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]()
Swiss Chard Seeds - Bright Lights
55 days. AAS Winner for 1998. A vibrant new Swiss Chard. Distinguished by stems of many different colors - gold, pink, orange, purple, red, and white. This variety is a...
Radish Seeds - Watermelon
60-65 days. Watermelon Radish Seeds. Raphanus sativus. Non-GMO. Heirloom. AKA: "Roseheart Radish" or "Red Meat Radish". Watermelon Radish seeds are native to China and a cousin to Daikon radish. Watermelon...
Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Giant Caesar
Giant Caesar Lettuce Seeds. 70 days to maturity. Lactuca sativa. Heirloom, Annual. The Giant Caesar Lettuce is an amazing bright green loose-leaf romaine type that has a buttery sweet flavor...
Bean - Broad Windsor Fava - Cover Crop Seeds
80-90 Days. Vicia faba. Annual. Cover Crop. Heirloom. Non-GMO Broad Windsor fava bean seeds grow one of the most beneficial heirloom cover crops available to the home gardener. Popularly sown...
Cabbage Seeds - Late Flat Dutch
100 days. The Late Flat Dutch cabbage produces large, pale green heads. It is a hardy garden crop that can be grown in climate zones one through ten. After around...
Einkorn Grain Seeds (Organic)
Domesticated Einkorn Grain Seeds. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth. Triticum monococcum. Non-GMO, Heirloom. Widely agreed to be the oldest known wheat, Einkorn is thought to be the first grain ever...
Swiss Chard Seeds - Ruby Red
55 days. This plant produces good yields of dark green shiny leaves with ruby red stalks and veins. Both the stems and the leaves xcellent for salads and steamed with...
Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Freckles
50-70 days. These non-GMO Freckles lettuce seeds grow into green leaves of lettuce with red spots that are ready to harvest in 50 to 70 days. The Freckles thrives in...
Cabbage Seeds - Savoy Perfection
90 days. The Savoy Perfection cabbage is a unique variety that doesn't produce the sulfur-like smell that other varieties of cabbage do when they are cooked. It is a hardy...
Kale Seeds - Premier
60 days. Premier Kale is a high yielding variety high in nutrients. This crop is leafy and green in color. Premier Kale is versatile and can be used for kale...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Oakleaf
Non-GMO Oakleaf lettuce is ready 55-65 days. Utah State University recommends this lettuce strain. The Oakleaf can tolerate colder temperatures. The leaves of the Oakleaf have a mildly sweet flavor,...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Salad Bowl Green
45-50 days. An AAS winner, these non-GMO Salad Bowl Green seeds grow into green leaves of lettuce that are ready to harvest in 45 to 50 days. The Salad Bowl...
Cabbage Seeds - Early Round Dutch
Brassica oleracea (75 days) Also called "Round Dutch Cabbage" Early round Dutch has solid uniform, oval heads that weigh 2-5 lbs. Small, short-stemmed, short core, good wrapper leaves and slow...
Onion Seeds - Bunching - Evergreen White Nebuka
65-120 Days to maturity. Allium fistulosum. Evergreen White Nebuka Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, perennial, open-pollinated, heirloom, cold tolerant, bunching onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, raised beds, and containers....
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Grand Rapids
50-60 days. These non-GMO Grand Rapids lettuce seeds grow into large green leaves that are resistant to tip burn. Grand Rapids Lettuce is ready to harvest in 55 days. The...
Lettuce Seeds - Super Red Romaine
Lactuca sativa (40 days) Super Red Romaine Lettuce has long crunchy spoon shaped leaves that start green and turn to an intense red. Very intense colored romaine that is highly...
Mixed Greens Seeds - Mesclun Mix - Organic
A succulent blend of gourmet greens that will satisfy your pallet and is extremely healthy. This mesclun blend is the type normally served in fine restaurants, but you can grow...
Pak Choi Seeds - Shanghai
Cabbage Seeds - Pak Choi - Shanghai. Heirloom, Non-GMO. Annual. Brassica rapa Chinensis group. 10-15 days microgreens; 20-30 days baby leaf; 45 days full maturity. Cool-season. This green stem variety...
Arugula Seeds - Astro
40-60 days to maturity. Eruca sativa. Astro Arugula Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Slightly lobed, medium green leaves...
Onion Seeds - Long - White Sweet Spanish
120 Days to maturity. Allium cepa. White Sweet Spanish Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, cold tolerant, bulbing, long-day onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, raised beds, and...
Cabbage Seeds - Golden Acre (Organic)
65 Days to maturity. Brassica oleracea var. capitata. Organic Golden Acre Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom cabbage seeds. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds,...
Onion Seeds - Short - Red Grano
112 Days to maturity. Allium cepa. Red Grano Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, cold tolerant, bulbing, short-day onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, raised beds, and containers....
Beet Seeds - Golden - Organic
(58 days) aka Golden Detroit Golden beet made its debut in 1970. If you are annoyed with those pesky red beets "bleeding" all over your counters, then this is the...
Radish Seeds - French Breakfast
Heirloom and Non- GMO French Breakfast Radish is ready in 24 days. These radishes have blunt and oblong shape which are mostly red with some white at the tip. The...
Pea Seeds - Shelling - Little Marvel
Non-GMO, Heirloom Little Marvel Pea Vegetable Garden Seed from True Leaf Market. Pisum sativum. Little Marvel English Heirloom Pea Seeds came from England during the 1980s as a semi-dwarf shelling...
Onion Seeds - Long - Ruby
100 Days to maturity. Allium cepa. Ruby Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, cold tolerant, bulbing, long-day onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, raised beds, and containers. Ruby...
Parsnip - Hollow Crown
Non-GMO, Open-Pollinated, Heirloom Hollow Crown Parsnip Seeds from True Leaf Market. 100 to 120 days. Good storage variety with a sweet taste that grows up to 15" long. Originating in...
Dill Seeds - Dukat
50 Days to maturity. Anethum graveolens. Dukat Dill Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, and raised beds. Dukat Dill is a premium Danish...
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...
Parsnip Seeds - All American
All American has a sweet, tender, white and fine grained flesh that makes this a popular parsnip. The thick white roots are uniform, with smooth shoulders. All American reaches 2-3"...
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