Wind River GreensGrowing Guide

What to Plant in May in Iowa

Your complete May planting guide for Iowa (USDA Zone 5). Last frost: April 30. First frost: October 5. Growing season: 155 days.

🏠

36

Start Indoors

🌿

732

Transplant Outdoors

🌱

517

Direct Sow

🧺

72

Harvest

Iowa Growing Season

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Plant after April 30 · Harvest before October 5

Iowa · Zone 5

Zone 5 May guide

Zone 3 Zone 4 Zone 5 Zone 6 Zone 7 Zone 8 Zone 9 Zone 10

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

🏠 Start Indoors in Iowa — May36

Microgreens(36)

Cilantro Microgreens

10-14 days · Moderate

Arugula Microgreens

10-15 days · Easy

Fenugreek Microgreens

7-14 days · Easy to moderate

Wheatgrass Microgreens

7-10 days · Very easy

Alfalfa Microgreens

6-10 days · Easy

Clover Microgreens

8-12 days · Easy to Moderate

🌿 Transplant Outdoors in Iowa — May732

Tomatoes(88)

Black Krim

80-90 days · Moderate

Jet Star

72-78 days · Easy

Pineapple

85-95 days · Moderate

Cherry Belle

65-70 days · Easy

Tumbling Tom

65-70 days · Easy

Big Beef

70 days · Moderate

Peppers(71)

Hot Pepper 'Fresno'

75-85 days · Easy

Ghost Pepper 'Bhut Jolokia'

100-120 days · Difficult

Jalapeño 'NuMex Piñata'

70-80 days · Easy

Serrano 'Tampiqueno'

75-85 days · Easy

Bell Pepper 'Red Knight'

75-80 days · Easy

Carolina Reaper

90-120 days · Moderate to challenging

Roses(55)

Hybrid Tea Rose - Mister Lincoln

60-70 days · Moderate

Rainbow Sorbet

65-75 days · Easy to Moderate

Climbing Rose - Don Juan

Moderate

Floribunda Rose - Europeana

65-75 days · Easy to moderate

Chrysler Imperial

65-75 days · Moderate

Floribunda Rose - Iceberg

Easy

Flowers(53)

Zinnia State Fair Mix

75-85 days · Easy

Cosmos Sensation Mix

Very Easy

Sweet Pea Royal Mix

65-75 days · Moderate

Rose David Austin Lady of Shalott

N/A days · Moderate

Rose Eden Climbing

60-80 days · Moderate

Sweet Alyssum Snow Princess

N/A days · Easy

Brassicas(49)

Kale 'Winterbor F1'

60-65 days · Easy

Purple Vienna Kohlrabi

60-70 days · Easy

Arugula 'Rocket'

20-40 days · Very Easy

Easter Egg Radish

30 days · Very easy

Ruby Perfection Cabbage

85 days · Moderate

Red Russian Kale

50-65 days · Easy

Herbs(42)

Curly Parsley

70-90 days · Easy

Petroselinum crispum 'Forest Green'

70-85 days · Easy

Gourmet Gold Dill

40-50 days · Easy

English Lavender

90-120 days · Easy

Common Thyme

90-95 days · Easy

German Thyme

90-95 days · Easy

Ornamental Trees(39)

Green Giant Arborvitae

N/A days · Easy

Emerald Green Arborvitae

Easy

Bradford Pear

N/A days · Easy

Pink Flowering Crabapple

Easy

Star Magnolia

N/A days · Easy to moderate

October Glory Red Maple

N/A days · Easy

Melons(38)

Watermelon Charleston Gray

85-95 days · Moderate

Crimson Sweet Watermelon

85 days · Moderate

Cantaloupe Athena

80-85 days · Easy to moderate

Hale's Best Cantaloupe

85-90 days · Moderate

Banana Melon

90-100 days · Moderate

Galia Melon

85-100 days · Moderate

Shrubs & Hedges(36)

Rhododendron Catawbiense

N/A days · Moderate

Japanese Pieris

N/A days · Moderate

PeeGee Hydrangea

N/A days · Easy

Coral Honeysuckle

N/A days · Easy

Japanese Spirea

N/A days · Easy

Annabelle Hydrangea

Easy

Shade Trees(35)

Black Gum

N/A days · Easy

Silver Maple

N/A days · Easy

Norway Maple

N/A days · Very easy

Crimson King Maple

N/A days · Easy

American Sweetgum

N/A days · Easy

Eastern Redbud

N/A days · Easy

Cucumbers(30)

Mexican Sour Gherkin

67 days · Easy

Homemade Pickles

52-55 days · Easy

Kirby Cucumber

55-60 days · Easy

Crystal Apple Cucumber

65-75 days · Easy

Japanese Climbing

58-65 days · Moderate

National Pickling

52-58 days · Easy

Eggplants(30)

Violette di Firenze

80-90 days · Moderate to Challenging

Calliope

64 days · Easy to Moderate

White Egg

70-80 days · Easy to Moderate

Purple Top

37 days · Easy to Moderate

Beatrice F1

65-75 days · Easy to Moderate

Diamond F1

70-80 days · Easy to Moderate

Fruit Trees(28)

Early Harvest Apple

100-110 days · Easy to Moderate

Montmorency Sour Cherry

75-80 days · Easy to moderate

Santa Rosa Plum

100-120 days · Moderate

Bing Cherry

100-120 days · Moderate to Difficult

Anna Apple

90-100 days · Easy to Moderate

Granny Smith Apple

160-180 days · Moderate

Vines & Climbers(27)

Blacktail Mountain Watermelon

70-75 days · Moderate

English Ivy

Easy

Armenian Cucumber

75 days · Easy

Clematis 'Jackmanii'

Moderate

Delicata Squash

95-105 days · Easy to Moderate

Moon and Stars Watermelon

90-100 days · Moderate

Berries & Fruits(25)

Patriot Blueberry

Easy

Bluecrop Blueberry

Easy to moderate

Northland Blueberry

Easy to moderate

Duke Blueberry

1095-1460 days · Moderate

Blueray Blueberry

60-70 days · Moderate

Emerald Blueberry

60-90 days · Easy to Moderate

Ground Covers(25)

Sedum 'Dragon's Blood'

N/A days · Very easy

Pachysandra

N/A days · Easy

Wild Ginger

Moderate

Ivy (English Ivy)

N/A days · Very easy

Barrenwort

N/A days · Easy

Moss Phlox

Easy

Nut Trees(23)

English Walnut

150-180 days · Moderate

Franquette Walnut

170-200 days · Easy to moderate

Chestnut (Bouche de Betizac)

120-150 days · Moderate

Hazel (American)

120-150 days · Easy

Hazelnut (Ennis)

150-170 days · Easy to Moderate

Hazelnut (Lewis)

120-150 days · Moderate

Native Wildflowers(21)

Blanket Flower

Not applicable days · Easy

Purple Coneflower

300-365 days · Easy

Coral Bells

N/A days · Easy

Sweet Alyssum

50-60 days · Very easy

Wild Blue Phlox

Easy to moderate

Wild Lupine

N/A days · Moderate

Grasses & Bamboo(17)

Japanese Forest Grass

Moderate

Northern Sea Oats

N/A days · Easy

Perennial Ryegrass

N/A days · Easy

Blue Fescue

Easy

Eco-Lawn Mix

N/A days · Easy

Purple Top Timothy

60-90 days · Easy

🌱 Direct Sow in Iowa — May517

Beans & Legumes(58)

Provider Bush

50-57 days · Very Easy

King of the Garden Lima Pole

90-95 days · Moderate

Pole Lima Speckled Christmas

90-95 days · Moderate

Henderson Lima Bush

65-75 days · Easy

Vermont Cranberry Bush Bean

85-90 days · Easy

Provider Green Bush Bean

50-57 days · Very Easy

Flowers(53)

Zinnia State Fair Mix

75-85 days · Easy

Cosmos Sensation Mix

Very Easy

Sweet Pea Royal Mix

65-75 days · Moderate

Rose David Austin Lady of Shalott

N/A days · Moderate

Rose Eden Climbing

60-80 days · Moderate

Sweet Alyssum Snow Princess

N/A days · Easy

Lettuce & Salad Greens(52)

Tom Thumb

45-55 days · Easy

Summertime

70-80 days · Moderate

Salanova Green Crispy

55-65 days · Easy to Moderate

Romaine Cos

70-85 days · Moderate

Cimmaron Romaine

55-65 days · Easy to Moderate

Deer Tongue

45-55 days · Easy

Squash & Cucumbers(51)

Kabocha Winter Squash

95-105 days · Moderate

Yellow Crookneck Summer Squash

50-65 days · Easy

Blue Hubbard Squash

100-120 days · Moderate

Buttercup Squash (Burgess Strain)

100-120 days · Moderate

Buttercup Maxima

95-105 days · Moderate

Burgess Buttercup Squash

100-110 days · Moderate

Brassicas(49)

Kale 'Winterbor F1'

60-65 days · Easy

Purple Vienna Kohlrabi

60-70 days · Easy

Arugula 'Rocket'

20-40 days · Very Easy

Easter Egg Radish

30 days · Very easy

Ruby Perfection Cabbage

85 days · Moderate

Red Russian Kale

50-65 days · Easy

Root Vegetables(43)

German Giant Radish

45-60 days · Easy

Thumbelina Carrot

65-70 days · Easy

Red Ace Beet

50 days · Easy

Purple Daikon Radish

55-65 days · Easy

Purple Plum Radish

25-30 days · Easy

Early Wonder Tall Top Beet

48-55 days · Easy

Melons(38)

Watermelon Charleston Gray

85-95 days · Moderate

Crimson Sweet Watermelon

85 days · Moderate

Cantaloupe Athena

80-85 days · Easy to moderate

Hale's Best Cantaloupe

85-90 days · Moderate

Banana Melon

90-100 days · Moderate

Galia Melon

85-100 days · Moderate

Peas(35)

Purple Top

37 days · Moderate

Purple Podded

65-70 days · Easy to Moderate

Laxton's Progress No. 1

60-65 days · Easy

Lincoln

65-70 days · Easy

Kelvedon Wonder

60-65 days · Easy

Mr. Big

60-65 days · Easy

Alliums(35)

Rossa di Milano

95-105 days · Easy to moderate

French Gray Shallot

90-120 days · Easy to moderate

Yellow Sweet Spanish Onion

110-120 days · Easy

Garlic Chives

80-90 days · Easy

Elephant Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

Music Hardneck Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

Corn(31)

How Sweet It Is

87-92 days · Moderate

Silver and Gold

78-82 days · Easy

Ashworth

60-70 days · Easy

Incredible

85-90 days · Easy

Luscious

75-80 days · Moderate

Jubilee

85-90 days · Easy

Cucumbers(30)

Mexican Sour Gherkin

67 days · Easy

Homemade Pickles

52-55 days · Easy

Kirby Cucumber

55-60 days · Easy

Crystal Apple Cucumber

65-75 days · Easy

Japanese Climbing

58-65 days · Moderate

National Pickling

52-58 days · Easy

Native Wildflowers(21)

Blanket Flower

Not applicable days · Easy

Purple Coneflower

300-365 days · Easy

Coral Bells

N/A days · Easy

Sweet Alyssum

50-60 days · Very easy

Wild Blue Phlox

Easy to moderate

Wild Lupine

N/A days · Moderate

Grasses & Bamboo(17)

Japanese Forest Grass

Moderate

Northern Sea Oats

N/A days · Easy

Perennial Ryegrass

N/A days · Easy

Blue Fescue

Easy

Eco-Lawn Mix

N/A days · Easy

Purple Top Timothy

60-90 days · Easy

Tropical Plants(4)

Ice Cream Bean

90 days · Easy to moderate

Black Pearl Ornamental Pepper

70-80 days · Easy

Fish Pepper

70-80 days · Easy to moderate

Big Bertha Bell Pepper

75-80 days · Easy

🧺 Harvest in Iowa — May72

Microgreens(36)

Cilantro Microgreens

10-14 days · Moderate

Arugula Microgreens

10-15 days · Easy

Fenugreek Microgreens

7-14 days · Easy to moderate

Wheatgrass Microgreens

7-10 days · Very easy

Alfalfa Microgreens

6-10 days · Easy

Clover Microgreens

8-12 days · Easy to Moderate

Brassicas(12)

Arugula 'Rocket'

20-40 days · Very Easy

Easter Egg Radish

30 days · Very easy

Tokyo Bekana

21-45 days · Easy

Purple Top Turnip

37 days · Easy

Purple Sprouting Broccoli 'Early Purple Sprouting'

220-240 days · Moderate

Cherry Belle Radish

22-30 days · Very Easy

Root Vegetables(8)

Purple Plum Radish

25-30 days · Easy

Tokyo Cross Turnip

35-40 days · Easy

French Breakfast Radish

21 days · Very Easy

Nelson Carrot

21 days · Easy to moderate

Hakurei Turnip

38 days · Easy

Cherry Belle Radish

22-30 days · Very Easy

Alliums(7)

Elephant Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

Music Hardneck Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

Spanish Roja Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

German Extra Hardy Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

Inchelium Red Softneck Garlic

240-270 days · Easy to Moderate

Georgia Fire Garlic

240-270 days · Easy

Berries & Fruits(4)

Duke Blueberry

1095-1460 days · Moderate

Chester Thornless Blackberry

730 days · Moderate

Heritage Red Raspberry

365-730 days · Easy

Honeyberry (Haskap)

730-1095 days · Easy

Lettuce & Salad Greens(4)

Spinach

25 days · Easy to moderate

Arugula

10-15 days · Easy

Skyphos

47 days · Easy

Black Seeded Simpson

40-50 days · Easy

Peas(1)

Purple Top

37 days · Moderate

May in Other Zone 5 States

Colorado Idaho Michigan Nebraska New Hampshire Utah

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Iowa Monthly Guides

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