What to plant in April: zone 5b
A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 5b: last spring frost around May 5, first fall frost around October 5. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.
Garden care
- Harden off early transplantsaround Apr 7
Two weeks of increasing outdoor time keeps cold-hardy seedlings from stalling when they go out.
Start indoors
- Lettucearound Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Succession sow every 2 weeks. Harvest outer leaves for a cut-and-come-again supply.
- Swiss Chardaround Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Cut outer stalks 2 in above the crown and the plant keeps producing from spring into hard frost. One planting can feed a household all season.
- Okraaround Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Okra wants hot soil, 70F+, or seed rots. Pick pods at 3-4 in every other day: one pod left to toughen tells the plant to stop producing.
- Bok Choyaround Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Bolts fast once days lengthen past 14 hours. Grow it as an early spring or fall crop, not a summer one.
- Peanutaround Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Flowers self-pollinate then push a stalk (peg) into the soil to form the pod underground: keep soil loose around the base.
- Endivearound Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Blanch heads by tying outer leaves shut 2 weeks before harvest to mellow the natural bitterness.
- Escarolearound Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Broader and milder than curly endive; a light frost sweetens the outer leaves before harvest.
- New Zealand Spinacharound Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Soak seed 24 hours before sowing to soften the hard seed coat; it thrives in summer heat that bolts true spinach.
- Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 7
4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Bolts fast in heat or from a check in growth; keep it evenly watered and harvest the bulb once it's baseball-sized, before it flowers.
- Cucumberaround Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.
- Zucchiniaround Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.
- Winter squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.
- Watermelonaround Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.
- Cantaloupe / Melonaround Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.
- Pumpkinaround Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.
- Honeydew Melonaround Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.
- Butternut Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.
- Acorn Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.
- Spaghetti Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.
- Hubbard Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.
- Kabocha Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.
- Delicata Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.
- Patty Pan Squasharound Apr 14
3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-05). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.
Direct sow
- Lettucearound Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Spinacharound Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Radisharound Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Turniparound Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Arugulaaround Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Mizunaaround Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Tatsoiaround Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Mustard Greensaround Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Broccoli Raabaround Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Shallotaround Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Endivearound Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Escarolearound Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Orach (Mountain Spinach)around Apr 7
Soil is ready 4 weeks before last frost.
- Carrotaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Kalearound Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Beetaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Onionaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Broccoliaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Chivesaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Kohlrabiaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Bok Choyaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Scallion (Green Onion)around Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Parsniparound Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Salsifyaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Lentilaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Sorrelaround Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Flax (Seed)around Apr 14
Soil is ready 3 weeks before last frost.
- Potatoaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Cilantroaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Parsleyaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Swiss Chardaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Collardsaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Burdock (Gobo)around Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Watercressaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Chamomile (German)around Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Carawayaround Apr 21
Soil is ready 2 weeks before last frost.
- Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Apr 28
Soil is ready 1 weeks before last frost.
- Quinoaaround Apr 28
Soil is ready 1 weeks before last frost.
Transplant out
- Asparagusaround Apr 7
Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Horseradisharound Apr 7
Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Kalearound Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Broccoliaround Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Chivesaround Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Strawberryaround Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Kohlrabiaround Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Bok Choyaround Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Scallion (Green Onion)around Apr 14
Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Lettucearound Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Onionaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Parsleyaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Mintaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Cabbagearound Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Caulifloweraround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Swiss Chardaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Collardsaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Leekaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Napa Cabbagearound Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Romanescoaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Endivearound Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Escarolearound Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Radicchioaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Sorrelaround Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
- Chamomile (German)around Apr 21
Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.
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