☀️ May Growing Guide: What to Grow in May (Zones 9+)

Warm, Humid, and Full of Potential

May is prime time for tropical gardening in Zones 9+. With longer days and rising humidity, your garden is ready to take off—but your timing and care make all the difference. Focus on establishing deep roots, protecting young plants from sun stress, and building a lush, layered ecosystem that thrives through summer.

🍑 Fruiting Trees

Plant now: Mango, Guava, Mulberry, Avocado, Passionfruit, Barbados Cherry
Continue layering: Sapote, Starfruit, Dragon Fruit (with trellis)

Tip: Use mulch around young trees and add slow-release organic fertilizer to support strong growth.

🌸 Flowering & Pollinator Plants

Direct sow: Sunflowers, Mexican Sunflowers, Butterfly Pea, Cosmos
Plant now: Milkweed, Salvia, Bee Balm, Zinnias

Tip: Deadhead blooms regularly to encourage extended flowering and attract more pollinators.

🌿 Medicinal & Culinary Herbs

Plant now: Calendula, Holy Basil (Tulsi), Spearmint, Purslane, Greater Burdock
Great for pots or raised beds: Lemon Verbena, Milk Thistle, Cuban Oregano

Tip: Herbs love morning sun and afternoon shade — ideal for under fruit trees or in partial shade beds.

🍃 Summer Survivors (Shade-Lovers)

Plant now: Okinawa Spinach, Katuk, Longevity Spinach, Cranberry Hibiscus, Malabar Spinach
Tuck into: Understory spaces, shaded beds, or beneath taller crops

Tip: Consider interplanting with nitrogen fixers or mulch crops like pigeon pea or vetiver grass.

🪴 Food Forest Builders

Keep layering: Add groundcovers (like Sissoo Spinach), vines (like Vanilla Orchid), and small trees (like Surinam Cherry) alongside your keystone canopy trees.

Tip: Now is the time to finalize your long-term planting plan and take action while the soil is still workable and forgiving.

🌿 May Gardening Tips:

• Mulch deeply – 2-3 inches of mulch reduces watering needs and protects young roots.
• Water less often, but deeply – 2–3 times per week promotes deeper root growth.
• Install shade cloth – Especially helpful for tender tropicals and seedlings.
• Prune for health – Remove weak or storm-damaged limbs before hurricane season.
• Plant for biodiversity – Mix layers, textures, and bloom times for a resilient, beautiful garden.