One almanac per growing zone, published every month. Pick your zone and month below for the full picture: what to plant now, what should be coming ready to harvest, the moon planting calendar, sunrise and sunset for your zone, and the climate averages you can expect from Bureau of Meteorology records.

Past months are free for everyone, so you can read back and judge the almanac for yourself. The current month and everything ahead of it is for GardenBuddy members.

May 2026 Farmers Almanac

Planting, moon and climate guide for the Tropical zone

Updated 14 Aug 2026

2026 ENSO Update: The 2025–26 La Niña ended early in the year and we’re in ENSO-neutral now. Inigo Jones cycle reading, Bruckner year 20 (dry phase), Jupiter year 7 (declining wet), points to near-normal rainfall for eastern Australia. Climate models hint at warming toward El Niño by late winter, which usually means drier. Figures below reflect a near-normal outlook.

Climate Overview

Zone	Max	Min	Rainfall	Conditions
Tropical	31-32°C	20-22°C	80-110mm	Dry season proper. Hot days, lower humidity. Best growing time.

Astronomical Events

Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower – peak around May 6-7: One of the best southern hemisphere showers, look east before dawn.

Moon Phases

🌕

Full Moon

May 2

🌗

Last Quarter

May 10

🌑

New Moon

May 17

🌓

First Quarter

May 23

🌕

Full Moon

May 31

Sunrise / Sunset

Days continue shortening toward the winter solstice. Here’s how daylight changes across the month:

City	1st	15th	Last	Daylight change
Cairns (AEST)	6:29am – 5:58pm (11h 29m)	6:33am – 5:53pm (11h 19m)	6:38am – 5:50pm (11h 11m)	-18 min

Trend: Noticeable shortening – Perth loses over an hour. Winter is coming fast.

Planting Guide

Tropical Zone

Planting windows from the GardenBuddy zone planting master (99 crops tracked for this zone). The harvest list is calculated: crops whose typical days to maturity land this month when planted inside their zone window.

Plant Now

Amaranth (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Angelica (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Artichokes (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Asparagus (sow direct)
Asparagus Pea (sow direct)
Banana (transplant)
Basil (seed tray, transplant)
Beans – climbing (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Beans – dwarf (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Beetroot (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Blueberry (transplant)
Borage (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Broccoli (seed tray, transplant)
Cabbage (seed tray, transplant)
Cape Gooseberry (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Capsicum (seed tray, transplant)
Carrot (sow direct)
Chilli peppers (seed tray, transplant)
Chinese cabbage (seed tray, transplant)
Chives (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Collards (sow direct, seed tray)
Coriander (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Cucumber (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Daikon (sow direct)
Dill (seed tray)
Eggplant (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Endive (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Fennel (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Fig (transplant)
French tarragon (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Garlic (sow direct)
Ginger (sow direct)
Grapefruit (transplant)
Horseradish (sow direct)
Kale (seed tray)
Kohlrabi (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Leeks (sow direct, transplant)
Lemon (transplant)
Lemon Balm (seed tray)
Lemongrass (transplant)
Lettuce (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Lime (transplant)
Luffa (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Mandarin (transplant)
Mint (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Mizuna (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Mulberry (transplant)
Mustard greens (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
NZ Spinach (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Okra (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Orange (transplant)
Oregano (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Pak Choy (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Papaya (transplant)
Parsley (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Passionfruit (transplant)
Peas (sow direct, transplant)
Pineapple (transplant)
Potato (sow direct)
Pumpkin (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Radish (sow direct)
Rocket (sow direct)
Rockmelon (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Rosemary (sow direct)
Rutabaga (transplant)
Sage (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Salsify (sow direct)
Savory – summer savory (sow direct)
Savory – winter savory (seed tray)
Silverbeet (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Spring Onion (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Squash (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Strawberries (seed tray)
Sunflower (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Sweet Corn (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Sweet Marjoram (sow direct, seed tray)
Sweet Potato (sow direct)
Tomatillo (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Tomato (seed tray)
Turnip (sow direct)
Watermelon (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)
Yacon (sow direct)
Zucchini (sow direct, seed tray, transplant)

Harvest

Amaranth
Angelica
Asparagus
Asparagus Pea
Banana
Basil
Beetroot
Blueberry
Coriander
Cucumber
Ginger
Grapefruit
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Lemon
Lemongrass
Lettuce
Lime
Mandarin
Mizuna
Mulberry
Mustard greens
Okra
Orange
Pak Choy
Papaya
Parsley
Passionfruit
Peas
Persimmon
Pineapple
Pomegranate
Radish
Rosemary
Rutabaga
Savory – winter savory
Silverbeet
Squash
Sweet Corn
Sweet Potato
Zucchini

Moon Planting Calendar

Phase	Dates	Best for
Waxing (First Quarter to Full)	May 1-2	Fruiting crops – tomatoes, beans, cucurbits. Strongest above-ground planting energy.
Waning (Full to Last Quarter)	May 2-10	Root vegetables, garlic, onions, bulbs. Pruning.
Waning (Last Quarter to New)	May 10-17	Soil preparation, composting, pest control. Rest period.
Waxing (New to First Quarter)	May 17-23	Leafy greens and herbs. Sow above-ground crops that fruit outside the plant.
Waxing (First Quarter to Full)	May 23-31	Fruiting crops – tomatoes, beans, cucurbits. Strongest above-ground planting energy.

Livestock Guide

Post-joining management kicks in. Days are getting shorter and poultry laying drops off without a bit of extra light.

Cattle

Joining complete
Pregnancy testing booking
Autumn sales
Supplementation if pasture declining

Sheep & Goats

Post-joining management
Early pregnancy care
Supplementation if needed
Winter shelter preparation

Poultry

Production declining with daylight
Consider supplemental lighting (14+ hours)
Coop insulation, deep litter
Stock up winter feed

Bees

Minimal disturbance
Emergency feeding only if light
Monitor for robbing
Hive insulation if cold area

Self-Sufficiency Focus

Citrus Season Begins

The first citrus is colouring up. Lemons and early mandarins are ready in warmer zones. This is the start of months of vitamin C goodness. If you’ve got surplus, think about preserved lemons, marmalade, or just sharing with the neighbours.

Energy Planning

Heating needs are emerging in cooler zones. Solar output is declining but still reasonable. If you’ve got a wood heater, make sure your firewood supply is sorted and dry. Check insulation and draft-proof before the real cold hits in June.

Starting harvest Lemons, early mandarins

Preservation priority Apple processing, citrus preserving

Excellent for Fermentation (sauerkraut season)

Key Takeaways

Blue Moon: Two full moons this month – May 2 and May 31
Eta Aquariids: Meteor shower peaks May 6 – watch from 2am
Citrus season: First fruit colouring – lemons and early mandarins
Frost regular: Protect tender plants in frost-prone areas
Garlic continues: Last plantings for most zones
Heating prep: Get firewood sorted, check insulation

Methodology: Climate figures for the Tropical zone are Bureau of Meteorology 30 year averages. Astronomical times are computed with Skyfield and the NASA JPL DE421 ephemeris for Cairns (Brisbane time). Planting and harvest windows come from the GardenBuddy zone planting master.