Cold Winter Areas — Zones 1–7a
April is the bridge between the indoor seed-starting season and the first real outdoor planting in cold-winter zones. As soon as soil is workable, focus on bed prep, clearing winter cover, and making space for early direct sowing of hardy spring crops — often with row cover or low tunnels to buffer cold nights. Indoors, keep starting and potting up seedlings, and begin hardening off the earliest transplants on mild days so they are ready to go out as soon as your local frost window allows.
Indoors (fresh harvests):
-
Microgreens: peas, broccoli, sunflowers, arugula
-
Sprouts: alfalfa, broccoli, radish, mung
-
Herbs & greens under lights: chives, parsley, mint
Crops to start indoors in good light: Lettuce, cauliflower, dill, marigold, eggplant, tomato, pepper, zinnia
Transplants to move outdoors (weather permitting — harden first): Onion, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, arugula, pansy, bachelor's buttons
Crops that can be directly sown outdoors in April (assume intermittent frosts; a low tunnel or row cover makes most of these reliable): pak choi, cabbage, kale, mustard, fava bean, pea, turnip, parsnip, sweet pea
Cover crops: winter rye, fava bean, hairy vetch, red or white clover, and cover crop mixes.
Tip: This zone group covers a lot of territory. Nothing replaces talking with experienced gardeners in your area and, of course, watching the weather closely.
Use your USDA zone as a guide. Microclimates matter—coastal/urban spots run warmer; high elevation runs colder.
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Turnip Seeds - Purple Top White Globe
50-60 days. Purple Top White Globe Turnip Seeds. Brassica rapa subsp. rapa. Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. Purple Top White Globe Turnip seeds grow into cool season root vegetables that are hardy...
Dill Seeds - Bouquet (Organic)
Non-GMO, Heirloom Organic Bouquet Dill Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Anethum graveolens. Organic Bouquet Dill grows fast-maturing cool-season annuals and is native to West Asia and regions in...
Kale Seeds - Vates Blue Scotch Curled
60-70 days. Vates Blue Scotch Curled Kale Seeds. Brassica oleracea var. acephalla. Non-GMO. Heirloom. The premier variety of curled kale, Vates Blue Scotch is a tenacious cold-weather favorite known to...
Zinnia Seeds - California Giant Mix
75-90 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. California Giant Mixture Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. The “king of summer annuals" California Giant Mix seeds are the largest variety of Zinnias ever,...
Kale Seeds - Red Russian
50-60 days. Red Russian Kale Seeds. Brassica napus var. pabularia. Non-GMO. Heirloom. A popular and tenacious red variation to the ever-popular Russian kale, Red Russian grows a lighter, but still...
Dill Seeds - Bouquet
65 Days to maturity. Anethum graveolens. Bouquet Dill Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, and raised beds. 3-foot plant with strongly aromatic foliage,...
Kale Seeds - Dwarf Siberian
50-60 days. Dwarf Siberian Kale is a high yielding variety high in nutrients. This crop is leafy and bright green in color. Dwarf Siberian Kale is versatile and can be...
Kale Seeds - Lacinato (Black Tuscan)
65-80 days. Brassica oleracea var. sabellica. Lacinato Kale Seeds. Also known as Black Tuscan Kale or Dinosaur Kale. This is a popular variety for making soups and kale chips. This...
French Marigold Seeds - Durango Series (Coated)
56-63 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Durango Series French Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Durango Series French marigold seeds are an adorable, compact, and vibrant addition to grow in any...
No-Till Forage Friendly Cover Crop Mix
30-60 Days to termination. No-Till Forage Friendly Cover Crop Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, winter-killing, no-till, and forage-friendly. This mix has been created as a forage-safe option for home gardens, small farms,...
French Marigold Seeds - Petite Mixture
56-63 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Petite Mixture French Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Petite Mixture French marigold seeds are an adorable, compact, and vibrant addition to grow in any...
Zinnia Seeds - Lilliput Mixture
54-70 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Lilliput Mixture Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. Lilliput Mixture Zinnia Flowers are easy to grow from seeds and ideal for hot and drought-prone gardens....
Zinnia Seeds - Zahara Series (Coated)
50-60 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Zahara Series Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, annual. Zahara Series Zinnia flower seeds are brilliant, easy to grow, and renowned for their hardiness and ability to...
Flower Mix - Zinnia Special Collection
Attract pollinators all season long with beautiful multi-colored zinnia blooms. Zinnias are not only one of the loveliest flowers in the garden, but they are also easy to grow and...
Zinnia Seeds - Profusion Series (Coated)
54-70 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans x angustifolia. Profusion Series Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. Profusion Series Zinnia flower seeds promise to turn your tired summer bedding into an award-winning...
Zinnia Seeds - Magellan Series (Coated)
55-60 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Magellan Series Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, F1 hybrid, annual. Magellan Zinnia Series seeds produce tough, resilient zinnias, best suited for gardens prone to heat...
Kale Seeds - Red Russian (Organic)
50 days. Brassica napus var. pabularia. Organic Red Russian Kale Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, heirloom, open-pollinated. This is suitable for containers, garden plots, raised beds, and fields. Classic “Ragged Jack/Buda”...
French Marigold Seeds - Disco Series (Coated)
56-63 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Disco Series French Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Disco Series French marigold seeds are an adorable, compact, and vibrant addition to grow in any...
Broccoli Seeds - Di Cicco
Brassica oleracea (50-70 days) Di Cicco is an Italian heirloom broccoli dating from 1890. Di Cicco broccoli is very vigorous, emerald green, producing nice central heads 3-5" wide. Approx. 9,000...
French Marigold Seeds - Bonanza Series (Coated)
56-63 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Bonanza Series French Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Bonanza Series French marigold seeds are brilliant, easy to grow, and renowned for their hardiness and...
Mustard Seeds - Tatsoi
50 days. Non-GMO, Heirloom Tatsoi Mustard Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa. Tatsoi Mustard or "Spoon Mustard" comes from China and gained tradition as a...
Cauliflower Seeds - Self-Blanche
52 days. Large, close-jacket leaves make blanching easy. Deep, smooth, fine-grained heads. This is great for freezing and pickling; a low-calorie, nutritious snack that can be refrigerated and eaten raw...
Zinnia Seeds - State Fair Mix
60 - 80 days. Zinnia elegans. Annual. State Fair Mix Zinnia seeds grow some of the tallest and brightest Zinnias growing this summer. State Fair Mix Zinnia seeds deliver brilliant...
Zinnia Seeds - Thumbelina Mixture
60-70 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Thumbelina Mix Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, AAS Winner, annual. Thumbelina Mix Zinnia flower seeds are a small, adorable, and vibrant addition to grow in any...
French Marigold Seeds - Janie Series
56-63 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Janie Series Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Growing Janie Series Marigold seeds this season is an effortless and award-winning way to dash some summer...
French Marigold Seeds - Sparky Mixture
63-77 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Sparky Mixture Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Sparky Mixture French marigold seeds offer one of the most vibrant and inexpensive blooms available to the...
Zinnia Seeds - Dahlia Flowered Mixture
90-100 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Dahlia Flowered Mixture Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. Growing Dahlia Flowered Mix zinnia seeds this season is an effortless and vibrant way to dash...
Kale Seeds - White Russian
White Russian Kale Seeds. 50 Days. Brassica napus. Non-GMO, Open Pollinated. White Veined, cold tolerant, flavorful kale. Great for full grown kale at 50 days, Baby Greens at 20 days,...
Dill Seeds - Dwarf Fernleaf
Non-GMO, Heirloom Dwarf Fernleaf Dill Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Anethum graveolens. Dwarf Fernleaf Dill grows as slow-bolting warm-season annuals and is native to South Russia and regions...
Turnip Seeds - White Egg
Brassica rapa (45-55 days) AKA "Early White Egg" or "Snowball". White egg turnip is a long time favorite in the South where it is know for its reliability and fine...
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