Melbourne in May: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, May in Melbourne has run 8.7–16.6°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 Melbourne is actually having, today.
Grow one in Melbourne's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in May in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ Frost is rare and confined to midwinter (recorded around Jul 12). Most of the year is frost-free; only the coldest weeks need cover.
☀️ About 7.4 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it cools by about 1.3°C from the first ten days to the last — the window for autumn sowings is opening.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-May, then adding up the warmth Melbourne usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🌿 Rocket | 55 | Jul 8 |
| 🌿 Spinach | 72 | Jul 25 |
| 🥬 Cauliflower | 134 | Sep 25 |
| 🥬 Napa cabbage | 129 | Sep 20 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 120 | Sep 11 |
| 🫛 Peas | 105 | Aug 27 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 86 | Aug 8 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 142 | Oct 3 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 107 | Aug 29 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 51 | Jul 4 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 134 | Sep 25 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 111 | Sep 2 |
🌡️ Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Melbourne — not in any month. Locally these need a greenhouse or a warm windowsill.
Start these indoors this month
Melbourne's average last spring frost is around Jul 12. These need a head start under cover — sow into trays now, transplant out after the frost date.
- 🥒 Cucumber — sow indoors about 6 weeks before the last frost
- 🍅 Tomato — sow indoors about 8 weeks before the last frost
- 🌶️ Chili Pepper — sow indoors about 8 weeks before the last frost
- 🎃 Pumpkin — sow indoors about 8 weeks before the last frost
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.
- 🌿 Rocket about 43 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Spinach about 58 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Cauliflower about 110 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Napa cabbage about 103 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 99 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas about 81 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 63 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold about 107 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 84 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish about 40 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥕 Carrot about 110 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 87 days to harvest Recent mean 12.6°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 12.6°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 12.6°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 12.6°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Melbourne
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Melbourne, 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.