If ever there was a month to spend more time planting in the garden, it’s April. For most regions, April is the month during which the threat of frost has passed, and soil temperatures are consistently warm enough to plant a wide array of plants, from fruit and vegetable seeds to bare-root perennials, summer-blooming annuals, flowering shrubs, and flowering vines.
Whether your garden goals for the year include a vegetable garden, a perennial herb garden, or general landscaping ideas around your porch, patio, pergola, or pool, April is the time to start planting. Treat yourself to a new pair of garden gloves and garden shoes and get outside!
1
Asparagus
Asparagus is a perennial plant that, once established, will produce edible spears year after year. One key to ensuring its success is not to harvest for the first couple of seasons. Your patience will pay off: asparagus beds can remain productive for up to 20 years (and sometimes longer!). You can plant asparagus crowns early in the season, as soon as soil temperatures rise above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Plant in at least partial sun for best results.
2
Melons
Melon plants can be started indoors and transplanted outdoors after six to eight weeks. If sowing melon seeds directly outdoors, make sure all threat of frost has passed. (After all, all melon varieties are techically tropical natives.) Plant melon seeds in full sun, one inch deep and 18 inches apart in raised rows to encourage drainage.
3
Okra
In regions where temperatures are consistently 60 degrees Fahrenheit and warmer in April, okra can be planted this month. Okra plants require full sun, and should be planted 10 inches apart. Give okra plants at least one inch of water per week, and feed with a continuous-release plant food for a more robust harvest.
4
Onion
April is a great time to transplant or directly sow onions. But choose your onion variety based on your climate: long day onions are best for cool climates while short day onions are best for warmer climates. For best results, sow seeds in full sun when your soil is at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
5
Beans
April is a great time to plant both pole and bush beans as these vegetables should not be started inside (their fragile roots would not survive transplanting). Sow bush beans one inch deep in soil and two inches apart. For pole beans, you’ll need a trellis or stalking to support their growth. For best results, plan in full sunlight and try sowing seeds every two weeks—this will ensure a robust harvest all summer.
6
Carrots
Sowing carrot seeds in April will produce an early summer crop. Seeds will germinate in soil as cool as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, but optimal soil temperature for carrot see germination is 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Carrots require full sun, but they also thrive in cool soil with constant moisture (about one inch of water per week).
