What to plant in April in Zone 8

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.

Nothing in our dataset needs an indoor start this month in this zone.

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.

• Cherry Tomato — window Mar 27 – Apr 6 (5 gal, 12" deep)
• Basil — window Apr 3 – Apr 13 (2 gal, 8" deep)
• Bush Cucumber — window Mar 27 – Apr 6 (5 gal, 12" deep)
• Zucchini — window Mar 27 – Apr 6 (7 gal, 14" deep)
• Hot Pepper — window Apr 3 – Apr 13 (3 gal, 12" deep)

Direct sow

Sow straight into the final pot. These crops resent root disturbance, and transplanting them usually costs more time than it saves.

• Bush Bean — window Mar 27 – Apr 17 (3 gal, 9" deep)
• Bush Cucumber — window Mar 27 – Apr 17 (5 gal, 12" deep)
• Zucchini — window Mar 27 – Apr 17 (7 gal, 14" deep)

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

• Radish — harvest from Mar 27 (1 gal, 6" deep)
• Kale — harvest from Apr 30 (3 gal, 10" deep)
• Spinach — harvest from Apr 13 (2 gal, 6" deep)

Not this month

• Loose-leaf Lettuce — next window opens in September. Starting it now means 5 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.
• Carrot — next window opens in September. Starting it now means 5 months of impatient waiting, or a plant that stalls.