Toronto in May: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, May in Toronto has run 8.9–17.9°C with about 85 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 Toronto is actually having, today.
Grow one in Toronto's weather right now →❄️ In 1 of the last 5 years, Toronto saw at least one night at or below 0°C in May (record low 0.0°C). Cold-sensitive crops need cover.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Apr 26, first autumn frost around Nov 7 — roughly 195 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 10.8 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 5.2°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 Toronto 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 | 30 | Jun 13 |
| 🥬 Napa cabbage | 58 | Jul 11 |
| 🥬 Cauliflower | 64 | Jul 17 |
| 🥗 Lettuce | 47 | Jun 30 |
| 🫛 Peas | 50 | Jul 3 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 61 | Jul 14 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 53 | Jul 6 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 40 | Jun 23 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 53 | Jul 6 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 27 | Jun 10 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 51 | Jul 4 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 64 | Jul 17 |
🌡️ Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Toronto — 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.
- 🌿 Rocket about 40 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Napa cabbage about 94 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Cauliflower about 102 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥗 Lettuce about 70 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas about 75 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 92 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold about 95 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 58 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 81 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish about 36 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 77 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥕 Carrot about 102 days to harvest Recent mean 13.4°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 13.4°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 13.4°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 13.4°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Toronto
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Toronto, 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.