Everything I’m Seeding in April

April is when gardeners need to start being mathematicians and professional organizers, trying to find space for all the seedlings that need to get into trays on time. It’s also the first time this year you’ll start succession seeding, both indoors and out. Succession seeding is one of the real benefits of growing your own seeds: It means you can grow one or two of a variety instead of needing the space for a whole six pack you’d pick up at the nursery. Grow a mixed tray of vegetables or herbs now, and start another one in a few weeks. This will also help alleviate some strain on square footage in your growing space.

Even if you haven’t started your seed growing yet, there’s still time. And remember: There’s no shame in just buying starts or waiting for giveaways. If you are going to start your own seeds, though, you want to use seedling mix, not potting soil.

Tomatos, eggplant, and peppers

Peppers generally get started in March, so consider this your last call on getting your own started. Tomatoes and eggplant are more forgiving, but peppers need a long runway; get tomatoes and eggplant seeds sowed by April 15. As they grow, be brutal in thinning seedlings and tossing starts with any signs of distress or disease; you can’t afford to lose all your plants, and sickness spreads quickly in a growing space. 

Start succession seeding peas and other vegetables outside

By now, you should be sowing peas outside. Schedule a calendar alert for every two weeks, and ensure you’re getting radishes, carrots, beets, green onions, and lettuce in the ground. Remember, you’re succession planting, so you don’t need a ton to go in every week. Consider how many radishes you’ll really eat every few weeks, and get a few different varieties in. Carrots are a longer-term investment, but planting them now, in succession, takes advantage of the rain you are likely getting for easier germination rates. I make short rows of these seeds so I have plenty of room for them. You should see those peas come up quickly, and planting every two weeks through April will ensure you have peas until the weather gets too hot for them. 

Cucumbers, squash, and melon

Back inside, look to the end of the month to start cucurbits and squash. There are so many cucumbers to consider—for pickling, for slicing—and there are cucamelons, a small sour gherkin that has become quite popular. I’ve found the pickling cucumbers benefit from succession planting, so I plant a series of seeds in late April and then again at the beginning of May. This allows me to have one continuous harvest all summer. Pumpkins don’t require the same succession; they tend to be prolific on their own, but late April is the time to get them planted inside. Melons, cucumbers, and squash are all easy seedlings; they come up quick and grow to a transplantable size quickly, so you want to seed them close to the date you can transplant into the garden.

As you are planting seeds, it’s easy to dismiss the conservatism of just a few zucchini plants. Remember that one zucchini plant feeds a nation, and save yourself a lot of work giving away gigantic squash this July.

Onions and leeks come in a few flavors

There are three kinds of onions to consider this time of year. First, there are keeping onions, which are the ones you can use all winter if you store them right. These will come in sets, which you can get at the nursery right now. You can grow these from seed, but you’re late to them this year, so for a few dollars, grab a set and share them with friends. For placement, consider that tomatoes do well interplanted with onions. These bundled starts will go in the ground now, and you want to be sure to give each of them enough room, so don’t overcrowd. Each onion should have about six to eight inches between them so they can really flush out the bulb over the summer.