Shenzhen in May: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, May in Shenzhen has run 22.5–28.5°C with about 260 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 Shenzhen is actually having, today.
Grow one in Shenzhen's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in May in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ No night at or below 0°C in the last 5 years — frost is not a limiting factor here, and tender crops can stay out year-round.
☀️ About 7.8 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 2.6°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 Shenzhen usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🌶️ Okra | 61 | Jul 14 |
| 🧅 Onion | 48 | Jul 1 |
| 🍆 Aubergine | 89 | Aug 11 |
| 🥒 Luffa | 78 | Jul 31 |
| 🥒 Bitter melon | 72 | Jul 25 |
| 🌻 Sunflower | 52 | Jul 5 |
| 🌱 Microgreens | 5 | May 19 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 31 | Jun 14 |
| 🌿 Amaranth greens | 33 | Jun 16 |
| 🥬 Bok Choy | 21 | Jun 4 |
| 🥬 Swiss chard | 30 | Jun 13 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 42 | Jun 25 |
Best crops to sow now
- 🌶️ Okra Ideal about 72 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🧅 Onion Ideal about 52 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍆 Aubergine Ideal about 104 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥒 Luffa Ideal about 91 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥒 Bitter melon Ideal about 83 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌻 Sunflower Ideal about 58 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌱 Microgreens Ideal about 5 days to harvest 🪴 Windowsill pot — sheltered from outdoor weather
- 🏵️ Marigold Ideal about 33 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Amaranth greens Ideal about 36 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Bok Choy Good about 22 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Swiss chard Good about 32 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥕 Carrot Good about 45 days to harvest Recent mean 25.5°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌿 Coriander — Recent mean 25.5°C is too hot (ideal 8–24°C)
- 🫘 Broad bean — Recent mean 25.5°C is too hot (ideal 6–22°C)
- 🥕 Parsnip — Recent mean 25.5°C is too hot (ideal 6–22°C)
Other months in Shenzhen
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Shenzhen, 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.