April Gardening Guide - What To Plant Now For Every Garden Zone

April Gardening Guide

Get a printable checklist PDF version of this guide to keep you on track, via email HERE.

Check out the video version of this guide on my YouTube channel

Spring is officially here! Time to plant up the garden to reap a huge harvest.

• Garden zones 7 and below - Start sowing seeds in doors to get an early start on your spring/summer gardens. 
• Garden zones 8 and up - Start transitioning over to summer crops and cultivars that are heat tolerant. 

Daylight hours are now increasing and with each passing day, temperatures are rising. This will lead to increased pest pressure so be prepared. At the end of spring (April & May), I tend to see a lot of aphids, stink bugs, leaf footed bugs, worms, and squash bugs. I highly recommend that you plant as many trap crops as possible (nasturtiums, sunflowers, marigolds, fennel, zinnias, kale, blue hubbard squash) to help mitigate some of the pest issues that are sure to come within the next few months. I always have BT and/or spinosad handy. 

Find out when your last average spring frost date is (www.plantsmaps.com) so you can start direct sowing as early as possible. For many of us, last frost dates land in the months of February and March. 

Bush and pole/vine beans, winged beans, cow peas, southern peas, lima beans, & yard long beans

Past last spring frost date: Direct sow seeds

Not past last spring frost date: You can sow 1 bean seed per cell of a 72 cell seed tray 3 weeks before your last spring frost date to get a head start on the season.

I love to sow seeds for bush beans underneath my tomato plants. Vining type beans produce more than bush type beans but they require a trellis to grow on. The taller the trellis, the longer the vines, and the more beans you will get. If you are past your average last spring frost date, you can also direct sow seeds for yard long beans. 

Check out my How to Grow Green Beans (bush & pole beans) from seed to harvest YouTube video HERE.

Check out my How to Grow Yard Long Beans from seed to harvest YouTube video HERE.

Pigeon Peas aka Guandules - This is a tropical "pea" type plant that does not like cold weather. My family is from the Dominican Republic and we eat/grow lots of guandules. My grandpa said they need to be planted at the beginning of the rainy season. Therefore, I start seeds in solo cups with the intent to transplant them in May when we start getting more regular rain. A lot of people will tell you that they don't like to be transplanted. What they really don't like is to have their root system disturbed. If you are careful transplanting then its not an issue. I soak the seeds overnight before sowing in solo cups. They are slow growing so I give them 2 months until they are ready to be transplanted. 

Greens for Zones 7 and below: Lettuce, tatsoi, spinach, swiss chard, bok choy, arugula, radicchio, Napa cabbage, endive, and mustard greens - It is ok to direct sow seeds for all of these things if your past your last spring frost date. If you are not past your last spring frost date, sow seeds indoors 6 weeks before your last spring frost date. You can also transplant kale if you are past your last spring frost date. 

Greens For Zones 8 and up: Longevity Spinach, Okinawan Spinach, Katuk, Malabar Spinach, Yerba Mate, Chaya, Sisso Spinach, Molokhia, New Zealand Spinach & South Sea Salad Tree - I recommend that hot climate gardeners start transitioning to heat tolerant greens. Some of these things are started from seed while others are propagated from cuttings. If it can be grown from seed, like molokhia or New Zealand spinach, sprinkle seeds in bare spots around the garden. Mix in some blood meal (high in nitrogen for lush leafy growth) into the soil before you direct sow the seeds to give them a boost. Or transplant plants with some blood meal added into the planting hole. 

Corn - Flint, Dent, Popcorn, & Sweet Corn

Past last spring frost date: It is time to direct sow seeds once your last average frost date has passed. If you have poor germination, try sowing 1 corn seed per cell of a 72 cell seed tray to grow your own "plug". They must be transplanted at the 3 week mark or they will get root bound. 

Not past last spring frost date: You can sow 1 corn seed per cell of a 72 cell seed tray 3 weeks before your last spring frost date to get a head start on the season.

Be prepared for the corn ear worm. The worms that attack corn are a little bit tougher than the regular worms that attack the rest of my crops. I highly recommend the use of spinosad which kills worms on contact. Spray at the first signs of worm damage on the leaves to prevent the worms from making their way into the ear of corn. If they get into the ear of corn, they are protected and spraying will no longer work. They will eat the ear of corn from the inside out.

Find the spinosad and BT from Amazon HERE. 

I have a corn growing guide on my YouTube channel HERE.

Cucumbers, Summer squash, zucchini, tromboncino rampicante, winter squash, Seminole pumpkins, Calabaza squash, watermelons, cantaloupes, melons

Past last spring frost date: You can direct sow 2-3 seeds per mound. Monitor seedlings for any worm damage. Use BT at the first signs of worm damage to control the population before they get out of control. Spray with 1 cup hydrogen peroxide per gallon of water if you see powdery mildew. 

Not past last spring frost date: If your last spring frost date has not passed yet, start them indoors in solo cups to get a head start, and transplant them out as soon as your last spring frost date has passed.

If you struggle to grow squash because of squash bugs or the dreaded squash vine borer, I highly recommend you choose squash cultivars in these two groups: C. Moschata or C. argyrosperma. These type of squash cultivars have extra thick and woody stems that make it hard for the bugs to get into. And they have higher disease tolerances. I'm not saying you wont get any pests or diseases, its just that these are tough plants that will tolerate more disease and pest pressure before dying. This increases your chances of harvesting something. 

Check out my YouTube video on How to Grow Cucumbers from seed to harvest HERE.

Check out my How to Grow Squash and Zucchini From Seed YouTube video tutorial HERE.

Brassicas - Cauliflower, Broccoli, Cabbage
This is for cold climate gardeners zones 7 and below only. Sow seeds indoors, 8 to 12 weeks before your last spring frost date. If your past your last spring frost date and the ground is workable, then you can also just plant transplants. 

Zones 8 and up -  plan on sowing seeds indoors in July or August to transplant them in September or October. They grow better during the fall, winter, and early spring for hot climates with mild winters.

Herbs: basil, oregano, parsley, fennel, chives, garlic chives, chamomile, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, mint, rosemary, sage, thyme

Herbs prefer drier conditions and temperate weather. Think Mediterranean. I plant the majority of herbs in containers/pots/raised beds because they tend to root rot easily if the soil is too moist. Growing them in containers helps with drainage and keeps the soil more dry.

Past last spring frost date: Herb seeds can be direct sown after your last frost date has passed. Or plant transplants. 

Not past last spring frost date: Get an early start on your herb garden by starting seeds in 72 cell seed trays or 4 inch pots, indoors right now. 

Tropical Herbs for zones 9 and up or those of you past all danger of frost: Ginger, Shampoo Ginger (Awapuhi), Turmeric, Galangal, Thai basil, mint, agastache (Korean Mint), green onions, bay leaf, Cuban oregano, ginger, turmeric, lemon grass, papalo, and garlic chives.

I highly recommend that those of you in zones 9 and up with very hot summers, start planting tropical herbs. These will last through the summer when regular Mediterranean type herbs struggle. 

Onions - all types of bulbing onions

Zones 8 to 11: It is too late to just get started sowing seeds for bulbing onions. The window to plant onions has passed. But you can sow seeds for green bunching onions. Or you can get scraps from the grocery store and replant them. 

Zones 7 and below: Plant onion transplants as soon as the ground is workable in early spring. If you want to start them from seed, back track 3 months to start them indoors. 

Check out my guide on how to plant onions HERE. 

Peas - Shelling sweet peas, snow peas, snap peas
This is for cold climate gardeners, zones 7 and below - It is ok to direct sow seeds for peas once you are past your last spring frost date. 

Zones 8 and up - Peas do not like heat. Plan to direct sow seeds for peas in October and November to grow thru fall and winter.

Check out my tutorial on how to grow peas from seed all the way to harvest HERE.

Radish, Beets, Turnips 

Zones 9-11: You should have planted and harvested these crops out by now. 

Zones 8 and below that are past your last spring frost date: You can direct sow seeds. 

Not past last spring frost date: These root crops need to be direct sown. Wait until your last spring frost date has passed and the ground is workable. 

Potatoes & Carrots

Cold climate gardeners (zones 7 and below) can plant potatoes if the ground is workable.

Tropical Root Crops - sweet potatoes, malanga, taro, yuca aka cassava, ginger, turmeric, galangal, name or true yams.

If your past your last spring frost date, then you can start planting tropical root crops. If you plan to grow sweet potatoes from your own slips, now is the time to start growing/rooting slips. It takes 2-3 months for slips to have enough roots to be transplanted. 

Carrots 

Zones 9 and up - Carrot season has passed. Plan to direct sow seeds starting in September.

Zones 8 and anyone past their last spring frost date: It is ok to direct sow seeds for carrots for a spring harvest. 

If your not past your last spring frost date: Wait to sow carrots once your past your last spring frost date and the ground is workable. 

Check out my guide on how to grow carrots from seed all the way to harvest HERE. 

Tomatoes, Peppers, & Eggplants

Zones 9 and up: It is too late to just get started with sowing seeds. By the time they start producing, summer will be in full force, and its the summer heat that kills off my tomato plants and terminates my tomato season. High heat conditions also make my peppers and eggplants stop producing. Use transplants instead. 

Zones 8 and anyone that is past their last spring frost date: It is time to transplant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants into the garden.

If you are not past your last spring frost date: Sow seeds indoors. Tomatoes typically take 10-12 weeks if using 5000K or higher shop lights. It takes me 8 weeks when I use Mars Hydro grow lights (find these grow lights from Amazon HERE). I like to sow seeds for peppers and eggplants 3 months before my last spring frost date to ensure they are nice big transplants. 

Check out my tomato playlist for a ton of info about growing tomatoes HERE.

Check out my peppers playlist for how to sow seeds and transplant HERE.

Check out my how to grow eggplants from seed to harvest tutorial HERE.

Asparagus 

Zones 8-11: March is a great time to plant a new asparagus bed or add new ones to existing beds. 

Zones 7 and below: You can get started on preparing the area to plant a new asperagus bed. They require full sun and soil rich in organic matter. Plant crowns once your past your last spring frost date and the ground is workable. 

Luffa, moringa, Roselle, Okra, Thai Double Blue Butterfly Pea, and edible gourds - These crops require a minimum of 6 months in a row of warm temperatures to grow and produce. Get an early start by starting them from seed indoors, in large solo cups. Transplant as soon as your last frost date has passed. If your past all danger of frost, it is ok to direct sow seeds. 

Check out my How to Germinate Luffa Seeds tutorial on YouTube  HERE.

Check out my How to Germinate Moringa Seeds tutorial on YouTube HERE.

Check out my How to Grow Roselle From Seed to Harvest tutorial HERE.

Flowers - Spring is a great time to add flowers that attract beneficial insects and pollinators to the garden.

Plant these flowers to attract butterflies: milkweed, passion flower, dutchmans pipevine, fennel, parsley, zinnias, sunflowers, and tithonia also known as Mexican Sunflower

Plant these flowers to attract bees: sunflowers, tithonia, agastache aka Korean Mint, and African Blue Basil

Past last spring frost date: Can direct sow flower seeds or so in 72 cell seed trays or 4 inch pots. 

Not past last spring frost date: Sow flower seeds indoors, 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost date. 

Ground Cherries aka Gooseberry aka Physalis - Seeds require light to germinate so do not cover with soil and place them under a strong light source. I like to start seeds in 4 inch pots and place under a bright light source like grow lights.

Past last spring frost date: It is ok to direct sow seeds but since they require light to germinate, I like to sow indoors under grow lights.

Not past last spring frost date: Sow seeds indoors 8 weeks before your last spring frost date. 

Fruit Trees & Plants - spring is a great time to plant new fruit trees so they start getting established before summer arrives. 

If I had to pick just 5 fruiting trees or plants that produced a lot with minimal effort, I would recommend these: Stone fruits (Peaches, nectarines, plums), grapes/muscadine grapes, avocados, pineapples, and mulberries. 

If you are past your last spring frost date, you can plant fruiting trees and plants like these: pineapples, bananas, plantains, Barbados cherry, mangoes, avocados,sour sop, lychees, citrus, jaboticaba, passion fruit, fig, citrus, dragon fruit, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, papaya, guava.