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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Pak Choi Seeds - Wa Wa Qing - Hybrid
30-35 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa Chinensis group. Wa Wa Qing, Pak Choi (Bok Choy) Seeds. Hybrid Non-GMO Annual. This is a “Shanghai baby” pak choi variety. Plants grow upright,...
Lettuce Seeds - Tom Thumb - Organic
Lactuca sativa (50 days) Introduced some time in the 1850s. Small, round head with delicate leaves. About the size of a baseball. Perfect for one-person salad. Can be planted close...
African Marigold Seeds - Discovery Series
77-84 Days to maturity. Tagetes erecta. Discovery Series African Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, hybrid. Discovery Series African marigold seeds are an adorable, compact, and vibrant addition to grow in any...
Zinnia Seeds - Dreamland Mixture (Coated)
54-70 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Dreamland Mixture Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, annual. Dreamland Mix Zinnia Flower seeds are the fastest way to splash some excitement into your garden. Dreamland...
Lettuce Seeds - Black Seeded Simpson - Organic
Lactuca Sativa (45 days) An old reliable lettuce that is heat resistant, slow to bolt and very dependable. Leaves are large, but lightly crispy and ruffled. Excellent for spring, early...
Cauliflower Seeds - Self Blanching - Organic
Brassica oleracea (68 days) Developed by Dr. Homna at MSU. This cauliflower has self-wrapping leaves which shield the snow-white curds from sun, thus the name Self Blanching Cauliflower. This allows...
Pak Choi Seeds - Red Tatsoi - Hybrid
45 Days to full maturity, 20-30 Days for baby leaf, 10-15 Days for microgreens. Brassica rapa subsp. narinosa. Red Tatsoi, Pak Choi Seeds. Annual, Hybrid. Cool Season. This vigorous hybrid...
Mustard Seeds - Old Fashioned
B. juncea (42 days) Old Fashioned Mustard is the classic mustard typically found in Southern gardens of yesteryear. It is still widely grown in the South for its reliability and...
Lettuce Seeds - Butterhead - Kagraner Sommer
50-60 days. Non-GMO. Open-pollinated. Kagraner Sommer Lettuce Seeds from True Leaf Market produce a butterhead lettuce with light green leaves that is slow to bolt. Also known as Kagran Summer...
Chinese Mustard Seeds - Shuidong
35 to 45 Days to maturity. Brassica juncea. Shuidong Chinese Mustard Seeds. Non-GMO, Heirloom, non-GMO, Cool Season Annual. Shuidong mustard is named after the town where it was first cultivated,...
Pea Seeds - Thomas Laxton
60-70 days. Pisum sativum Non-GMO. Heirloom. A true American heirloom, this pea originated in rural England in the 1800s and was bred by Thomas Laxton's sons who named the variety...
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Chun Yeon Gold - Hybrid
60-70 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa var pekinensis 'Chun Yeon Gold'. Chun Yeon Gold Hybrid Chinese Cabbage Seeds. Annual Hybrid. Chun Yeon Gold is a napa-type Chinese Cabbage that develops...
Kale Seeds - Portuguese
Portuguese Kale Seeds. Brassica oleracea. 85 days to maturity. Heirloom. Annual. This Kale variety may be the hardiest of the cabbage kin. Approximately 8,000 seeds/ounce Kale Seeds - Portuguese It...
Clover Seeds - Mammoth Red - Organic
Mammoth Red is the best clover for deficient soils. The plant is large with big leaves, making it an ideal grazing crop. Red clover may be the best choice for...
Sweet Pea Seeds - Early Multiflora Mix
90-100 Days to maturity. Lathyrus odoratus. Sweet Pea Early Multiflora Mix Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Sweet Pea Early Multiflora Mix is the number one choice of sweet pea for winter...
Clover Seeds - Strawberry
Perennial that forms clumps or mats. Leaves are about an inch long, with flowers that develop to be about as long. Flowers somewhat resemble strawberries or raspberries, thanks to their...
Mustard Seeds - Japanese Komatsuna
Japanese Komatsuna Mustard Seeds. 30 to 50 Days to full maturity. 8 to 12 days to microgreens harvest. Brassica rapa var. perviridis. Annual. Heirloom, Non-GMO, Open Pollinated. Komatsuna is popular...
Kale Seeds - Ethiopian
50 to 60 Days to maturity. Brassica carinata. Ethiopian Kale Seeds. Annual, Heirloom. This leafy green originated in Ethiopia, in East Africa. It is known by various names, including Ethiopian...
Lettuce Seeds - Batavian, Great Lakes 118
80 - 90 days. These non-GMO Great Lakes 118 lettuce seeds grow into large green leaves and a white heart. Great Lakes 118 Lettuce, also known as Head Lettuce, is...
Mustard - Tat Soi - Black Knight
Tat Soi - Black Knight Mustard Seeds. 45 - 55 days to maturity. Heirloom, Annual. Can be grown in containers. Can be grown as microgreens. Brassica rapa. A dark green...
Turnip Seeds - Gold Ball
Brassica rapa. (70 days) Introduced prior to 1859 and still going strong! This is one turnip you want your garden for its perfectly shaped 3-4" amber globes. Approx. 9,500 seeds/ounce....
French Marigold Seeds - Dainty Marietta
50-65 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula' Dainty Marietta'. Dainty Marietta French Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. This drought-tolerant French Dwarf Marigold is truly one of a kind. The striking yellow...
Pea Seeds - Snap - Cascadia
60-70 Days to maturity. Pisum sativum. Cascadia Snap Pea Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to powdery mildew...
Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Little Caesar
Little Caesar Lettuce Seeds. 70 days to maturity. Lactuca sativa. Heirloom, Annual. Little Caesar Lettuce is a very attractive, tall romaine type with crisp, bright green outer leaves and golden-blanched...
Cabbage Seeds - Green Express
50 days. Brassica oleracea. Heirloom Green Express Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, open-pollinated, annual. Green Express delivers full cabbage flavor in a fraction of the space and time, forming dense, tennis-ball to...
Broccoli Seeds - Chinese Broccoli - Early Jade - Hybrid
40-50 days to maturity. Brassica oleracea var alboglabra ‘Early Jade’. Early Jade Chinese Broccoli Seeds. Non-GMO, Hybrid, Cool-season Annual. Closely related to European cabbage, Chinese Broccoli was introduced to China...
Mustard Seeds - Greenwave
Non-GMO, Heirloom Green Wave Mustard Seeds from True Leaf Market. Green Wave Mustard is a terrific all-purpose mustard green. Its bright green ruffled leaves have a moderately hot flavor. Cooking...
Kale Seeds - Red
Red Kale Seeds. Brassica napus. Annual. Open Pollinated, Heirloom, Non-GMO. Excellent option for growing as a microgreen. 8 to 12 days for microgreen harvest, 20 to 25 days for baby...
Lettuce Seeds - Crisphead - Blonde De Paris
50-60 days. Blonde de Paris Batavia Lettuce Seeds. Lactuca sativa. Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. An award-winning and absolutely hardy cultivar of butter head, Buttercrunch is tender, delicious, and looks as good...
Cauliflower Seeds - Veronica Romanesco Hybrid
77 days. This "Italian" type produces very symmetrical and spiraled, lime green heads with tightly beaded, pointed domes. Useful raw, cooked, or pickled, with a milder, sweeter flavor than standard...
French Marigold Seeds - Sparky - Organic
63-77 Days to maturity. Tagetes patula. Organic Sparky Marigold Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, Open Pollinated. Sparky Mixture marigold seeds offer one of the most vibrant and inexpensive blooms available to the...
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