2018 Update: I think compared to other regions of the country, we in Cascadia have gotten off quite easy so far this spring. There’s a reason they are called Nor’easters and not Nor’westers, I suppose.
Time to bring back this old favorite:
Which isn’t to say there haven’t been some odd moments. Twice in the last month or so it’s hailed enough to form hail drifts at my house. Oh, destabilized polar vortex, you so crazy.
Mid-March in Seattle touched 70 degrees. A week-and-a-half later, it snowed. Up-and-down temperature swings are hard on the anxious gardener, but even harder on our poor plants. Of particular concern are fruit trees and bushes. An early warm spell followed by a cold snap can coax spring blossoms out, only to freeze them solid. When this happens, a terrible fruit year often follows. I don’t think the March freeze was enough to really damage blossoms in my yard, but gardeners at higher elevations might note if their summer berries and tree fruit yields seem smaller than they’d otherwise expect.
Looking forward, I expect a pretty typically April weather: highs bouncing around 55 (and probably a bit warmer by month’s end), lows a few degrees either side of 40. NOAA Long-term weather shows a decent chance of higher-than-normal precipitation for April. Our normal precipitation is already plenty, so a fairly soggy month may be ahead.
If March was the month of starting seeds indoors, April is the month of transplanting those starts out and direct sowing. With middling temperatures and decent rain expected, right now is a really good time to go get your low-tunnels installed if you haven’t already. Every single start or seed you plant this month will be happier if you plant it under the protection of a low tunnel or cloche.
In addition to lots of wonderful time playing in dirt that’s no longer frozen, April brings first harvests, noticeable plant growth, rapid increases in day-length, delicious perennials (hello, rhubarb!) and the beauty of blossoms. After a long, impatient winter, spring is really here.
Here’s what you should be doing this April in your maritime Northwest garden.
Printable At-A-Glance Grow-Guide!
We’re all flipping busy, right? Wouldn’t you love a one-page, at-a-glance, printable guide to what you should be doing in your garden this month? Yup, I thought so.
So, here you go – your April garden chores, in a form you can take into the garden and get all dirty. Click the image or go here to download the PDF.
Plan and Purchase
By now your garden plan should be pretty finalized and you should have a general idea of what will be planted where. (Read more: Year Round Garden Planning.) Many of your earliest crops may already be sown or transplanted out.
Nurseries are full-to-bursting now with fruit tree, berries, edible landscaping shrubs, six-packs of cabbages and little starts of peas.
If you haven’t been starting your own early season crops, you can put a spring garden in with purchased starts this month. It’s just going to cost you a bit more. (Read more: How To Spot And Avoid A Crappy Seedling.)
Last call for perennials!
- Bare Root Fruit Trees
- Bare Root Fruit Bushes, Rhubarb, Cane Fruit and Vines
- Seed Potatoes
- Asparagus
Start Indoors
Many things can continue to be sown indoors through April, especially if you have a badass grow light. I grow under this T5 grow light and recently added this inexpensive LED grow light. The T5 is very reliable and intuitive; I have had success with the LED but there is a learning curve to LED growing that I’m still working on mastering.
Brassicas
If you want, the brassicas can be started under lights, but at this point it’s perfectly fine to sow them outside directly too. It’s just what you like better. Slugs decimate my direct-sown spring plantings so I prefer to transplant. Start these as soon as possible for transplant out in late April or early May.
- Broccoli – I really like Belstar.
- Brussels Sprouts – I grow Brussels Sprouts as a cool season crop, and will start them in June to mature in mid-September for harvest through fall and winter, but if you want earlier sprouts, get going now.
- Cabbage – Farao is a great early variety I’ve grown several years in a row.
- Cauliflower – A bit more finicky than other brassicas, give special attention to your cauli seedlings with consistent moisture and lighting.
- Kohlrabi – easier as a fall crop, but delicious if you like this odd space-ship relative of broccoli.
Nightshades
The name of the game here is ASAP. We are bumping up against the end of the window to start tomatoes and other nightshade crops and still get them to ripen before fall. But I just have a feeling this will be a good year for heat lovers, so I think it’s ok to roll the dice this year. Plan on setting out 4-week old transplants in early May.
In general, small fruiting varieties are better in our climate than large fruiting ones. If you’re starting this late, try cherry tomatoes, fingerling eggplants, and smaller hotter peppers for a reliable harvest.
- Tomatoes
- Tomatillos
- Peppers – Remember to use cool-climate cultivars. In the Maritime Northwest, I have good results with King of the North pepper and most of the spicy varieties.
- Eggplant – a small Asian type like Little Finger will give most reliable results.
Leafy Greens and Herbs
- Basil – start around mid-month under lights for transplant out about mid-May. Start a lot. It’s basil, the Queen of Herbs!
At this point I think you might as well direct sow the rest of these outdoors, but if you want, you can start inside:
- Swiss Chard
- Salad Greens
- Hardy Herbs – Think parsley, chives, fennel, chervil, oregano, dill, mint, sorrel, marjoram, lemon balm, pansies etc.
Cucurbits
These tender melon-family babies can be started indoors if you are careful not to jump the gun too much. Plant to start them maybe 3 weeks before you’d direct sow. Promise you will transplant them out into pre-warmed soil before they are even thinking of being root bound. That’s key to successful transplant of the cucurbits.
- Cucumber
- Melon
- Pumpkins
- Summer Squash
- Winter Squash
Other Stuff
- Onions – You can buy plants to transplant out from your local nursery or a specialty supplier like Dixondale.
New to starting your own seeds? Here are some resources to help:
- Seed Starting 101: Key Components For Healthy Seedlings
- Seed Starting 101: A Step-by-Step Visual Guide To Growing Seedlings At Home
- Seed Starting 101: Up-Potting
- Seeds Started Under Lights vs On A Windowsill
- Which Seed Starting Supplies Are Worth It (And Which Aren’t)
- I’m a big fan of High Mowing Organic Seeds. If you’re in British Columbia, West Coast Seeds is fantastic. Johnny’s was a recommended favorite for a long time, but they sell seeds from a Monsanto subsidiary, which is a bit of a turn-off for me.
Sow Directly & Transplant Out
If February and March is the time for starting indoors, April is the months to sow directly outside, and to transplant out all those sturdy cool season crops you’ve been caring for inside.
If you have cloches in place over your beds, make sure to prevent heat build-up by venting them during the day, especially if it’s sunny! Keep the ground moist enough to assist germination.
Brassicas
The important thing if direct sowing these crops now is slug protection. If you don’t have ducks, get Sluggo or set up beer or other traps for snails and slugs. Transplants can also fall victim to those damned mollusks, so be on the lookout (preferably at night, with a sharp pair of scissors in hand.)
- Broccoli
- Cabbage (early types)
- Cauliflower (early types)
- Collards
- Kale
- Kohlrabi (spring types)
Nightshades
Normally, we wouldn’t be talking about transplanting nightshades out until May. But with some season extension in place, like a cloche or a wall-o-water, you can likely move tomatoes out to the garden in late April.
It’s better not to push the heat-loving crops. Soil temps need to be above 50, and nighttime temps have to be up about 55 for tomatoes to be happy in the early season, so if you aren’t sure or you’re in a cool microclimate, be patient. Eggplant and pepper are happier at even warmer temps.
Legumes
- Favas – any time and as soon as possible
- Peas – Sugar Ann and any of the Sugar Snap varieties are great options, but all fresh-eating peas do very well in the Northwest.
Leafy Greens and Herbs
Go crazy. The time is right. Make like Demeter and scatter seeds everywhere.
- Asian greens – Asian greens that are in the mustard family bolt at the drop of a hat at this time of year. If you grow them, harvest promptly.
- Chard
- Cilantro
- Dill
- Fennel (bulbing)
- Parsley
- Salad Greens (Arugula, Lettuce, Spinach, etc.)
Roots
These can all be sown at any time. Just make sure your soil is dry enough to rake to a fine tilth. Roots do best in deep, fluffy soil.
- Beets
- Carrots
- Potatoes – The gardener tradition is to sow potatoes on St. Patrick’s day (March 17th). They can go in anytime at this point. For best results, chit your potatoes before sowing fairly deep in loose soil.
- Radishes – You want the super fast maturing spring types, like Valentine’s Day Mix.
- Scallions
- Turnips – Grow the spring types at this time of year, like Tokyo Market.
Perennials
As long as the ground isn’t waterlogged, bare root fruiting trees, bushes and perennials can all be planted out. The sooner you can get them in, the better. Don’t let roots of bare root perennials dry-out or freeze.
Potted perennials, like the blueberry bushes I totally impulse bought (above) can go in any time.
- Bare root fruit trees – these should be put into previously prepared ground while still dormant.
- Bare root fruit bushes (currants, gooseberries, blueberries, etc.) – Apparently I’m trying to open a blueberry farm in the suburbs. It’s getting ridiculous.
- Bare root cane fruits (blackberries, raspberries, etc.) – I’m a big fan of Triple Crown Thornless Blackberry.
- Asparagus crowns – check out my tips for better soil for asparagus before planting.
- Rhubarb crowns – these can be had by dividing established plants. They are practically unkillable.
- Horseradish roots – these can be invasive! It’s a good idea to plant them in a very large container sunk into the ground to control their roaming. I didn’t, so now I have multiple large horseradish plants!
Harvest
The goal of almost any vegetable that’s survived an entire growing season and gone through winter at this point is to make seed as soon as is reasonable. Eat those kale shoots! Harvest any remaining overwintering root veg – they are probably bolting already.
- Salad Greens – New season arugula and lettuce is coming on strong and we’re already eating a salad a day. Spinach is lagging, but what can you do?
- Asparagus! – Holy crap it’s early! Eating raw stalks straight out of the garden.
- Rhubarb – Harvesting for rhubarb simple syrup.
- Sprouting Kale – eat kale florets like broccolini. (Read more: When and How To Harvest Kale Florets)
- Jerusalem Artichokes – This moderately aggressive perennial is starting to shoot, but can still be eaten if your digestive tract can handle it.
- Chard – If yours overwintered it’s putting on nice new growth you can harvest.
- Turnips and Rutabagas – The unopened florets are good to saute.
- Herbs – chives, rosemary, fennel, thyme, oregano, sage…all the perennial herbs are in good shape and putting on loads of new growth. Grow herbs! (Read more: The One Edible You Must Grow)
How is your April garden this year?
Here in Zone 5 Upstate NY we had a couple absolutely lovely warm days last week, resulting in a huge portion of the snow melting. The downside is, unfortunately, major flooding of all properties along waterways. But I can finally access my garden again.
My garden is planted mostly in tires, with the sidewalls cut out. And when I could finally access things again I discovered that despite having had the coldest winter EVER (seriously we smashed every single record for cold temps this winter), the tires and insulating snow kept the garden spaces warm enough that the annuals that I planted for color last year actually survived the winter and were blooming already! The downside to that is that every single weed ALSO survived the winter…..
I’m getting ready to plant sugar snap peas and radishes and lettuce in a couple weeks. And I’ve started broccoli in the house to put out at the same time.
Compared to the sopping ground we were working with last March, things feel off to the races this year. My garlic is two feet high. I tried my hand at started seeds this year and the kale I transplanted out last week looks better than anything I have ever purchased. Unlike last year, when my first sowing of favas and peas more or less rotted into the ground, they are going like gangbusters. I have volunteer potatoes everywhere.
I’ve been planting a “hide-the-neighbors” hedge that is part trees, part food forest. I put in tree collards yesterday and am hopeful that they will like our climate!
Thank you SO much for the one page to-do list! I usually print your monthly lists, then scribble lists on various pieces of paper that then get lost between my house and my garden. This list ROCKS! And it is so pretty! THANK YOU!!!!
Awesome! Glad it helps!
Erica,
I would really appreciate if you could clone yourself and move your clone to the Northern CO front range…. Since that seems an unreasonable request, I guess I’ll just say thank you for the great seed starting advice, I finally got my starts under lights last week, and I think they may actually survive to grow a first set of leaves (this would be a first for me, in numerous failed attempts…)
Still in the planning stages, quite literally! The Plan, at the moment, is the get four 4’x8′ raised beds built and filled with soil in the next couple of weeks, so that I can direct-sow chard and kale before waiting ’til mid/late May to plant the rest (nightshade & cuke starts + direct-sown winter squash, snap beans, and maybe a summer squash or two).
How do you know wether a brassica should be good for spring or fall? I know part of it is going to depend on local climate but how do you make an educated guess? Also are you using cloches more to protect from cold nights or gain a little extra warmth and growth during the day? I’ve only just learned to like cabbage so now it’s time to grow some.
Good catalogs should tell you what the best use of the variety is, but beyond that, the best thing to look at is days to maturity. If it’s about 80 or fewer, it’s probably an early or spring cabbage. Much more than that, you’re probably looking at a fall cabbage. Something at 150 or more days is probably a winter or overwintering cabbage.
You read my mind. Literally. Sunday afternoon, I was wading through old posts, trying to figure out what I could direct sow in the next week or two, or what starts to purchase. That one-page list is BRILLIANT! Thank you!!!
I’m finally mostly recovered from my surgery and I went a little nuts over the past week–built some “Half ass hugelkultur” beds (that I probably should’ve put in last fall, but oh, well, even if they don’t grow great this year, they’ll probably grow something). Built my very first low tunnel cloches (not done yet–my daughter and I will make a few more today). And bought herbs, strawberries, and a handful of starts at the nursery yesterday, with your list in hand! And ordered seeds (again, late, but oh well–only one I wanted was sold out)–and your “seed selection made very, very simple” made by life so much very, very better when doing that seed order. Thank you! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a garden!! Yay!!
Now that I’ve got raised gardens in Ferndale, WA, I’m wondering if all local flowering plants are compatible with all local vegetable plants.
Thank you.
Erica, I started my cucumbers indoors way too early because I got excited about the early spring in the PNW and this year’s garden. The plants are big and blossoming. What should I do? Harden off and plant in a bed with a cloche? Kelly
Writing from over here on the Olympic peninsula. I have the old chicken yard warming under black fabric, when is the ideal time to direct sow winter squash? Also love your blog, the snark makes all the homesteadericantliveupto digestible.
I planted horseradish last year, but thinking I’d avoid the aggressive behavior a little, I planted it at the shady end of the garden. It seems the slugs really like it, they have kept the tops chewed down and have eaten the roots down below the soil as far as I’ve poked around down there The plants are not dead (I saw today they’re trying to grow a few leaves) but I’m a bit curious to see what they’ll do this year. I’m pretty sure it’s slugs, as I saw them on it shortly after i planted it (and we have lots and lots of them).
I need your advice!After getting an indoor light set-up, I started tomatoes from seed for the first time this year – 3/20/15. They are now in 4″ pots and are not looking happy! Some of the leaves are looking dry and curled up (I swear I never let the pots dry out), others just wilted and a little yellow. All plants are affected to some degree. I gave them some liquid fish a week ago, but so far I cannot so any improvement. Is this dampening off disease? Is there any point in hardening them off and getting them into the ground?
I tried to order 2 garden journals but when I went to checkout it said “your cart is empty”?
Is it still available?
Thanks,
Hi Susan,
I’m so sorry – I’m away from my computer for a few days. I’ll look into this as soon as I can. Thank you so much for your patience!
ok, thanks!
Garden journal available?
Any way to order other than checkout for someone in Seattle area?
What about Scarlet Runner Beans – do you have a recommendation for when to plant them?
Thanks!
Great read! You mention Sluggo, is it safe as in, it won’t leech into my organic garden and cause problems with its chemicals?
I can’t figure out how to pin this from my phone so I’m commenting.
I’m such a lazy gardener so I am very grateful for this blog and your to-do list. Glad the days are warm up here in Vancouver but I’m going to hold out maybe another week to transplant my tomatoes and chilies since I still need a sweater at night. Had so much success with both those plants last year… I even made a ton of hot sauce! Going ambitious but pretty confident with larger tomatoes this year.
I have a strawberry plant I’ve only had for a couple of weeks already growing big strawberries on the window sill… I have never had such success, so I’m going to go for more of those! I had a hard time deciding on which eggplants to grow but you have helped a lot with your explanation for fingerlings.
Thanks again and good luck!
I just read Erica’s article on three simple ways to attract pollinators. At the end she says with enthusiastic encouragement to plant buckwheat all around one’s veggies. I love this idea, but when I think of wild buckwheat I have known, it’s usually in the mountains or at the coast– i.e., in rocky or dry, sandy soil. So I’m confused as to how this fits in with our Pacific Northwest conditions…????
THANK YOU.
Buckwheat is really adaptable. It grows so quickly that it does well in most places. You won’t need to irrigate much, even in our dry summers, which I think is a benefit too.
I miss your posts. I know life gets busy. Kids garden work. But I do miss your posts. We are lucky if you post once a month. What happened? Do you not love us anymore? Lol. Hope all is well.
Did you die? I don’t see any new blog posts?
Hello Erica;
It has been a while. Hope all is well.
Hi Erica,
I have been missing your posts and your humor. I hope everything is fine in your world and that you are just busy with life right now.
A year later, has Audrey been completely moved from your friends and has its offspring done well?
Hi
Are you still doing this blog? Wondering when I can expect updates?
Erica, I sure miss you!! I hope all is well.
Does anyone know if Erica is dead? I am confused why she stopped blogging? Where is Homebrew Husband?
Miss your wonderful writing . hope all is well.
Hoping all is well with you and yours — this is always a busy time of year; your flavor mixing chart for jams and preserves is so helpful! Thanks for posting it.
Hi Erica, please drop us a line just to show you’re ok and still breathing :). There are many of us devoted readers getting very concerned about your prolonged absence from the blog.
I second the request for a short “rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated” type post. We don’t want to pressure you into writing–I know you were talking about being tired and taking a break. But we do miss you (isn’t cool how you can miss someone you’ve never met? This internet thing, man…) and want to know you’re ok. All the best!
Hi Erica,
You don’t know me but I know you through your lovely posts here and on MMM (post name is totoro there).
I notice you’ve been absent and just wanted to let you know I care and hope you are okay. Really think you are great and talented and wish you all the best with whatever is causing you to take an unannounced break.
Big virtual hug from an internet stranger with similar interests who has lived through a lot of challenging times herself.
I’ve linked my personal email if there is anything I can do to help.
Are you dead?
If not, is there any chance you could change your blog comments from oldest blog posts showing first to newest blog posts showing first. It doesn’t really make sense to show the oldest first as we then half to scroll all the way down to see new posts.
Ok, it’s almost the end of August. Please post something, anything. As you can tell, quite a number of us are becoming increasingly worried about you.
You are very missed! I admit I check every week now just to see if you have returned. So respect your away time from this fabulous blog but also miss you SO even though I only “know” you via your posts. I prayed for you while making 4x batches to tomatillo fermented salsa last week.
Erica; you have created a very nice corner of the web here; we have all enjoyed the benefit of your ingenuity and spirit. At your stage of life I most assuredly would not have had the energy and resources to spare for this sort of project. You owe us nothing in terms of whys and wherefores. I hope our internet paths cross again sometime. Regards to Homebrew Husband and the wee ones. Until then I bid you a fond fare thee well, madam.
Erica, just wanted to say I’ve been missing your posts everywhere. Sending light and love.
Such an informative post with amazing content and nice pictures.
Are you okay? It makes no sense you have not said a word since April? I googled to see if you were dead and didn’t see anything. Did someone in the family die or are you going through a divorce? Sorry to be nosy it is just odd at the peak of the grading season you go dark. Hope you are well
*Gardening season
Hope you are well.
All your followers could all start a new blog called NWUnedible.com about all the bad food we cook?!?!
Get well Soon
Another concerned reader. Sending you well wishes.
Add me as yet another concerned reader. It is nearly every day that I come check your site to see if you have returned to blogging and when it hasn’t changed I pray for you and your family, hoping that all is well and maybe you just needed a break from social media. You have put so much good out into the world that I hope it is returned back to you with interest. Be safe, well and happy.
I, too, have been wondering and worried. I’ve enjoyed your insights for years, and apparently so have many other people. What a great little circle of support from people you’ve never even met! I agree with another comment- there needs to be a Northwest Unedible site or group to share our “flops” without you to guide us. 🙂 You are missed and hope all is well.
Hey Neighbor,
So start that site! I’m in the Northeast, but I’d go to NW Unedible (tiny quibble: it’s INedible). I , too, miss Erica and hope she’s ok.
I hope all is well with Erica. It just occurred to me yesterday that I haven’t seen her updates appear in my facebook newsfeed in a long time. I figured facebook had probably just tweaked their algorithms again so that the NW Edible Life posts weren’t showing up in my newsfeed anymore, but then I went to look at her Facebook page and saw that she hadn’t posted anything since May. I checked here and again saw that she hasn’t posted since April or May, I checked another online forum that I know she is a part of and I saw the same thing there. I Googled but couldn’t find anything. I hope everything is OK. Hopefully she has just decided to take a break. We miss you Erica!
Hi there, Great tips by the way and thank you. I did have a question though.
I’m hoping you can answer it for me since you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about gardening.
How does Preen (Trifluralin) stop new weeds
from growing without killing grown plants? I’m trying to get rid of weeds without hurting my vegetables.
If you had some insight I would greatly appreciate it.
THIS IS SO HELPFUL FOR ME! I’m fairly new at intense gardening and am located in Skagit Valley, WA. I can’t thank you enough for posting guides like this for people like me!!!