Dublin in May: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, May in Dublin has run 9.8–16.0°C with about 53 mm of rain across the month. Here is what weather like that will carry to harvest.
Everything above is a five-year average. In the game it is this — the weather Dublin is actually having, today.
Grow one in Dublin's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in May in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Feb 10, first autumn frost around Nov 30 — roughly 294 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 11.4 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 2.2°C from the first ten days to the last.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-May, then adding up the warmth Dublin usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🏵️ Marigold | 73 | Jul 26 |
| 🌿 Garlic chives | 82 | Aug 4 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 67 | Jul 20 |
| 🥬 Napa cabbage | 76 | Jul 29 |
| 🥬 Cauliflower | 83 | Aug 5 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 83 | Aug 5 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | 78 | Jul 31 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 65 | Jul 18 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 77 | Jul 30 |
| 🫛 Peas | 64 | Jul 17 |
| 🟣 Beetroot | 64 | Jul 17 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 51 | Jul 4 |
🌡️ Cucumber, Tomato, Chili Pepper, Pumpkin, Edamame, Yardlong bean, Bitter melon, Luffa, Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Dublin — not in any month. Locally these need a greenhouse or a warm windowsill.
Best crops to sow now
They are all ideal for this month — the only real difference is how long each one takes, so pick whatever you want to eat.
- 🏵️ Marigold about 102 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Garlic chives about 108 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 85 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Napa cabbage about 99 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Cauliflower about 107 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥕 Carrot about 107 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥦 Broccoli about 99 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 81 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 96 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas about 79 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot about 79 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 61 days to harvest Recent mean 12.9°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 12.9°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 12.9°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 12.9°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Dublin
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Dublin, averaged day by day over the last 5 years. Whether a crop finishes in time is worked out from its own starting temperature and heat requirement — those numbers are listed on each crop page if you want to check them.