Zone 6a planting calendar

What to plant in April: zone 6a

Zone 6a averages its last spring frost around April 30 and its first fall frost around October 10. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Last frost: April 30
First frost: October 10
Winter lows: -10 to -5 °F
Zone 6a Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Garden care

Start indoors

  • Lettucearound Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Succession sow every 2 weeks. Harvest outer leaves for a cut-and-come-again supply.

  • Swiss Chardaround Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Bolts fast once days lengthen past 14 hours. Grow it as an early spring or fall crop, not a summer one.

  • Peanutaround Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Flowers self-pollinate then push a stalk (peg) into the soil to form the pod underground: keep soil loose around the base.

  • Bitter Melonaround Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Pick fruit while still green and firm; left to yellow and split, it turns bitter to the point of inedible.

  • Luffa (Vegetable Sponge Gourd)around Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Pick young for eating like a squash, or leave on the vine until the skin browns and dries for a bath sponge.

  • Endivearound Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Blanch heads by tying outer leaves shut 2 weeks before harvest to mellow the natural bitterness.

  • Escarolearound Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Broader and milder than curly endive; a light frost sweetens the outer leaves before harvest.

  • New Zealand Spinacharound Apr 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 2

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.

  • Zucchiniaround Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.

  • Winter squasharound Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.

  • Watermelonaround Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.

  • Cantaloupe / Melonaround Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.

  • Pumpkinaround Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.

  • Spaghetti Squasharound Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.

  • Hubbard Squasharound Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.

  • Delicata Squasharound Apr 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). 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 9

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-30). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.

Direct sow

  • Lettucearound Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Spinacharound Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Radisharound Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Turniparound Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Arugulaaround Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mizunaaround Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Tatsoiaround Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mustard Greensaround Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoli Raabaround Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Shallotaround Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Endivearound Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Escarolearound Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Orach (Mountain Spinach)around Apr 2

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Carrotaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kalearound Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Beetaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Onionaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoliaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Chivesaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kohlrabiaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Bok Choyaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsniparound Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Salsifyaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Lentilaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Sorrelaround Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Flax (Seed)around Apr 9

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Potatoaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Cilantroaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsleyaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Swiss Chardaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Collardsaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Burdock (Gobo)around Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Watercressaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chamomile (German)around Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Carawayaround Apr 16

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Apr 23

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Quinoaaround Apr 23

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Dillaround Apr 30

    Soil is ready 0 weeks after last frost.

Transplant out

  • Asparagusaround Apr 2

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Horseradisharound Apr 2

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kalearound Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Broccoliaround Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chivesaround Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Strawberryaround Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kohlrabiaround Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bok Choyaround Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Apr 9

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Lettucearound Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Onionaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Parsleyaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Mintaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Cabbagearound Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Caulifloweraround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Swiss Chardaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Collardsaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Leekaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Napa Cabbagearound Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Romanescoaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Endivearound Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Escarolearound Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Radicchioaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Sorrelaround Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chamomile (German)around Apr 16

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

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