Vancouver in May: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, May in Vancouver has run 9.3–16.1°C with about 82 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 Vancouver is actually having, today.
Grow one in Vancouver'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 Mar 10, first autumn frost around Nov 17 — roughly 252 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 11.0 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 1.5°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 Vancouver 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 | 68 | Jul 21 |
| 🌿 Garlic chives | 76 | Jul 29 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 64 | Jul 17 |
| 🥬 Bok Choy | 47 | Jun 30 |
| 🌿 Dill | 55 | Jul 8 |
| 🥬 Cauliflower | 78 | Jul 31 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 62 | Jul 15 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 49 | Jul 2 |
| 🥕 Carrot | 78 | Jul 31 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 34 | Jun 17 |
| 🫛 Peas | 61 | Jul 14 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 73 | Jul 26 |
🌡️ Cucumber, Tomato, Chili Pepper, Edamame, Yardlong bean, Bitter melon, Luffa, Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Vancouver — 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 105 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Garlic chives about 110 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 86 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Bok Choy about 59 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Dill about 72 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Cauliflower about 109 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 83 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 63 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥕 Carrot about 109 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish about 39 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas about 81 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 98 days to harvest Recent mean 12.7°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 12.7°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 12.7°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 12.7°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Vancouver
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Vancouver, 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.