Planting guide

What to plant in Zone 7 in April

USDA Zone 7 · US Northern Hemisphere April

April is when zone 7 switches from the cool-season garden to the warm one. Average last frosts fall from late March to mid April, so the first half of the month still belongs to greens and root crops, and the second half to tomatoes, beans and corn.

Plant now

Lettuce, chard, carrots, beets (early in the month)

Last spring sowings; they finish before the heat turns them bitter.

Tomato transplants (after your last frost)Solanum lycopersicum

Mid to late April for most of zone 7. Plant deep: tomatoes root along any buried stem.

Bush and pole beans (late month)Phaseolus vulgaris

Direct-sow once the soil reaches about 60°F (16°C); seed rots in cold, wet soil.

Sweet corn (late month)Zea mays

Sow in blocks of at least four short rows so the plants pollinate each other.

Cucumbers, squash and melons (seed, indoors)

Start them indoors now for transplants in early May, or direct-sow outdoors from late April into May.

Basil and other tender herbs

Plant out after the last frost; basil blackens at temperatures near freezing.

Timing notes

  • Peppers and eggplant wait until early May, when nights stay above 50°F (10°C). Planted into cold soil they sit and stall for weeks.
  • Keep frost cloth handy until mid-May: a clear, still night after a warm spell can still bring a late frost.
  • Look up the average last frost for your own town; the zone number is a winter-minimum band, not a planting date.
Frost dates and a seed-starting schedule for your ZIP code Free calculator from NOAA station records: last spring frost, first fall frost, and what to start each week. ← All planting guides