What to Plant in April in Zone 4
Here is what you can sow in April if you garden in USDA zone 4. Dates use typical zone 4 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only point to seeds and gear we would use ourselves. See our full affiliate disclosure.
| Crop | Window | Sow between |
|---|---|---|
| Snap PeaSugar Snap | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 30 |
| PotatoKennebec | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| CilantroCalypso | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| ParsleyItalian Flat-Leaf | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| Lettuce, leafSalad Bowl | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| Lettuce, romaineChalupa | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| Lettuce, headButtercrunch | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| SpinachBloomsdale | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 30 |
| ArugulaAstro | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| KaleDazzling Blue | spring | Apr 2 – Apr 30 |
| Swiss ChardBright Lights | spring | Apr 16 – May 31 |
| CollardsGeorgia Southern | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| Mustard GreensFlorida Broadleaf | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| CabbageTiara | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 16 |
| BroccoliBelstar | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 16 |
| CauliflowerSnow Crown | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 15 |
| KohlrabiWinner | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| CarrotNapoli | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| BeetDetroit Dark Red | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| RadishCherry Belle | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| TurnipPurple Top | spring | Apr 2 – May 5 |
| Onion, bulbTexas Legend | spring | Mar 2 – Apr 15 |
| Onion, bunchingEvergreen | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| Fava Bean (Broad Bean)Broad Windsor | spring | Mar 29 – Apr 30 |
| English Shelling PeaLittle Marvel | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 30 |
| Garbanzo Bean (Chickpea)Sierra | spring | Apr 26 – May 30 |
| Napa CabbageBlues F1 | spring | Mar 26 – Apr 20 |
| Bok ChoyJoi Choi F1 | spring | Mar 29 – Apr 26 |
| Rapini (Broccoli Raab)Zamboni F1 | spring | Mar 21 – Apr 20 |
| Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)Crispy Blue | spring | Mar 23 – Apr 22 |
| TatsoiTatsoi | spring | Mar 16 – Apr 20 |
| MizunaMizuna Early | spring | Mar 16 – Apr 26 |
| Daikon RadishMiyashige | spring | Mar 26 – Apr 20 |
| EndiveFrisée Fine Maraîchère | spring | Apr 2 – Apr 30 |
| EscaroleBatavian Full Heart | spring | Apr 2 – Apr 30 |
| SorrelProfusion | spring | Mar 19 – Apr 30 |
| WatercressCommon | spring | Apr 2 – Apr 30 |
| CeleryTango | spring | Apr 12 – May 10 |
| ShallotAmbition | spring | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
| SalsifyMammoth Sandwich Island | spring | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
| Fennel, FlorenceOrion | spring | Mar 29 – May 3 |
| Strawberry, day-neutralAlbion | spring | Apr 26 – May 31 |
| ChivesCommon | spring | Apr 26 – Jun 21 |
| ChervilCurled | spring | Apr 19 – May 24 |
| BlueberryBluecrop (northern highbush) | spring | Apr 26 – May 14 |
| Raspberry, redHeritage (everbearing) | spring | Apr 19 – May 21 |
| BlackberryTriple Crown (thornless) | spring | Apr 26 – May 11 |
| Strawberry, June-bearingHoneoye | spring | Apr 26 – May 31 |
| GooseberryHinnonmaki Red | spring | Apr 19 – May 18 |
| Haskap (Honeyberry)Borealis | spring | Apr 10 – May 17 |
| ElderberryAdams | spring | Apr 26 – May 18 |
| AsparagusJersey Knight | spring | Apr 19 – May 24 |
| RhubarbVictoria | spring | Apr 10 – May 24 |
| HorseradishBig Top | spring | Apr 26 – Jun 9 |
| Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke)Stampede | spring | Apr 19 – May 31 |
| Artichoke, globeImperial Star | spring | Apr 12 – May 17 |
| Lettuce | spring | Apr 2 – May 17 |
| Onion | spring | Mar 2 – Apr 15 |
| Calendula (Pot Marigold)Resina | spring | Apr 19 – May 24 |
| Chamomile, GermanCommon | spring | Apr 26 – Jun 7 |
| Mache (Corn Salad)Vit | spring | Mar 26 – May 3 |
| Cress, gardenCurled | spring | Apr 2 – May 24 |
| Currant, redRed Lake | spring | Apr 19 – May 18 |
Zone 4 in April
April in Zone 4: The Month Warm Weather Tricks People Into Rushing
A warm week in April is not the same as warm soil
This zone often gets a real stretch of 60 and 70 degree afternoons by mid-month, warm enough that gardeners a zone or two colder would already be celebrating, and that stretch talks a lot of people into transplanting tomatoes 3 or 4 weeks before it is safe. Air temperature and soil temperature are 2 different numbers, and soil 4 inches down can still sit near 45 degrees under a warm afternoon sky.
Check soil with a thermometer before trusting the thermometer on your porch. Tender transplants set into soil below 55 degrees commonly stall for 2 to 3 weeks rather than dying outright, which quietly erases the head start early planting was supposed to buy.
Kale, endive, escarole, and watercress are genuinely new this month
All four are unique to April here, meaning this is their real opening, not a continuation of something that started earlier. Watercress in particular wants consistently damp soil, closer to a bog than a bed, and will sulk or bolt fast in anything that dries out between waterings.
Direct seed kale and escarole shallow, no more than a quarter inch deep, and keep the top inch of soil damp until germination, which typically takes 5 to 8 days for both in soil at this point in the season.
Endive needs a slightly different hand, since its leaves turn bitter fast under stress. Keep it evenly watered rather than letting the bed cycle between soggy and dry, and expect the first outer leaves to be ready for a light harvest within about 6 weeks of germination.
April in zone 4: common questions
What can I plant in April in zone 4?+
In April, USDA zone 4 gardeners can sow Snap Pea, Potato, Cilantro, Parsley, Lettuce, leaf, Lettuce, romaine, and more. Dates use typical zone 4 frosts, so your own microclimate may shift them by a week or two.
What USDA hardiness zone am I in?+
Zone 4 is one band of the map, but planting time is set by your local frost dates, not the zone number. Enter your ZIP code in the free planner and it uses your actual frost dates, which can differ by weeks within a single zone.
Are these April planting dates exact?+
They are typical zone 4 windows. Two gardens in the same zone can be a week or two apart because of elevation and local climate, so treat these as a starting point and tune them to your ZIP code with the free planner.