Tomatoes + basil
A practical May combination for many raised beds, especially when tomatoes are supported and basil uses nearby edges.
May raised bed planting
What should you plant in a raised bed in May?
May is a high-intent planning month: many gardeners are moving from ideas to actual seedlings. Use the bed space for warm-season crops while reserving small gaps for fast harvests.
Prioritize warm-season anchors
Tomatoes, peppers, basil, beans, cucumbers, and squash are common May choices once nights are reliably mild. Give large plants enough spacing now so the bed is still manageable in July.
Keep quick crops in rotation
Leaf lettuce, radishes, scallions, and herbs can still fill edges, corners, or spaces that will be shaded later. Smaller repeat sowings usually beat one oversized planting.
Plan the second crop before the first one finishes
When spring greens, peas, or radishes come out, have beans, basil, carrots, or another round of greens ready to replace them. This keeps the bed productive and gives gardeners a reason to return.
Beans or cucumbers
Use a trellis on the north side of the bed to add vertical harvests without shading shorter crops.
Lettuce in small batches
Plant less at once and repeat more often so heat or bolting does not waste an entire bed section.
Next step
Open the May sowing calendar, then check spacing before buying starts or sowing full seed packets. Open the calculator with these defaults, or check the monthly sowing calendar before you plant.