What to Plant in April (UK)

April is the busiest, most exciting month in the UK growing year. The soil is warming, the days are long, and almost everything is ready to get going. Here's your quick April job list — scan it, tick off what applies to you, and get sowing.

Sow indoors

Start these tender crops on a warm windowsill or in a heated greenhouse — they hate cold and won't go outside until late May or June.

• Courgettes — one or two plants is plenty for most families
• Squash and pumpkins — sow now for an autumn harvest
• Sweetcorn — start in modules to plant out in blocks later
• Cucumbers — keep them warm and bright

Sow outdoors

The soil is finally workable in most of the UK. Sow these straight into a prepared bed — warm it first under a cloche if your ground is still cold or wet.

• Carrots — sow thinly to avoid thinning later
• Beetroot — quick, easy and forgiving
• Lettuce and other salad leaves — sow little and often
• Radishes — ready in as little as four weeks
• Spinach — best while it's still cool
• Peas — pop a few support sticks in early
• Leeks — sow in a seedbed now to transplant in summer

Plant out

• Maincrop potatoes — plant your chitted tubers now for a big autumn crop
• Onion sets — push them into firmed soil, tips just showing
• Garlic — last chance to plant spring varieties if you missed autumn

Harvest now

The "hungry gap" is easing and the first real spring crops arrive.

• Rhubarb — pull (don't cut) the first tender stalks
• Asparagus — the season starts now; cut spears when they're about 15–20cm
• Spring cabbage — fresh, sweet leafy greens
• Purple sprouting broccoli — keep picking to keep it cropping

Jobs for April

• Start hardening off. Move indoor-raised seedlings outside during the day, then back in at night, building up over a week or two before they go out for good.
• Watch the forecast. April frosts are common across the UK. Keep fleece or a cloche handy for any tender seedlings caught out.
• Keep on top of weeds. They grow fast now too — a quick hoe on a dry day saves hours later.
• Pot on indoor seedlings like tomatoes before they get leggy and pot-bound.

What next

April rewards a little planning. Use the planting calendar to line up your sowings, and if you're new to all this, our guide to starting a vegetable garden and the easiest crops for beginners will steer you to the wins.

For the full year at a glance, head back to our month-by-month gardening guide — then see what May has in store as the season really takes off.