Want Vegetables in Your Garden? Here are 10 to Plant in April for Best Results
Want Vegetables in Your Garden? Here are 10 to Plant in April for Best Results
In many parts of the country, spring is in full swing in April! Other regions are experiencing their first mild days after a long, chilly winter. Regardless of where you live, you can finally get outside and start enjoying warmer weather, budding trees, and longer days. Flowers can be planted now in warm climates, while cold-hardy vegetables can be seeded directly into your garden in most of the rest of the country by mid to late April. Read the seed package to learn the best time to plant, or check with your local university coop extension service (find yours here) for planting times and last frost dates in your area.
Typically, here’s what you can plant in April:
1) Lettuce
As temperatures begin to soar, lettuce bolts (goes to seed) and becomes bitter, so plant when it’s still cool in early spring. Sprinkle the teeny seeds in rows, and cover lightly with soil. Keep moist while it’s sprouting. Harvest baby lettuce in as little as 3 to 4 weeks. Look for gourmet blends, called “mesclun,” if you want a mix.
Varieties to try: Deer Tongue, Mild Mesclun
2) Peas
Snow or snap peas can be eaten whole including the pods; shelling peas take a much larger crop to amount to much. Plant pea seeds directly in the ground in early spring when it’s still cool from late March to early April, depending on where you live; they don’t bear well in heat. Plant about an inch deep or spaced an inch apart on both sides of a trellis or pea netting because they need to climb.
Try: Sugar Snap, Super Sugar Snap
3) Radishes
Radishes are an easy crop to grow, and they’re ready in about 30 days. Direct seed into the garden in early spring, planting short rows every two weeks for a continuous harvest. Thin the seedlings to about an inch apart once they pop through the earth because they need room to develop. Keep planting beds or containers moist so radishes don’t become woody and tough.
Try: Easter Egg, Cherry Belle
4) Carrots
Carrots like cool soil but not cold, so plant mid to late April, depending on where you live. Sprinkle seeds in a row, cover lightly with soil. Keep soil moist so carrots don’t split. Thin seedlings to about 2 inches apart so they have room to develop.
Try: Scarlet Nantes, Purple Haze
5) Shallots
Shallots are super-expensive at the grocery store, but they’re easy to grow so they’re a good choice for all gardeners. Plant bulbs about 6 inches apart a month before your last frost date. Shallots don’t have deep roots so keep up with weeding to avoid competition for water and nutrients.
Try: Holland Red, Dutch Yellow
6) Cabbage
Cabbage needs rich soil (and plenty of space, so only plant this veggie if you have a large garden!). You can purchase transplants at nurseries and garden centers in your area when it’s time for planting. Space plants about a foot apart. It prefers rich soil, so keep it fed.
Try: Tendersweet, Charleston Wakefield
7) Broccoli
Like cabbage, broccoli is a heavy feeder. It also needs lots of water. Place transplants in the ground when they’re available at local nurseries, and feed regularly. In warm regions, don’t get it in too late in the spring or it will bolt when hot weather arrives. Space plants about a foot apart.
Try: Waltham, Eastern Magic
8) Beets
Beets have edible leaves and roots. Besides the dark red varieties (which stain everything in the kitchen, so handle with care when roasting and peeling!), many colorful types are available. Direct seed a few weeks before your last frost date about ? inch deep. Thin seedlings to every 4 inches.
Try: Chioggia, Golden Detroit
9) Spinach
Like lettuce, spinach prefers cool weather and will bolt when the temperatures warm up. Plant as you would lettuce in successive crops every two weeks for a continuous harvest.
Try: Regiment, Bloomsdale Long Standing
10) Pansies
Pansies are a pretty (and edible!) flower that can go into the ground in early to late spring. Interplant with other vegetables, or place in containers and window boxes for early color.
Try: Moulin Rouge, Plentifall Frost
It's going to be a delicious year.