Over much of the USA, April is when the gardening season really gets going. Between preparing the soil and planting the early crops, it's easy to overlook important steps. We really recommend a garden journal as a way to map out what you want to do. Then fill in the whens and wheres. Don't forget to look around and notice what's happening in your area. When are the forsythia blooming? Are you hearing robins in the morning? These are links to the natural world, reasons why we are gardening. Don't forget to smell the roses.
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.
Zones 7b-9a: April is a peak planting month in mild-winter zones as soils warm and frost risk fades, opening the door to a much broader range of crops outdoors. Continue sowing cool-season favorites in early April, where nights are still chilly, but begin transitioning beds to warm-season planting through the month as temperatures stabilize. Succession sowing, trellising, and a little frost protection for surprise cold snaps help keep growth steady - and April is also an excellent time to harden off seedlings and get transplants established.
Zones 9b-12: April is full spring momentum in the warm-winter zones, with many gardens shifting decisively into warm-season planting while remaining cool-season crops finish strong. This is a great month to direct sow and transplant heat lovers outdoors, and to keep succession planting going so harvests don’t gap as days get longer and brighter. In the hottest areas, start planning for rising temperatures by watching irrigation closely, adding mulch, and timing your final rounds of tender cool-season crops before consistent heat arrives.
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![Legend: H for Heirloom, O for Organic, A for AAS Winner, F for staff favorites]()
Bachelors Buttons Seeds - Mixed Colors
77-91 days. Bachelor's Buttons Flower Seeds. AKA: Cornflower. Annual. Mixed Colors Bachelor's Buttons flower seeds are a convenient and easy summertime grow perfect for kids, indoors, or wild unkept spaces....
Broccoli Seeds - Destiny Hybrid
70 to 75 days. Annual. Non-GMO Hybrid seeds. The Destiny Hybrid is a popular variety of the broccoli garden crop to grow. Destiny Hybrid seeds are more tolerant to heat...
Corn Seeds - Ornamental - Indian
100-110 Days to maturity. Zea mays. Ornamental - Indian Corn Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, Flint Corn. Suitable for growing in garden plots or raised beds. Corn tolerates heat and...
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...
Cauliflower Seeds - Cheddar Hybrid
70-75 days. This beautiful orange cauliflower boasts uniform, smooth, firm heads. Leave heads untied for maximum color intensity. Roasting enhances the flavor of cheddar cauliflower. In warm growing areas, plant...
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...
Bean Seeds - Bush - California Black-Eye Cowpeas
75 Days to maturity. Vigna unguiculata. California Black-Eyed Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, bush, shelling bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Cowpeas, or...
Corn Seeds - Sweet - Honey Select Hybrid
80 Days to maturity. Zea mays. Honey Select Hybrid Corn Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, AAS winner, hybrid, Sweet Corn. Suitable for growing in garden plots or raised beds. Corn tolerates heat...
Watermelon Seeds - Picnic - Tendersweet Orange
Citrullus lanatus (90 days) Yummalicious orange, crisp, sweet, watermelon that is not only colorful, but also intensely tasty. Watermelon Seeds - Tendersweet Orange This is the standard for orange fleshed...
Alyssum Seeds - Royal Carpet
56-63 Days to maturity. Lobularia maritima. Royal Carpet Alyssum Seeds. Non-GMO, Open-Pollinated, Annual. Open-pollinated seeds. Royal Carpet Alyssum flower seeds are an essential fragrant and award-winning plant whether kept in...
Squash Seeds - Winter - Blue Hubbard
Blue Hubbard Squash is a blue-gray-green slightly ridged and warted winter squash variety. it's best attributes is its long storage time (6 months!) and its perfectly sweet taste. Don't let...
Cosmos Seeds - Bright Lights
56-63 days. Bright Lights cosmos seeds grow a playful, robust, and familiar annual sown among sunflowers and wildflowers. Bright Lights seeds grow hardy, drought tolerant cosmos shrubs as high as...
Mustard Seeds - Red Giant (Organic)
48 days. Non-GMO, Heirloom Organic Red Giant Mustard Herb Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Brassica juncea. In general, mustard is an ideal garden plant to grow near herbs. As...
Lettuce Seeds - Jericho
(26 days for baby greens, 56 days for full size) Jericho Lettuce Seeds. Silky smooth neon green romaine leaves reach for the sky in this amazing lettuce with origins in...
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...
Onion Seeds - Short - Yellow Granex PRR Hybrid
110-160 Days to maturity. Allium cepa. Yellow Granex PRR Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, hybrid, cold tolerant, bulbing, short-day onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, raised beds, and containers....
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...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Aquadulce Fava
70-85 Days to maturity. Vicia faba. Organic Fava Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, bush, shell, fava bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Squash Seeds - Winter - Japanese Red Kuri (Uchiki Kuri)
95 days to maturity. Cucurbita maxima. Japanese Red Kuri (Uchiki Kuri) Winter Squash Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated. Suitable for growing in fields, garden plots, raised beds, and containers. Teardrop-shaped...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Lollo Rosso
50-70 days. These non-GMO Lollo Rosso lettuce seeds grow into green leaves with red edges that are ready to harvest in 60 days. The Lollo Rosso thrives in full sun...
Watermelon Seeds - Picnic - Moon & Stars (Organic)
95 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Organic Moon & Stars Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, picnic watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots. These medium-sized...
Pak Choi Seeds - Extra Dwarf
Cabbage Seeds - Pak Choi - Extra Dwarf. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Annual. Brassica rapa (Chinensis group). 30 days. Cool-warm season. This specialty pak choi variety is smaller than baby pak choi....
Watermelon Seeds - Icebox - Bush Sugar Baby
75 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Bush Sugar Baby Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, Icebox watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots and large containers (minimum...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Midori Giant Edamame Soybean
80 Days to maturity. Glycine max. Midori Giant Edamame Soybean Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, bush, shell, soybean, Asian bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised...
Sunflower Seeds - Italian White
90-110 Days to maturity. Helianthus debilis. Italian White Sunflower Seeds: Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. Ornamental. Annual. Heirloom. Italian White sunflower seeds grow some of summer's most elegant, classic, and vigorous blooms....
Bean Seeds - Pole - Red Noodle Yard Long
50-75 Days to maturity. Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis. Red Noodle Yard Long Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant, pole, snap, Asian, specialty bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Provider (Organic)
50-65 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Organic Provider Bush Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, high yielding, heat tolerant, bush, snap, green bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden...
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