Vegetable garden calendar - April

Vegetables to sow in warmth at home

It may still be cool; a few frosts can still be felt in some regions, but days are lengthening, temperatures are rising and April marks the main period for sowing!

• The tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and chillies

You can still sow aubergine, pepper and chilli in mild climates (Mediterranean rim). Elsewhere, it’s too late, as fruits will probably struggle to reach ripeness before cold arrives in autumn. It is still possible to sow tomatoes. Favour early varieties (Reine des hâtives, Coeur de Boeuf), or mid-season (Rose de Berne).

⇒ Discover our tips to succeed in growing aubergines, peppers and chillies as well as tomatoes.

• The cucumber

Sow 2–3 seeds flat in each bucket, in warmth (minimum 16°C), covering them with about 1 cm of potting compost. Germination takes 7 to 10 days. Thin out to keep only the best young plant.

⇒ Cucumber and gherkin: sowing, planting, cultivation, pruning

• The courgette and the pattypan

From the second half of April, sow seeds in warmth (20°C) to hasten production. For this, place 3 seeds in buckets.

⇒ For more information, read our advice sheet on courgette cultivation.

• The melon

Melon sowing is done in warmth with 3 seeds per bucket, taking care to insert seeds point down. Keep the best of each bucket. Melon is difficult to succeed in open ground outside south-west France. It requires heat and plenty of sun.

⇒ Discover everything you need to know about melon’s cultivation and pruning.

• The basil

Sow basil in warmth in a seed tray or pot: 1 seed every 2 cm approx. Expect about 10 days for germination at 20°C.

⇒ To learn more: Basil: sow, plant, to grow

These young plants sown in warmth are transplanted into the garden once the Saints de Glace have passed, i.e. after mid‑May. Harden them off by putting them outside for a few hours a day about 10 days before final planting, when weather permits. They will be more robust to withstand outdoor conditions.

Vegetables to sow under unheated cover

Under cloche, cold frame or greenhouse, April is the ideal time to take care of certain vegetables such as:

• Celery (stalks) or celeriac

In a seed tray, sow 1 seed every 2 cm and place under cold frame or tunnel. Germination occurs after 12–15 days at 16–20°C. Compost must remain moist. One tip is to cover the sowing with several layers of damp newspaper until emergence. Be patient, growth is very slow at first.

⇒ Discover all our tips to succeed in growing celery.

• Most cabbages (cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts or white cabbage)

Sow in rows under tunnel, in furrows 1 to 2 cm deep. Cover with a little compost, firm lightly and spray with water.

⇒ Cabbage: plant, sow, harvest

• Summer and cut lettuces

Under tunnel, sow in rows or broadcast and thin the sowing if too dense. Some examples:

Summer lettuces: ‘Merveille des quatre saisons’, ‘Blonde de Paris’, ‘Rouge grenobloise’

Large-leaf lettuces (for regions with hot summers): ‘Sucrine’, ‘Craquerelle du Midi’

Cut lettuces: ‘Feuille de chêne blonde’

⇒ Succeed in growing lettuces.

Sowing outdoors in open ground

Next, you can sow a host of vegetables directly in situ and in open ground. This applies to :

• Beetroot

Sow in situ, either in rows or in small hills. Don’t hesitate to soak seeds for a few hours in water at room temperature to speed up germination. Thin out when seedlings have 2–3 true leaves, in addition to cotyledons. Leave one young plant per hill. To avoid waste, you can transplant thinned plants elsewhere.

Choose early round varieties such as ‘Rouge de Détroit’, ‘Rouge-noir plate d’Egypte’ or ‘Chioggia’.

⇒ Beetroot: sowing, planting, to grow and harvest

• Peas and petit pois

Sow in rows and directly in place. Choose a partly shaded spot. Don’t hesitate to stagger sowings every 15 days to 3 weeks to spread out harvests.

⇒ Peas and petit pois: sow, to grow, harvest in vegetable garden.

• Leek

Sow in rows, at a rate of one to two seeds per cm. Germination occurs after 10–20 days at a temperature between 13 and 24°C. Choose from following varieties:

Autumn leeks: ‘Malabare’, ‘Monstrueux de Carentan’, ‘Tenor’

Winter leeks: ‘Bleu de Solaise’, ‘Armor’, ‘Géant d’hiver’

⇒ Leeks: sow, plant, to grow, harvest

• Carrots

Sow as thinly as possible, in situ, in well-refined soil. Turn to summer and autumn varieties now: ‘Nantaise améliorée’, ‘Fucino’ or ‘Nantes 2’.

⇒Carrot: sow, to grow, harvest in vegetable garden

• Turnip

Sow thinly in rows, directly in place in carefully loosened, level soil. Choose varieties for spring production such as Turnip de Croissy, ‘Rouge Plat Hâtif’ or Turnip de Milan.

⇒ Turnip: sowing, cultivation, maintenance

• Radishes for every month

Be careful to sow thinly and not too much at once. Sow in rows or broadcast. Favour all-month varieties: ‘National’, Round pink with white tip (National 2), ‘Flamboyant’ or ‘Flambo’.

⇒ Radish: sow, to grow, harvest

• Beans

Bean sowing starts in April in southern regions, and rather in May elsewhere. Sow in place, in rows or in hills. Make furrows 5–8 cm deep and place a seed at bottom of furrow every ~5 cm. Water and fill in furrow with soil, firm down with a rake.

⇒ Bean: sow, to grow, harvest in vegetable garden

• Spinach

Sow in rows on firm, forked soil, one seed every 3–4 cm. Thin so that one plant remains every 10 cm. Choose long-day varieties such as ‘Matador’, ‘Junius’, ‘Nores’.

⇒ Spinach: sow, to grow and harvest in vegetable garden

• Parsley

Parsley germinates slowly; don’t hesitate to soak seeds for 24 hours to speed germination. Sow in situ or in a pot.

⇒ Parsley: sow, plant, to grow

• Chives

Chives are sown directly in place from April where there is no longer risk of frost. Wait until mid-May elsewhere. Temperature should be around 18°C for good emergence (around twenty days). Sow seeds and cover with a thin layer of compost. Can also be grown in pot or window box.

⇒ Chives: plant, sow, divide

• White onion

Sow in a furrow 2 cm deep. Close furrow with a rake. Moisten soil. Emergence occurs after about 18 days. When shoots reach about 5 cm, thin out leaving one plant every 10 cm.

Choose varieties: ‘Très hâtif de la Reine’ or ‘White Onion of Lisbon’.

Finally, remember to sow flowers for beneficial insects or to repel pests: marigolds, nasturtiums, borage…

Vegetables to plant in the vegetable garden

There is also plenty to do on the planting front. Here’s a quick round-up of vegetables to plant in April:

• Finish planting asparagus.
• Plant artichokes and start transplanting cauliflowers, broccoli, white cabbage, kohlrabi, pink shallots, chitted seed potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, crosnes, helianthi and spring lettuces.

In April, in the vegetable garden, it's also a good time to…

• Add well-rotted compost to plots intended for heavy-feeding vegetables (squashes) ;
• Earth up broad beans and asparagus as they develop ;
• If you have spare spaces between two crops, sow green manures ;
• Mulch crops ;
• Divide clumps of herb plants that need rejuvenation, such as sorrel or chives ;
• In colder regions, perfect time for your lawn sowing.

Sowing, Planting and Harvest Calendar

please note

This sowing calendar is for guidance only. Recommended sowing and planting periods apply to an average climate. If you live in a warmer or colder climate than average, consult our map and add the number of days corresponding to your zone to the theoretical sowing date. Before sowing or planting your vegetables and aromatic plants, take weather into account and check the forecast for the coming days. Indeed, no garden is immune to a late frost that could jeopardise emergence or survival of young seedlings. Similarly, assess the condition of your soil — if it is waterlogged or particularly cold, wait a while.