The Garden Hand — A little more life, wherever you live.
Find my zonePostcode or climate zone

Australian planting calendar

What to plant in May in a Temperate garden

Explore 38 core planting options for May in the Temperate zone, with practical garden jobs and links to our growing guides.

These are broad climate-zone windows. Local weather, frost, soil conditions and your garden’s microclimate can shift timing. Check the plant guide before starting.

Find my zoneCreate My Garden

Not sure which zone applies? Find your zone before using this calendar. Want this tailored to your garden? Save your plants in My Garden.

Core planting options

The planting method matters: sowing seed and planting seedlings, tubers or nursery plants are different jobs. “Sow” means the underlying source does not specify direct sowing or trays.

Possible / shoulder planting options

These sit at the edge of the planting window and need more care with local conditions. They are kept separate from the core options.

In the garden in May

Use these jobs when the stated conditions apply in your garden.

Prepare soil before autumn planting

Check the soil before planting and add compost where improvement is needed.

When this applies: For gardens with a cooling autumn and suitable soil conditions.

Put fallen leaves to use

If leaves are falling in your garden, collect them for a separate leaf compost.

When this applies: Only where there is seasonal leaf fall.

Keep trunks clear

Move accumulated mulch and garden debris away from shrub stems and tree trunks.

When this applies: Especially relevant in damp gardens.

Year-round care

Check before watering

Check moisture around the roots and the rain forecast before watering. Water only where needed and follow local watering rules.

When this applies: Use the soil and plant needs to guide watering, rather than a fixed calendar interval.

How to do it

Prepare soil for planting

Before an intended planting, when soil is workable. Preparing a bed does not mean it is time to plant: check the plant’s window for your zone.

Check soil texture and pH

Before choosing soil amendments or a permanent planting. Recent lime, fertiliser or compost can distort pH results; follow the test instructions.

Turn fallen leaves into leaf mould

When healthy leaves fall in your garden. Keep useful habitat litter where it is safe to leave it; clear paths and places where leaves could wash into drains.

Decide whether your plant needs water

Before watering, after useful rain, and more often when plants are young or weather is hot or windy. This is a check, not a fixed watering schedule.

Sources and timing

Planting windows come from The Garden Hand’s existing planting calendar. Follow each plant link for its full growing guide. Garden jobs retain their existing zone, month and condition rules; year-round care is shown separately.