What to Plant in May in Zone 8b Texas

May in Zone 8b Texas is a transition month. Spring is winding down, summer is breathing on the back of your neck, and the planting window is narrowing fast.

This is the month to get your heat-loving crops in the ground while there's still time, finish out warm-season transplants, and make peace with the fact that some things will have to wait until fall.

Here's exactly what we plant — and don't plant — in May.

The Reality of May in Zone 8b

By mid-May, daytime highs in Central Texas are pushing 90°F regularly. Soil temperatures are climbing past 75°F. Anything that needed cool weather to germinate is already too late.

But here's the upside: heat-loving crops absolutely thrive in this transition. Tomatoes that were transplanted in March are loaded with green fruit. Peppers are setting flowers. Okra seeded in late April is up and going.

Treat May as the last call for warm-season planting and the first call for summer survival prep.

What to Direct Sow in May

These need warm soil to germinate — and May delivers exactly that:

Heat lovers

• Okra (peak planting time — get it in by May 15)
• Black-eyed peas / cowpeas
• Sweet potato slips
• Sunflowers
• Cucumbers (last good window)
• Summer squash and zucchini
• Watermelon and cantaloupe

Beans

• Bush beans (one more succession is fine)
• Pole beans
• Lima beans

Herbs

• Basil (loves the heat — direct sow now)
• Dill
• Lemongrass

Timing tip: Get heat-loving seeds in early May. By late May, the soil is so warm and dry that germination drops off unless you're watering twice a day.

What to Transplant in May

These should already be hardened off and ready to go:

• Tomatoes (last call — May 1-7 only, and pick determinate or short-season varieties)
• Peppers (still good through mid-May)
• Eggplant (loves the heat — keep transplanting)
• Sweet potato slips
• Tomatillos

If you didn't start tomato seeds indoors back in February, your local nursery still has transplants — but choose 60-70 day varieties so you actually get fruit before the August heat shuts down fruit set.

What's Still Producing From Spring

Don't forget what's already in the ground:

• Lettuce and greens: Harvest aggressively before they bolt. Once highs hit 85°F consistently, lettuce turns bitter overnight.
• Snap peas: Last few weeks of harvest. Pull them when production drops.
• Carrots and beets: Pull before the soil gets too hot or they'll get woody.
• Spring brassicas: Broccoli side shoots, cabbage heads, kale — harvest and clear the bed for summer crops.
• Strawberries: Peak season. Pick daily.

What NOT to Plant in May

Save yourself the heartbreak. Don't bother with these now:

• ❌ Lettuce, spinach, arugula (will bolt within 2 weeks)
• ❌ Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower (heat-stressed, won't head)
• ❌ Carrots and beets (germination is poor in hot soil)
• ❌ Cilantro (will bolt before you can blink)

These are all fall crops in Zone 8b. Wait until September.

How to Prepare Your Beds for Summer

Before you plant heat-lovers, give your beds a refresh:

1. Pull spent spring crops — don't compost diseased plants
2. Top-dress with 1-2 inches of compost and work it into the top layer
3. Lay down 2-3 inches of mulch around new transplants — straw, shredded leaves, or pine bark all work. Mulch is the single biggest factor in surviving Texas summer.
4. Set up drip irrigation now if you haven't already. By July, hand-watering daily is unsustainable.
5. Check your shade plan. West-facing beds will need 30-40% shade cloth from mid-June onward.

Our May Planting Schedule

Here's roughly how we sequence the month:

Week 1 (May 1-7): Last tomato transplants. Direct sow okra, beans, cucumbers. Final lettuce harvest.

Week 2 (May 8-14): Sweet potato slips in. More okra. Direct sow basil, sunflowers, melons.

Week 3 (May 15-21): Mulch heavily. Set up drip irrigation. Pepper transplants finished. Start summer squash.

Week 4 (May 22-31): Final summer planting wave. Start seeds indoors for fall tomatoes (yes — already). Begin shade prep.

That last point is worth repeating: start seeds for your fall garden in late May. By July, your fall tomato transplants will be ready to set out, giving you a second tomato harvest in September-October that often beats spring.

Watering in May

This is when bad watering habits will kill you in July.

Establish the right pattern now:

• Water deeply, less often. A long soak twice a week beats a daily sprinkle.
• Water at the base, not the leaves. Wet leaves in 90°F heat = fungal disease.
• Water in the morning (before 9am) so plants are hydrated before the heat hits.
• Mulch makes water last 2x longer. It's not optional in Zone 8b.

What You'll Be Harvesting

If you stick to this plan, here's what to expect:

• Late May: Last spring lettuce, peas, broccoli side shoots, strawberries
• June: Tomatoes start coming in, first cucumbers, summer squash, peppers
• July: Peak tomatoes, peppers, okra begins, eggplant
• August: Okra peak, peppers, sweet potatoes filling out underground

May is the bridge month. Get the heat-lovers in fast, lock down your watering and mulching plan, and start dreaming about fall.

Don't waste a day.

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We document every planting season on Instagram and TikTok @raisednakedco — follow along for real-time Zone 8b updates from our beds.