After Gardening for over a decade now I feel like an expert enough to help anyone who wants to start a garden. Since I like to focus on buyers who are looking to create self-sufficiency I feel this wisdom will find a nice home here.
These past few years Chester County has changed zones quite a bit, so depending on when you view this blog the information may not be up to date, however this year Chester County is coming in at a zone 7a meaning our lowest temp this year should be between 0-5 F
Things to start Indoor
Cantaloupe- If you are growing vertically, you may want to give you melons the time to start growing before you take them outdoors. April is the month to start.
Cucumbers- I love starting my cucumbers indoors and getting them really big before I bring them outside and wrap them onto the trellis for them.
Honeydew- Another melon means another indoor start.
Okra- April is the perfect time to start your indoor Okra.
Pumpkins- these guys take a long to let the fruit mature so starting them indoors is a good idea if you want to see full pumpkins in time for the fall festivities.
Summer Squash- both yellow squash a zucchini fall into this category. They can both be started indoors in April.
Tomatoes and Tomatillos- Start you tomatoes indoors early so you can repot 2 or 3 times before bringing them outside so that they have a strong and deep root system that will allow them to prosper if daily watering become difficult.
Watermelons- All melons are being started indoors in April.
Winter squash- All varieties of winter squash can be planted from acorn to butternut to spaghetti.
Things to start Outdoor (direct sow- not pots)
Arugula- Although leafy greens seem like delicate plants, they do enjoy the cold way more than they enjoy the heat. Give them the cooler wetter spring weather by direct planting them in April.
Asparagus- plant your asparagus in the early spring. Since asparagus is a perennial, when you start to see the shoots from previous plants come up you know it's time to plant, but if this is your first time planting this veg. April is a great time to plant.
Beets- Many root vegetables can be started earlier in the season than you think. you can dircet sow your beets into your garden in Early April.
Broccoli- Broccoli love the colder weather. You can plant the seeds out in April.
Brussel Sprouts- these bad boys take some time to grow. Plant them in your garden in early April and wait to harvest until the fall.
Cabbage- This entire family of Brassica vegetables can all be planted directly into your outdoor garden in April.
Carrots- As a root vegetable they will love being planted early to give them the chance to take for before the heat of summer kicks in.
Cauliflower- another brassica that can be planted this time of year (I personally start mine indoors in March and transplant in April because cauliflower is a finicky one, but if you aren't in the habit of starting seeds indoors, you can direct sow in your garden.)
Celery- Celery loves the cold weather. Start them early or they will wilt on you with the first week spent in the 70s.
Chives- Start Chives outdoors in early April. Chives are a perfect starter plant because they are easy to grow and every time you cut them back, they grow right back giving you continued growth year round if you like.
Collard Greens- Yet another leafy green that loves the cold months.
Dill- You absolutely can start you dill early if you are planting into the soil. I personally grow most of my herbs in pots, so I don't start them until late May, but if you are putting them in the ground, April is a great month.
Kale- More leafy greens to start early in your garden. Depending on what kind of kale you get, the plant can last you a whole year, or even multiple years, so check your variety and what it likes.
Kohlrabi- If you haven't heard of this before no worries, its not a popular North American vegetable, but it is really fun to grow. Start your seeds outdoors in early April.
Parsley- Herbs can be started outdoors in April so long as you are planting in the ground and not in a pot.
Parsnips- Parsnips are another root vegetable that like to get an early start in the ground.
Peas- Bring you pea seed out mid to late April. Although the seeds like it a bit cooler to germinate, the plant itself will not tolerate the chill if it is not mature enough.
Potatoes- you can start potatoes as early as February, but if you want fresh potatoes for Thanksgiving, I would suggest planting some in April.
Radishes- another root veggie that wants to planted out early.
Spinach- This leafy green loves the cold. Most of your leafy greens will be sweeter before the heat kicks off so the sooner you get them planted the sooner you can collect the sweet baby greens unaffected by the summer heat.
Swiss Chard- I love this veg because of its longevity. It will produce veg in the cold or the heat. Honestly you can plant this one whenever and have great results, but you can start planting in April.
Turnips- there are another root vegetable that likes the cool wet soil to germinate and then will mature in the hotter months.