April sowing season: direct sowing outdoors or seedling trays?

TL;DR

April is when sowing goals and weather converge: soil temperature climbs to 10-15 degrees, and many vegetables and herbs are ready to sow directly outdoors. Root crops, beans, peas, and some herbs go straight into the garden. Heat-loving plants (tomatoes, peppers, courgettes) still begin indoors. Peas and bean seeds tolerate cold soil and germinate quickly. Check your sowing calendar: March is gone, April is now-or-never for many species.

Your first harvest is on the line

Sow in April, eat your first lettuce or radish in June. Sow too late, and that early harvest shifts to July. On [gardenworld.app](https://gardenworld.app) you can visualise your entire garden plan, including where and when vegetable zones work. Planning before sowing means less seed waste.

Direct sowers in April: open ground, no trays

These vegetables tolerate cold soil and can be sown directly into the garden:

Peas (Pisum sativum): The classic. April is perfect. Soil temperature of 7 degrees is already enough. Sow in rows 5 cm deep, 30 cm apart. They germinate in 10-14 days. Snow? No problem - peas laugh at it. They need a support (1.2-1.8 m tall).

Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris): Runner beans, broad beans, dried beans. Wait with dried beans until soil temperature is at least 12 degrees (mid-April). Broad beans tolerate earlier. Sow seeds 5 cm deep, 30 cm apart. Into open ground they go immediately. Growth is rapid - harvest within 60 days.

Carrots (Daucus carota): April is the season. Sow seeds directly into bed or raised bed, 1-2 cm deep, thin sowing (don't worry about last year's overcrowding). They germinate slowly - be patient. First orange-red at 60-80 days.

Radishes (Raphanus sativus): Ultra-fast grower. Sow in April and you eat the first radish in May. Very shallow sowing, barely 1 cm deep. Space them well (do not sow too densely). Radish cycles in 25-30 days.

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea): April is actually already warm for spinach, but you can still sow. They grow faster than in March. Sow shallowly, 1 cm deep.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa): Sow loose-leaf regularly through April. Every week's sowing gives continuous harvest. Very shallow, barely any soil on top.

Half-hardy crops in trays: hardening for later transplant

These vegetables are sensitive to frost and cold hardening. You sow them in April in trays on the windowsill, let them sprout, and plant them outside only in May/June:

Tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum): Sow in April in trays on windowsill, warm (20-24 degrees). They need 7-14 days to germinate. Put them in light (windowsill is ok, better: grow lamp). In May, once nights are 10-12 degrees, harden (acclimatise outdoors). Late May/early June transplant outside.

Peppers (Capsicum annuum): Exactly like tomato. Sow April, windowsill, warm. Don't forget to regularly get them used to outdoor air in May (hardening). Late May/June outside.

Aubergine (Solanum melongena): Even more finicky. Also sow in April, but get them into light sooner. And slower growing.

Courgette (Cucurbita pepo): Sow in April in peat pots or small pots, warm (22-24 degrees). Note: courgette has large seeds that rot easily if too wet. Drain well. In May it can go outside (but bring it back indoors at night if below 10 degrees).

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus): Sow in April in trays, warm, good light. Same outdoor chances as courgette. Note: much more sensitive than courgette to night frost.

Herb seeds in April

Basil (Ocimum basilicum): Sow in trays on windowsill, warm (18-22 degrees). Late May transplant. Basil loves warmth.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum): Can sow directly outside in April, but germinates slowly and is bird-food. Safer: sow in trays, transplant May.

Dill (Anethum graveolens): Sow directly outdoors, very shallowly. They germinate erratically but then grow fast.

Chives (Allium schoenoprasum): Sow directly outdoors. Slow germination (3 weeks). Patience.

When to sow what: Step-by-step

Step 1: Check your soil temperature

Buy a cheap soil thermometer (15 euros). Stick it in your planting spot. If it is 10 degrees, direct sowers (peas, beans, carrots) are allowed. 12 degrees: all direct sowers. 15 degrees: also courgette directly outside (risky).

Step 2: Sow direct sowers early April

First week: peas, broad beans, spinach, lettuce, chives, dill.

Step 3: Sow heat-lovers in trays

In parallel sow tomatoes, peppers, aubergine in trays on windowsill.

Step 4: Late sowing courgette/cucumber

Mid-April through late April. They grow fast and you do not need them until late May.

Step 5: Hardening in May

All your tray growers must "harden" - slowly get used to the outdoors. Early May: outdoors one hour, then back. Week 2: half day. Week 3: whole day (but back at night). Week 4 (late May): constantly outdoors.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sow everything in trays and transplant later?

Theoretically yes, practically no. Carrots and radishes hate transplanting - they fork badly. Direct sowers are faster and stronger outdoors. Transplanting root crops: possible, but yield drops.

It is still snowing in April - where do I sow?

Direct sowers like peas tolerate this fine. They simply sleep until it gets warmer. Protect tray growers on the windowsill.

I always sow too densely - how do I prevent it?

Mix seeds with dry sand (1 seed per 3 sand grains). Sow that mixture. Or plant seeds individually (slow, but works perfectly).

Can I use seed tape?

Yes, brilliant. Seed tape is paper with seeds already at the right spacing. Lay tape in prepared groove, cover. Chews up and disappears. Peas, beans, lettuce: seed tape saves hours of work.

Plan your April garden

With [gardenworld.app](https://gardenworld.app) you work out: where to sow what, how much space needed (peas 30x30, carrots 15 cm rows), which vegetables grow together (lettuce plus radish goes fine, tomato and cucumber better not). Upload your garden photo, place vegetable zones, and you see what is harvestable in June/July. No guesswork, pure planning.