What to Plant, Grow and Prepare for Winter
May is when Tasmania really starts to feel like winter is on the way. The days are shorter, the air has a definite chill, and while the garden begins to slow down, it’s certainly not going to sleep. In fact, this is one of the most important times of year to get planting, prepare your soil, and protect what you’ve already got growing.
There’s a quieter kind of beauty in the garden this time of year. Deciduous trees are dropping their last leaves, the light feels softer, and everything moves at a gentler pace. But beneath the surface, there’s still plenty happening - and the work you do now really sets the tone for the months ahead.
With a bit of preparation in May, your garden won’t just get through winter - it’ll be ready to thrive when things warm up again.
Whether you’re planting winter vegies, adding some seasonal colour, or bringing a bit of greenery indoors, there’s plenty to enjoy in the Tasmanian garden this month.
Indoor Plants for Cooler Months
As we spend more time indoors, houseplants bring life, colour, and a connection to nature inside. May is the perfect time to expand your indoor collection with hardy varieties suited to lower light and cooler temperatures.
Chrysanthemums make a beautiful seasonal gift and can be enjoyed indoors while flowering, then planted out in the garden. Cyclamen, cymbidium and phalaenopsis orchids are also coming into bloom now - perfect for adding colour indoors during winter.
Tip: Reduce watering as plant growth slows over winter. Read our Caring for House Plants in Winter blog here
What to Plant in May in Tasmania
Edibles
May is prime time for planting cool-season crops that thrive in Tasmania’s conditions. Planting now allows crops to establish strong roots before winter really sets in.
Now is the time to plant:
*Broccoli *Broad beans *Brussels sprouts *Cabbage *Cauliflower *Garlic
*Kale *Leeks *Peas *Onions *Radish *Rocket *Silverbeet *Snow peas
*Spinach *Spring onions *Swedes *Turnips
Seed potatoes also begin arriving in store this month - check locally for the best planting time in your area. Read our blog on Growing Potatoes here.
- Harvest pumpkins before frost (ripe pumpkins sound hollow when tapped)
- Remove tomato plants and hang them to ripen remaining fruit
Improve Your Soil with Green Manure Crops
If you’re resting your vegie patch over winter, sow a green manure crop now.
These crops suppress weeds and improve soil fertility, ready for spring planting:
*Oats *Wheat *Field peas *Faba beans
Other tasks you can to improve your soil include:
- Add compost or start a compost heap using autumn leaves.
- Improve clay soils with gypsum.
- Apply seaweed or liquid fertiliser to support root development
- Treat stone fruit trees with copper fungicide after harvest
Flowers
Even as temperatures drop, your garden can stay full of colour.
Best flowering plants for garden beds, pots and containers and hanging baskets inTasmania in May:
*Pansies *Violas *Dianthus *Sweet peas *Primula *Polyanthus *Nemesia
For shaded areas, plant: Hellebores (winter roses) and Daphne (highly fragrant winter blooms)
Mulching in May: Essential for Tasmanian Gardens
Mulching is a must-do task in Tasmania during May. A thick layer of mulch will:
- Help retain soil warmth
- Protect plant roots from frost
- Suppress winter weeds
- Improve soil structure and moisture retention
We have a great range of mulches available in bags or bulk - Mulches
These mulches also boost soil biology, encouraging earthworms and beneficial microbes.
Gardening Tasks for May
As things start to cool down, a few simple jobs now will make a big difference heading into winter.
In the garden and lawn:
If you’ve been meaning to fix patchy lawn areas or sow new grass, don’t leave it much longer. It’s also a good idea to aerate your lawn to help with drainage, and keep an eye out for moss or lawn grubs starting to appear.
Autumn leaves are gold - use them to start a compost heap or top up an existing one. If you’ve got heavy clay soil, adding gypsum now will help improve structure and drainage. A gentle feed with seaweed or liquid fertiliser will support strong root growth through winter. And if you’ve got stone fruit trees, a post-harvest spray with copper fungicide helps keep disease at bay.
Around the home and general tidy-up:
- If you have a pond, give it a quick clean - remove any fallen leaves and built-up debris.
- It’s a great time to lift and divide bulbs like liliums
- Watch for moss and lawn grub activityStart getting your garden beds ready for bare-rooted fruit trees, which will be arriving soon. You can still pre-order bare root fruit trees here.
A little bit of effort now keeps everything ticking along nicely through winter - and sets you up beautifully for spring.
Everything You Need for Your May Garden
From winter seedlings and flowering colour to mulch, soil improvers and indoor plants - now is the perfect time to get your garden ready for the cooler months.
If you’re unsure what grows best in your specific area and conditions, pop in and speak with our amazing team at Stoneman's Garden Centre for tailored advice.
