What to plant in April: zone 5b
Zone 5b averages its last spring frost around May 5 and its first fall frost around October 5. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.
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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