What to plant in May in Türkiye
8 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in May in Türkiye, for the climate around Istanbul, Türkiye.
Climate: Cool, wet winters with occasional frosts down to about -2 °C, a warm dry summer from June to August with highs up to 36 °C, and most rain falling from September to April.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Warm summers give ripe fruit, and seedlings planted after the last frost in April or May avoid the cold nights.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Sweet pepper Capsicum annuum
Hot July and August days ripen peppers well once transplanted after frost.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Eggplant Solanum melongena
Its long, hot summer season suits eggplant, which needs heat to set fruit.
Harvest: 80–100 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Zucchini Cucurbita pepo
Warm soil and summer heat give a fast, heavy harvest from a single plant.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Green bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Warm soil after frost gives fast, productive bean crops in the summer.
Harvest: 50–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Fruits
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
The long, hot summer days give watermelons the heat they need to ripen.
Harvest: 80–100 daysModerate
Herbs
Sweet basil Ocimum basilicum
Hot summer days and nights above 15 °C make basil grow fast in a sunny spot.
Harvest: 30–40 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Dill Anethum graveolens
Dill grows quickly in the mild spring and autumn, and it self-seeds easily.
Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn pots