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Monthly planting guide

What to plant in April

Computed from this directory's own crop-rules table and each zone band's real median frost dates or monthly temperatures, for the 15th of April. A single national list would be wrong for most readers: April means a different planting stage in a cold-winter zone than it does in a hot, frost-rare one. Every crop name below links to that crop's own sourced guide.

Planting windows and crop timing here are computed from USDA/NOAA climate data and the university extension sources cited below, not a site visit or soil test. Treat this as a starting point: local conditions vary, and a local nursery or extension office can advise on your exact site. See our full Disclaimer.

Zones 1-5 (cold winters)

Fort Plain, NY · Zone 5b

Start indoors

Cantaloupe / Muskmelon , Cucumber , Summer Squash , Watermelon , Winter Squash (Butternut) , Zucchini

Direct-sow

Beets , Calendula , Carrots , Cilantro , Dill , Garden Peas , Kohlrabi , Lettuce , Mustard Greens , Nasturtium , Onion (bulb) , Parsnip , Potato , Radish , Rutabaga , Spinach , Swiss Chard , Turnip

Transplant outside

Artichoke , Broccoli , Cabbage , Celery , Leek

Zones 6-7 (temperate)

McMinnville, TN · Zone 7b

Direct-sow

Cilantro , Cleome (Spider Flower) , Cosmos , Cucumber , Dill , Four O'Clock , Lima Beans , Morning Glory , Pole Beans , Snap Beans (Bush) , Summer Squash , Sunflower , Sweet Corn , Zinnia , Zucchini

Transplant outside

Basil , Catnip/Catmint , Chives , Cleome (Spider Flower) , Cucumber , Lavender , Lemongrass , Marjoram , Mint , Oregano , Rosemary , Sage , Summer Squash , Tarragon , Thyme , Tomato , Zucchini

Zones 8-9 (warm)

Apopka, FL · Zone 9b

Direct-sow

Basil , Dill

Zones 10-13 (hot, frost rare or absent)

Loxahatchee, FL · Zone 10b

Frost is rare or absent here; timing follows temperature, not frost dates.

Cool-season crops

Apple (bare-root fruit tree) , Apricot (bare-root fruit tree) , Asparagus , Bachelor's Button (Cornflower) , Bare-root rose , Beets , Blackberry , Blueberry , Bok Choy , Broccoli , Brussels Sprouts , Cabbage , Calendula , Carrots , Catnip/Catmint , Cauliflower , Celery , Cherry (sweet/tart, bare-root fruit tree) , Chives , Cilantro , Collards , Currant , Deciduous shade tree (generic, e.g. maple/oak, bare-root or B&B) , Dill , Elderberry , Evergreen shrub (B&B/potted, e.g. arborvitae, boxwood) , Fennel (Bulb/Florence) , Flowering deciduous shrub (generic, e.g. lilac/forsythia) , Garden Peas , Garlic , Gooseberry , Kale , Kohlrabi , Larkspur , Lavender , Leek , Lettuce , Mint , Mustard Greens , Nasturtium , Onion (bulb) , Oregano , Parsley , Parsnip , Peach (bare-root fruit tree) , Pear (bare-root fruit tree) , Petunia , Plum (bare-root fruit tree) , Potato , Radish , Raspberry , Rhubarb , Rutabaga , Sage , Snapdragon , Snow Peas , Spinach , Strawberry , Sweet Alyssum , Sweet Pea , Swiss Chard , Table/Bunch Grape , Tarragon , Thyme , Turnip

Warm-season crops

Artichoke , Arugula , Basil , Bell Pepper , Cantaloupe / Muskmelon , Cleome (Spider Flower) , Cosmos , Cucumber , Eggplant , Fig , Four O'Clock , Lemongrass , Lima Beans , Marigold , Marjoram , Morning Glory , Okra , Pole Beans , Pumpkin , Rosemary , Snap Beans (Bush) , Summer Squash , Sunflower , Sweet Corn , Sweet Potato , Tomato , Watermelon , Winter Squash (Butternut) , Zinnia , Zucchini

April is the month the temperate band crosses its own last frost while the cold band is still weeks from crossing its own, and the hot band's cool-season window is about to close for the summer.

About three weeks before the cold band's own May 6 last frost. Transplants that needed a two-to-four-week head start indoors go outside this month, alongside direct-sowing for crops that don't need frost to be over first.

The temperate band's own last frost, around April 7, falls inside this month. Direct-sowing and transplanting both open at once here, more crops active this month than any other on this band's own calendar.

About seven weeks past the warm band's own last frost. Most of this band's spring window has already closed by April; the short direct-sow list above is what's left.

April's own average in the hot band is about 72.9°F (NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals), the last month this band's own data stays under the 75°F cool-season ceiling before crossing it in May.

Enter your ZIP for your own exact dates rather than these four representative bands.

Nurseries near these locations

Sources

Full per-crop citations are on each crop's own guide page, linked above. Institutions cited across this page: