May is when Alabama gardens truly hit their stride. The soil has warmed, the days are longer, and the threat of late frost is finally behind us. Whether you’re a brand new gardener or you’ve been growing vegetables for years, May is a month full of simple, rewarding tasks that set the stage for a productive summer harvest.
Keep Planting Warm Season Favorites
If you didn’t get everything in the ground earlier in spring, don’t worry. May is still prime planting time across most of the state. Warm season vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, and southern peas thrive when soil temperatures climb into the 70s.
Just make sure to plant varieties suited to the South. Also, choose disease resistant varieties whenever possible, especially for crops like tomatoes that can suffer from common issues such as early blight and fusarium wilt. Starting with strong genetics gives your garden a big head start.
Watering and Mulching
Alabama’s weather in May can vary. You may get a week of showers followed by hot, dry days. Vegetables need about an inch of water each week, whether it comes from rainfall or your hose. Watering deeply and early in the day encourages stronger roots and reduces disease pressure.
Mulching is one of the easiest jobs you can do this month, and it pays off all season long. A 2- to 3-inch layer of pine straw, shredded leaves, or clean wheat straw helps keep moisture in, blocks weeds, and keeps soil temperatures from fluctuating too quickly. Mulch also keeps fruit like squash and tomatoes cleaner and reduces soil splash, which lowers the risk of soilborne diseases.
Scout for Pests
In Alabama, insect activity picks up fast once the temperatures warm. May is a great time to walk your garden a few times each week to look for early signs of trouble. Aphids, flea beetles, stink bugs, tomato hornworms, and squash vine borers are among the most common warmseason pests.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) encourages gardeners to start with the least invasive solutions: handpicking caterpillars, knocking aphids off with a strong spray of water, or using row covers to protect young plants. If chemical control becomes necessary, select products labeled for your specific pest and specific crop and follow all label instructions carefully. The label is the law.
Fertilize for Steady Growth
Most vegetables appreciate additional nutrients as they begin rapid growth in May. Sidedressing with nitrogen—such as calcium nitrate or ammonium sulfate—can support crops like tomatoes, corn, and peppers. Apply fertilizer a few inches away from the stem and water it in well. Remember, more isn’t always better. Too much fertilizer, especially nitrogen, can lead to lots of leafy growth with fewer fruits.
Grow More. Give More. Join Alabama Extension’s 250Pound Challenge
As the nation prepares to celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Alabama Extension invites gardeners statewide to mark this milestone by giving back in a simple, meaningful way. The 250Pound Challenge, from Memorial Day through Labor Day, encourages Alabamians to grow and donate fresh, homegrown produce to local food banks, shelters, and community organizations.
Gardeners of every age are stepping up to participate—including young growers in Conecuh County. Two school gardens are contributing to the effort, and their enthusiasm remains as strong as ever. One teacher shared, “I continue to be amazed and inspired that students as young as 4 so gratifyingly give produce they’ve grown to others who are hungry, even if the hungry people are strangers.” Another reflected on the heart behind their success, saying, “We’re in our 7th growing season at each of the two elementary schools, and no matter what we grow or how we grow it, everything grows better with love!”
This summer, Conecuh County’s 2-and 3-year old garden classes are even planning to grow summer vegetables specifically to contribute to the 250Pound Challenge—showing that you’re never too young to make a difference.
Our statewide goal is ambitious but achievable: Gardeners in all 67 Alabama counties working together to donate at least 250 pounds of fresh produce per county. Donations can be entered and tracked through a simple online survey. While gardeners will not see running totals themselves, these entries help Alabama Extension track county-by-county impact and measure our statewide progress.
To learn more, visit aces.edu and search Grow More, Give More or 250 Pound Challenge. Let’s grow together— and give together— as we honor America’s 250th year.
