Vegetables to plant in April – 10 tasty crops to grow
If you looking for the best vegetables to plant in April, you’ll have plenty to choose from. After months of anticipation, the gardening calendar steps up a gear, and all is bursting into life.
Our April vegetable planting round-up covers some of the most reliable, prolific and rewarding crops to start off this month, both undercover and in the ground. Some selections take time to bulk up, whilst others are ready as soon as 10 weeks after sowing.
So whether you’re a newcomer who is starting a vegetable garden this year or a seasoned grower looking to try something new, we’ve got you covered.
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1. Red cabbage
With their silvery outer foliage and tightly coiled burgundy hearts, red cabbages bring a flourish of regal grandeur to the veggie patch. They also pack 10 times the vitamin A of standard green cabbages, plus twice the iron.
Sown in early April and planted out early June while relatively cool is best, as growth slows down in the heat of summer.
Ample spacing, plenty of sunlight and rich, firm, well-draining soil (pH 6.5-7) are key to success. Check the site has partial shade and the ground is prepped with well-rotted organic material, taking full advantage of your composting options so your cabbages have the best foundations.
Red cabbages are some of the best companion plants for cucumbers and also do well planted with celery, beetroot, thyme and mint. Keep well watered and weed-free, and your nutrient-rich king crimsons will be ready for harvesting from late summer onwards.
Recommended varieties include:
2. Early turnips
Hearty, spicy and nutty, turnips are essential vegetables to plant in April. Once settled, they are a perfect choice for a low-maintenance garden. They take little time to establish, and offer excellent storage potential for the months ahead.
Crucially, they are happiest bulking up while it’s mild and moist outside. Heat can stress plants and result in early bolting or woody roots. If you want a winning summer staple, early starts are strongly advised.
Pick a spot in sun or partial shade, and direct sow when ground temperatures reach 4˚C. Add some organic material or compost prior to planting, and water well after sowing. Keep soil moist and, once your plants are a few inches high, thin to 15cm apart so they form strong roots.
Turnips make great companion plants for garlic and peas. And if you are looking to grow tomatoes, squash or celery, turnips are excellent aphid repellers – one of their many charms!
Turnips are quick to harvest, and are ready 45-60 days after sowing. Harvest early for optimum tenderness.
Attractive earlies include:
3. Runner beans
Few crops are as pretty or as prolific as the runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus). Our advice is to start growing it now as it will establish stronger root systems and give it the best shot at an extended harvest season.
The trick with growing runner beans is watering. “Mature plants have a massive leaf surface area and swelling pods increase moisture demands further, so ensure they are well watered, especially once flowering begins,” says gardening expert Lucy Chamberlain.
Mulching with moisture-retaining bark and dosing with high-nitrogen liquid feeds also help. You can reduce the risk of stringy pods by choosing modern self-fertile varieties, and picking regularly while young and tender.
Many new varieties are bred for drought resistance and stringless pods.
Top picks include:
4. Squash
The umbrella term ‘squash’ covers a multitude of options: squat patty-pans, acorns and dumplings; elongated gourds and butternuts; mammoth ambercups, sunshine kabocha and honey bears.
Whether you grow butternut squash or a more colossal cropper, the main thing is giving them ample time to bulk up and develop those thick outer skins, hence the need to start in spring.
Ideally, you’ll sow your squash indoors in April, says Chris Bonnett of Gardening Express – this is to avoid that last frost which sometimes happens early in spring. Sow half an inch deep and keep at 18°C until ready to plant out in June. “If you sow outside, dig a decent-sized hole and fill it with compost before placing a seed in the middle,” says Chris.
Lucy Chamberlain recommends constant, ample moisture as plants flower and fruits swell (upturned pop bottles sunk into the earth are ideal) for the most lavish returns. Peg meandering stems into a spiral, and make sure plants have plenty of sunshine and space to ensure abundant harvests.
Squash are some of the best companion plants for peppers and great planting partners for sweetcorn, peas, beans and radishes. A fortnightly high-potash liquid feed works wonders once first fruits appear, ensuring that final heft.
A ‘dark’ mulching of bark chips or black polythene also sets them up nicely for the months ahead, helping to insulate the roots.
5. Purple carrots
Hailing from southern Europe and Asia, purple carrots (Daucus carota) are experiencing a renaissance. Their vibrantly tinted taproots get their bold pigment from the presence of anthocyanins – also responsible for the superfood status of blueberries and eggplants. Loaded with antioxidants and vitamin A they are lovely to look at, many boasting deep burgundy and black skins.
They mature quickly (60-70 days) and have few cultivation requirements. It is, however, best in mild climes: its intense flavour is compromised once things hot up, and defects occur in heat.
Spring is best for starting the likes of Nantes ‘Purple Haze’, feisty ‘Purple Dragon’ and uber-sweet ‘Cosmic Purple’; the cooler you keep them, the sweeter they’ll be.
Growing in situ is perfect – just check the soil is well raked, light, sandy and stone-free. Make drills deep to combat droughts, cover with cloches, and water well.
These crunchy croppers are some of the best vegetables to grow in raised beds if they have ample depth for healthy roots. Just remember to thin twice to 15cm apart for the best results.
If you’re starting in spring, top picks include:
6. Courgettes
Courgettes are some of the best plants for beginner vegetable growers and a perfect budget garden idea. The most demanding aspect is harvesting them on a daily basis!
Sow undercover in April (one seed per 9cm pot) and plant out in June. This buys you a few more weeks of growing time for more expansive leaf growth and extensive fruiting.
Before planting out, harden off these tender crops for a week. Plant 60-90cm apart in the sunniest spot with the most fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Keep well watered with mini moats or upturned plastic bottles angled towards the base of the plant.
If you are looking to grow sweetcorn, courgettes make a dream companion plant and they also work well with cucumbers, peas, beans, calendula, nasturtiums and borage.
You can even grow compact courgette breeds in large, thick garden planters, wooden barrels and concrete tubs that keep roots cool and moist. Keep harvesting while finger-sized for a steady supply all summer long.
Top varieties include:
7. Red beets
Easy-growing beetroots (Beta vulgaris) should be in the mix for your list of vegetables to plant in April. As the ground warms up, they develop quickly, have few growing demands, make the most of modest spaces and soils, and taste amazing. You can also harvest the tops for baby leaves in mixed salads.
Robust reds give added resilience for outdoor sowings, although exposed sites can be protected with cloches. They work well in raised beds or containers as they don’t need much root depth, so they’re also a great choice for growing in a small garden.
Avoid overcrowding as beetroot plants like 15cm space as well as full sun. Give them a moist, fertile, well-drained base and keep watering well to avoid bolting and cracking.
Sow at two-week intervals for continuous cropping from June to October. Harvest young (12 weeks or less) for maximum taste, and store in sand to keep your scarlet beauties tastier for even longer.
Top varieties include:
8. Mexican tarragon
For a fragrant, liquorice-like perennial edible that doubles as a vibrant ornamental, Mexican tarragon (Tagetes lucida) is a stunning option – and spring is the best time to start some indoors.
With similar aromatic properties to French tarragon, it’s a charming anise-rich edible (with a hint of mint) and a lively addition to casseroles, quiches, sauces and bean dishes.
Mexican tarragon is one of the best drought tolerant plants you can grow. That said, these heat-loving herbs are lusher and bushier with ample space, weekly watering and a well-drained soil (pH 6.5-7) boosted with aged compost.
Known as a wonder plant, this refreshing treasure has been deployed to treat anxiety, fevers and scorpion bites, make incense and dyes – and enhance chocolate. Springing readily from cuttings and division as well as from seed, it responds well to regular harvesting before flowering.
9. Gypsy peppers
For greenhouse growers, these capsicum croppers are must-grow vegetables for April.
With a crispy, juicy jamboree of red, orange, yellow and green tones, the gypsy pepper is a cross between the luscious bell and Italian bullhorn (reminiscent of a chunky jalapeno), with a fresh, floral intensity.
Started them under glass in small pots or deep trays of moist seed compost. Pot on in individual containers or growing bags (or greenhouse beds) and keep under glass, or grow out from June in warm sunny spots.
Use a moist, fertile soil or compost, and give 45cm between plants. Gypsy peppers make excellent companion plants for kale and also develop piquant flavors alongside basil, tomatoes and cilantro.
Water little and often, stake and pinch out when 20cm high. Add a potassium liquid feed at flowering, and maintain a warm, humid environment, damping down daily indoors.
Fruiting from August (earlier indoors), your edible bounty is ready to harvest 65 days after planting. And while it seems counter-intuitive, reducing hydration in August helps ripen up those last crunchy crops.
If you’re looking to add a greenhouse to your plot to increase your growing opportunities, our advice on where to buy a greenhouse is a great place to start.
10. Cucamelon
These supercute superfruits are an exceptional final entry in our rundown of essential vegetables to plant in April. Each fruit looks just like a tiny watermelon, packing a monster blast of succulent vitality in mini parcels of surprisingly citrusy freshness.
The cucamelon, aka the mouse melon or Mexican sour gherkin, is a reassuringly easygoing little cropper.
As with cucumbers, you can sow these cucurbits under glass in pots or outside in warm ground. Chris Bonnett recommends starting them in a greenhouse at 23°C, sowing an inch deep (one seed per pot) and planting out into beds only once the risk of frost has passed.
Cucamelons (Melothria scabra) relish sunshine and rich soil. As with other vigorous vine crops, use canes or trellis to keep them supported. Heat is key, but depending on your indoor growing space, ventilation is also crucial even for these miniature marvels.
Once established they are drought resistant, but don’t skimp on watering at the flowering stage. Grape-sized fruits are ready for harvest from late July: just check they are firm. Pick young for less bite, and get set for a massive yield from your homegrown pepquino. Recommended as a garnish for that hard-earned gin and tonic. You heard it here first!
One final word of warning about planting vegetables in April – just keep one eye on those perilous late frosts as they can catch you unaware!
If you make the most of every space in your garden landscaping (as well as inside greenhouses and porches), to cultivate that precious new growth, however, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying a fruitful harvest later in the year.
The original version of this article previously appeared on Gardeningetc, a sister website to Homebuilding & Renovating.