Zone 3 · April · 6 weeks before last frost
What to plant in April in Zone 3
Typical last frost in zone 3 is around May 30, and first frost around Sep 15. Frost dates begin arriving. It is the highest-risk month for container growers, because one warm week convinces people to set out tender crops two weeks early.
Start indoors this month
Seed trays indoors, under a light or in the brightest window you have. These are slow crops that need a head start on the season.
- Cherry Tomato — window Apr 18 – May 2 (5 gal, 12" deep)
- Basil — window Apr 18 – May 2 (2 gal, 8" deep)
- Kale — window Apr 25 – May 9 (3 gal, 10" deep)
- Hot Pepper — window Apr 4 – Apr 18 (3 gal, 12" deep)
Set out into the final container
Transplants go into the pot they will finish in. Hardening them off for four to five days first prevents most transplant shock.
No transplanting window is open this month here.
Direct sow
Sow straight into the final pot. These crops resent root disturbance, and transplanting them usually costs more time than it saves.
No direct-sowing window this month in this zone.
Sow for autumn
A second sowing timed backwards from first frost. Fewer pests, less watering, and better flavour in most cool crops.
No autumn sowing window opens this month in this zone.
Harvesting this month
Nothing from our dataset is in its harvest window this month here.
Not this month
- Bush Bean — next window opens in June. Starting it now means 2 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.
Zone 3 at a glance
Zone 3 has roughly 100 frost-free days. Anything that needs more than 75 days from transplant has to be started indoors early or bought as a plant — direct sowing a tomato here is a wasted season.
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