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]()
Watermelon Seeds - Picnic - Mountain Sweet
85-100 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. Mountain Sweet Yellow Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, picnic watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots. 2004 Seed Saver Inventory...
Beet Seeds - Ruby Queen (Organic)
50-55 Days to maturity. Beta vulgaris. Organic Ruby Queen Beet Seeds. Non-GMO, cool weather annual, organic, heirloom, open-pollinated, AAS winner 1957. This delicious multi-use beet can be used for the...
Corn Seeds - Golden Bantam 8
75-85 Days to maturity. Zea mays. Golden Bantam 8 Corn Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, Sweet Corn. Golden Bantam 8, a classic heirloom variety, is a testament to its rich...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Edisto 47
85 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Edisto 47 Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant, humidity-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Pak Choi Seeds - Summer Zest - Hybrid
40-45 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa Chinensis group. Summer Zest Pak Choi Seeds. Cool-Warm Season Annual Hybrid. Summer Zest is considered a medium to large size cabbage or medium maturing...
Radish Seeds - Korean - Alpine Gold - Hybrid
60 days to maturity. Raphanus sativus. Alpine Gold Korean Radish Seeds. Hybrid, cool season annual, open pollinated. Alpine Gold radishes are a clean, crisp variety with smooth and polished roots....
Radish Seeds - Halloween Mix
Halloween Mix Radish Seeds. 20 - 30 days to maturity. Can be grown in containers. Raphanus sativus. Open Pollinated. Annual. Halloween Mix contains purple yellow black and white radishes. Approximately...
Beet Seeds - Lutz Green Leaf
Beta vugaris (70 days) Lutz Green Leaf is known for its long standing storage capabilities. Also known by many as "winterkeeper" beets. Lutz has roots that are about 6" in...
Watermelon Seeds - Picnic - AU Producer
85 Days to maturity. Citrullus lanatus. AU Producer Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, seeded, picnic watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots. Originally bred in Alabama, in...
Carrot Seeds - Parisian - Organic
(55 days) A great little round carrot that is a nineteenth-century French heirloom. Organic Parisian is an early orange-red carrot that grows almost more like the shape of a large...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Fava (Organic)
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....
Radish Seeds - German Giant - Organic
Raphanus R. sativus. (29 days) They call these radishes Giant for a reason! Delicious when they are the size of a quarter, but they can grow as large as a...
Bean Seeds - Pole - Purple Moon Hyacinth
90 Days to maturity. Lablab purpureus. Purple Moon Hyacinth Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, pole, snap, Asian, specialty bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden...
Swiss Chard Seeds - Pink Lipstick
60 days. Pink Lipstick Swiss Chard is named after the bright pink hue of its stems and veins. Plants grow green delicious leaves that can be used as bitter and...
Radish Seeds - Chinese - Green Meat Luobo
60 Days to maturity. Raphanus sativus. Green Meat Luobo Chinese Radish Heirloom Seeds. Cool Season Annual. Unlike other Chinese radishes, Green Luobos aren’t globe-shaped—instead, they grow as big as 10”...
Squash Seeds - Summer - Trieste White Zucchini
Trieste White Zucchini Squash produces short fruits that are very pale green in color, and are tender and delicious. Non- GMO Half Long White Zucchini are early producers, produce on...
Melon Seeds - Banana
80-100 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Banana Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. These unique melons got...
Mustard Seeds - Wasabi
45 days. This mustard has large green leaves with wavy edges and a fun wasabi-like bite. Easy to grow, this mustard is also cold hardy and vigorous. Don't be mistaken,...
Melon Seeds - Casaba - Bidwell
C. indorus (95 days) This melon originated just a few minutes away from us here in Chico, CA. Bidwell is named after John Bidwell, who was a general in the...
Zinnia Seeds - Zowie Yellow Flame (Coated)
54-70 Days to maturity. Zinnia elegans. Zowie Yellow Flame Zinnia Seeds. Non-GMO, organic, Annual. Yellow Flame zinnia seeds are an effortless and vibrant way to grow season-long brilliance in your...
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Spring Crisp - Hybrid
63-65 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa var. Pekinensis ‘Spring Crisp’. Spring Crisp Chinese Cabbage Hybrid seeds. Annual. Hybrid. Spring Crisp is desirable for its resistance to bolting during warm weather....
Lettuce Seeds - Butterhead - White Boston
White Boston butterhead lettuce is an improved Boston variety that does well in humidity and heat. Heads grow high off the ground, so the full head is usable. Heads are...
Pea Seeds - Shelling - Alaska
65-75 Days to maturity. Pisum sativum. Alaska Pea Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in fields, containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to powdery mildew. Known...
Carrot Seeds - Shin Kuroda 5"
Non-GMO, heirloom Shin Kuroda 5" Carrot Seeds from True Leaf Market are a variant of the Chantenay-type Shin Kuroda carrot developed in Japan. The roots grow to about 5" long...
Bean Seeds - Pole - Blue Lake FM1K (Treated)
65 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Blue Lake Pole FM1K treated Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, drought-tolerant, pole, snap string bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots,...
Pea Seeds - Shelling - Patio Pride AAS (Organic)
40–50 Days to maturity. Pisum sativum. Patio Pride Pea Seeds (Organic), AAS Winner. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated. Suitable for growing in containers, raised beds, and small garden spaces. This compact, early-maturing...
Onion Seeds - Intermediate - Red Cipollini
90 Days to maturity. Allium cepa. Red Cipollini Onion Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, bulbing, long-day onion. Suitable for growing in greenhouses, garden plots, and raised beds. Red Cipollini is...
Squash Seeds - Winter - Sunshine Hybrid
Hybrid Sunshine Winter Squash is a kabocha squash that out-shines other varieties in side-by-side trials across North America. Sunshine is ready in 95 to 100 days. Hybrid Sunshine Squash has...
Watermelon Seeds - Icebox - Hime Kansen Hybrid
95 Days to maturity. Citrullus vulgaris. Hime Kansen Hybrid Japanese Watermelon Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat tolerant, seeded, icebox watermelon. Suitable for growing in garden plots. This Japanese watermelon is...
Corn Seeds - Dent - Ornamental - Bloody Butcher
110 Days to maturity. Zea mays. Bloody Butcher Ornamental Corn Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, Dent Corn. Suitable for growing in garden plots or raised beds. Corn tolerates heat and...
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