GET READY TO PLANT! FLOWERS AND VEGGIES TO PLANT THIS MONTH
May is here, and we’re really getting into gardening season now. May in Indianapolis means we can start putting our gardens in, planting seeds and transplanting our seedlings outside. We should be past our last frost, but its good to keep a close eye on overnight temperatures for a few weeks yet. Our average last frost date is around the 25th of April, but some years we’ve had frosts in May, so keep plant covers handy once you start planting outside, just in case.
If you haven’t started hardening off your seedlings yet, now is the time. It’s important to harden plants off so they don’t experience shock when you transplant them into the ground or pots. To do this, first set them out on a cloudy day, or in a shady spot, for about an hour. Then, gradually increase their outdoor exposure, adding an extra 30 minutes to an hour every day, until they’re used to staying outside all day. Do the same with gradually getting them used to sun exposure.
It can be tempting to get outside on the first few warm days of the month and get all sorts of things planted, but be patient. Generally, warm-season vegetables and flowers shouldn’t be planted until after the 10th of May. However, if you have previously planted cool-season crops, like lettuces, spinach, radishes, you might be kept busy with harvesting your first crop soon!
WHAT TO PLANT OUTSIDE IN MAY
Early in the month, around the 1st, you’ll want to seed sweet corn directly into the soil. Aside from sweet corn, it’s best to hold off for another 8-10 days before you start planting anything else.
In the middle of May, you should be safe to start transplanting. Veggie plant seedlings like tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, zucchini, squashes, melons, cucumbers, celery, pumpkins, rosemary, sweet potatoes, and various herbs can go in the ground anytime after the 15th of May. Just remember to keep an eye on the weather, as you may need to cover your plants overnight if the temperature might drop below 35°.
After transplanting is done, you can begin direct seed! By mid-May, you can sow okra, cilantro, beans, beets, carrots, corn, cucumbers, peas, radishes, and melons into your garden. You shouldn’t need to worry about covering seeded crops as most of them won’t start to show up for about ten days, and we should be well past any risk of frost by then.
Canna lilies, gladioli, dahlias, tuberous begonias, and caladium can be planted in mid-May to add some color to your garden. There are a variety of flowers you can start from seed as well, including calendula, bachelor button, cosmos, marigolds, morning glories, nigella, sunflowers, and zinnias.
If you have any cool-season crops that you started earlier in the year, like carrots, spinach, swiss chard, lettuce, radishes, kale, collards, and onions, now is a good time to do some thinning. Remove a few of the smaller or weaker seedlings to create more space for successful plants to fill out and mature.
Be sure there’s enough space in between each plant you leave behind. For carrots, you’ll need about an inch of room between plants. Leaf lettuce, swiss chard, and kale require 2-3 inches between plants, while head lettuce will need much more space. Radishes need an inch or two of space to develop well. If you’re growing onions, you’ll want to give each bulb at least 6 inches of space to develop. However, if you’re just growing them for the greens, they only need an inch or two of space on each side.
Need some seeds or starter plants? Drop by the garden center for a visit! We’re open, with measures in place to practice social distancing. If you’d prefer to stay in your vehicle or at home, just give us a call — we’ll get your order ready for no-contact curbside pickup, or home delivery within Indianapolis.