April Garden Guide: Planning, Planting, and More

I love the month of April! Glimpses of green life pop up in the form of garlic stalks, which handle the unpredictable spring weather with fortitude, or daffodils blooming in the garden. In this April Garden Guide, I share some ideas for prioritizing seed starting, planting seedlings, garden maintenance, and more.

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In the March Garden Guide, I discussed starting seedlings and a bunch of other fun stuff. In April, I’ll continue my careful watch over the seedlings I’ve already started inside. Meanwhile, the weather outside will dictate opportunities for sowing and transplanting in the garden.

Click here to see my Year-Round Gardening Calendar.

Remember, these April garden tasks are based on my gardening in USDA hardiness zone 6b. You may need to make adjustments for your climate. See below under ‘Garden Planning’ for more ways to adjust this schedule for your needs.

1. April Harvest

Crops that were sown in early fall, covered by row cover, cold frame, hoop house, greenhouse, or some other kind of protection, can be harvested in early spring. Depending on your hardiness zone, you may also be harvesting other early spring crops and herbs fresh from the garden.

Here is what I harvest in April:

• Beet family: beets, spinach, Swiss chard
  • Here are my tips for harvesting beets plus a ton of beet recipes
• Herbs: Fennel
• Leeks
• Perennials such as asparagus and rhubarb
• Radishes
• Young spring greens like kale and lettuce

Broccoli seedlings under grow lights – waiting for a dry day to get to the garden!

My broccoli seedlings look so good I could eat them right now! Patience you must have, young padawan. The harvest will outweigh a seedling snack!

2. April Garden Planning

Weather dictates actions more than annual calendars. Some years I’m waiting until the snow melts to do a lot of these items, while other years Mother Nature gives me the green light early. Whether you want to start seeds indoors or sow seeds outdoors, this spring guide covers planting times for 30 popular crops.

Don’t forget I’m gardening in USDA hardiness zone 6b – you may need to make adjustments for your climate.

Grow a garden that’s both productive and manageable with my Complete Garden Planning System, which includes practical tools for planning your season from seed to harvest.

Starting Seeds Under Grow Lights in April

The following seeds can be started indoors. For details about starting seeds indoors, see my step-by-step guide. If you need to purchase seed starting materials, check out my Amazon shop.

• Herbs:
  • Basil (I like the classic Genovese Italian variety.)
  • Chives (See: 5 reasons to grow chives)
  • Echinacea
  • Marjoram
  • Oregano (See: 6 reasons to grow oregano)
  • Parsley
  • Sage (This culinary sage from Botanical Interests is just as pretty as ornamental varieties, and more enjoyable to eat!)
  • Sweet Alyssum
• Brassicas:
  • Broccoli (I like this heirloom Di Cicco variety from Botanical Interests.)
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Collards
  • Kale (Definitely go with Lacinato Dinosaur kale from Botanical Interests, since the flat leaves are easy to clean.)
• Celery
• Alliums:
  • Leek: Try this King Richard variety from Botanical Interests.
  • For an onion that stores long into winter, try the sweet Spanish yellow onion. It will work well in zone 6 or colder. Warmer growing zones should have good luck with red creole onion.
• Lettuce (My favorite is Parris Island romaine from Botanical Interests.)
• Okra
• Nightshades: Pepper, Tomato
  • Try my favorite tomato: Cherokee Purple
• Swiss Chard (Here’s how I grow Swiss chard in my edible landscape.)

Sowing Seeds Outside in April

Sow the following seeds, which can cope with the early spring weather.

• Kale
• Lettuce
• Peas (Try Sugar Ann, the super early sugar snap pea!)
• Sweet Alyssum
• Legumes: Beans, Peas (Save space with Kentucky Wonder pole beans from Botanical Interests)
• Beet family:
  • Beets: Why not try Botanical Interests’ colorful Gourmet Seed Blend of ‘Chioggia’, ‘Detroit Dark Red’, and ‘Golden Boy’?
  • Spinach
  • Swiss Chard
• Brassicas:
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage (I like this heirloom variety from Botanical Interests for making sauerkraut.)
  • Collards
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Radish (These Botanical Interests’ Easter egg radishes are the cutest!)
  • Turnip
• Herbs:
  • Calendula (Here’s how I grow calendula in my permaculture garden.)
  • Chamomile
  • Sunflower (Grow some jumbo ones with edible seeds from Botanical Interests!)
  • Sweet Alyssum
• Carrot family:
  • Carrot (Here are my tips for growing carrots year-round.)
  • Cilantro
  • Dill (Essential in my edible landscape!)
  • Fennel
• Lettuce

Preparing the beds for planting: I mixed finished compost with coffee grounds before adding it to the raised beds.

Planting Outside in April

Outdoor planting ramps up in April! Here’s what I like to plant this month.

• Perennials:
  • Asparagus
  • Rhubarb
  • Strawberry plants (Hint: Grow chives for the best strawberries.)
• Brassicas:
  • Broccoli
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Cabbage
  • Collard
  • Kale
• Alliums:
  • Chives
  • Leeks
  • Onions
• Herbs:
  • Echinacea
  • Sweet Alyssum
• Fruit trees  and berry bushes:
  • Berry Bushes
    • Try growing aronia berries, the superfood.
    • Currants are excellent in an edible landscape.
    • Here are 4 berry bushes that fertilize.
  • Fruit Trees
    • Learn about fruit tree guilds.
    • Here are more tips on planting fruit trees.
  • Brambles
    • Black Raspberries — Learn how to grow them.
• Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Swiss Chard

3. April Garden Maintenance

Here are a few things to make time for this month.

Storing Winter Gardening Implements

• Remove the cold frame and other frost covers, and store them for the season.

Building Infrastructure

• Develop new beds. Are raised beds right for you?
• Build compost bins.
• Develop rainwater harvesting and rain management systems for low maintenance irrigation.

Rainwater harvesting conveyance trench, which encourages water to run away from the house

Pruning Perennials

• Prune fruit trees and berry bushes.

Improving Soil Fertility

It’s the perfect time of year to improve the quality of your soil.

Set your garden up for success by adding soil amendments like finished compost, worm castings, fresh or dried herbs, or aged manure to inactive gardens with a digging fork. Here are 9 organic amendments that I recommend.

But first, beware! Compost and manure are commonly contaminated with herbicides, even if you don’t use herbicides in your yard or buy only organic approved compost soil.

Apply soil amendments responsibly to protect local watersheds. Never apply them to frozen ground, over-saturated ground, or right before a large rain event.

I’m so excited to get my seedlings in the ground. How about you? What are you most excited about this month?

READ NEXT:

• Starting Seeds Indoors: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Four Garden Planning Tools You Need This Year
• March Garden Guide: Planning, Planting, and More