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]()
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...
Sunflower Seeds - Lemon Queen
80-100 Days to maturity. Helianthus annus. Lemon Queen Sunflower Seeds. Non-GMO, open-pollinated, heirloom, annual, multi-branching sunflower. This bright sunflower features light, lemony petals and a light brown center that demands...
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...
Swiss Chard Seeds - Orange
55 days. Orange Swiss Chard is a great ornamental vegetable. Don't just plant it in the garden, add some in the landscaping. These bright orange stalks will spice up any...
Alyssum Seeds - Easter Bonnet Series
63-77 Days to maturity. Lobularia maritima. Easter Bonnet Series Alyssum Multi-seed Pelleted Seeds. Non-GMO, Open-Pollinated, Annual. Open-pollinated, multi-pelleted seeds. Easter Bonnet Series Alyssum seeds promise delicate and early spring blooms...
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...
Swiss Chard Seeds - Magenta Sunset
60 days. Magenta Sunset Swiss chard has striking almost neon pink stems with dark green leaves. These leaves are both beautiful and practical to grow in the home garden. Their...
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...
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...
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...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Harvester
55 Days to maturity. Phaseolus vulgaris. Harvester Bush Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, high-yielding, bush, snap green bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
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...
Cosmos Seeds - Cosmic Mix
56-63 Days to maturity. Cosmos sulphureus. Cosmic Mix Cosmos Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, Heirloom, Open Pollinated. Cosmic Mix seeds grow an elegant and award-winning cosmos that promises to invigorate any stale...
Kamut (Organic) - Sprouting Seeds
KAMUT® Brand khorasan wheat is an ancient relative of modern durum wheat, originating in Mesopotamia. It is versatile and can be used for everything from sprouting to kamut grass, to...
Beet Seeds - Green Top Bunching
Beta vulgaris (60 days) Green Top Bunching beets have flattened globe shaped roots. Beet roots are red and tasty. Perfect for cooking or pickling. Approx. 1,500 seeds/ounce. Beet Seeds -...
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...
Bean Seeds - Bush - Broad Windsor Fava
70-85 Days to maturity. Vicia faba. Broad Windsor Fava Bean Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, bush, shell, fava bean. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses....
Beet Seeds - Crosby Egyptian
Beta vulgaris (60 days) Egyptian type beets were created in the 1860s by the Germans. The Crosby strain was selected by Josiah Crosby of Arlington, Massachusetts and introduced by The...
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...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Athena Hybrid
75 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Athena Hybrid Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to...
Okra Seeds - Cows Horn
Abelmoschus esculentus (55 days) This heirloom okra dates back to around the Civil War. It has a twisted shape that resembles a cow's horn. These large pods can reach 14"...
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...
Sunflower Seeds - Sungold Dwarf
Helianthus annuus (80 days) Sunflower Dwarf is also known as "Teddy Bear". Sungold grows 24" to 36" tall and has profusion of bushy yellow sunflowers. Very easy to grow and...
Vetch Seeds - Common
An amazing addition to any garden's bare land, this legume can loosen your soil and add nitrogen. This is a farmers staple feed for cattle, horses, or even rabbits. Read...
Mint Seeds - Pennyroyal
90 Days to maturity. Mentha pulegium. Pennyroyal Mint Seeds. Non-GMO, annual or perennial, open-pollinated, heirloom. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Pennyroyal Mint is a...
Zinnia Seeds - Pollinator Flower Mix
Pollinator Mix. Zinnia. Zinnia elegans. 60-80 days. Non-GMO. Open pollinated. Our zinnia pollinator mix attracts hummingbirds and butterflies with a wildflower blend that grows a season-long charm that lives up...
Agastache Seeds - Korean Mint
55-65 days to maturity. Agastache rugosa. Korean Mint Agastache Seeds. Non-GMO, Heirloom, Perennial in Zones 4-9. Korean Mint is a drought-tolerant aromatic herb in the mint family that is native...
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