolens
Dill grows quickly in the cool spring and summer and self-seeds readily.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn pots
Thyme Thymus vulgaris
Thyme is hardy and drought-tolerant, and it does well in a sunny dry spot or pot.
Harvest: 90–120 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Spearmint Mentha spicata
Spearmint is fully hardy and spreads vigorously, so it is best kept in a pot.
Harvest: 60–80 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →