April is the perfect month to get those cool-season vegetables planted in a raised bed. Soil in a raised bed warms up and dries out quicker than a traditional in-ground garden plot, so seeds can be planted earlier.
It’s still too cool in April for a lot of garden veggies to be planted, but here is a list of seeds and plants that love to be planted in early spring. Plant some of these vegetable seeds in the first part of April, then plant some more in mid-April to extend the harvest time.
Let’s get to it!
Start With Soil
As soon as the soil is workable, turn it and work in 2-4 inches (5 – 10 cm) of compost or well-rooted animal manure. Water thoroughly. Allow the freshly turned and amended soil to rest for a week, then get ready to plant cool-season vegetables.
You may want to find out “What You Can do to Improve Soil Health?“.
Here is a list of vegetables that are perfect for your raised April garden bed. Hopefully you will find your favorite vegetable(s)!
Broccoli
Plant in April as this vegetable will bolt as soon as weather warms up. Plants seeds 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) and 4-inches (10 cm) apart.
Broccoli is relatively easy to grow, but you need to watch out for large cabbage white butterfly caterpillars, cabbage looper moths, army worms, snails and slugs!
Beets
Grow best in cool weather and are ideal for planting in a raised bed. Create a shallow row 1/2-inch (1.2 cm) deep and plant beet seeds 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Cover lightly with soil and water thoroughly. Make beet row 3-inches (7.5 cm) apart. Beet greens are edible and great in salads.
Carrots
Sow in the raised bed just like lettuce. Harvest carrots when the green tops are 8 inches (20 cm) tall and you see the orange neck of the carrot poking up through the soil.
Green onions
Thrive in the cool weather of April and can be sown in shallow, 1/2-inch (0.25 cm) rows in a raised bed. Harvest any time after green tops reach 8-inches (20 cm) tall.
Loose-leaf lettuce
Sow directly on top of prepared soil. Sow seeds thick and lightly cover with 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) of soil. Water gently so seeds are not disturbed. Harvest randomly in the bed to thin plant out.
Radishes
Fast-growing root vegetable that loves cool weather. Sow radish seeds directly into prepared soil and get ready for a harvest in 30-40 days.
Spinach
A cool-season green leafy vegetable that is sown directly into the prepared soil of a raised bed. Harvest spinach leaves any time they reach 2-inches (5 cm) tall.
You need to watch out for cutworms, flea beetles, aphids, snails, slugs and leaf miners. They love spinach and leave nothing to you if you don’t do pest control before they feast on this wonderful vegetable.
Snow peas
Crunchy, sweet and adore cool weather. Plant snow pea seeds 4-inches (10 cm) apart and provide a trellis for them to climb on. Harvest ripe snow peas every 2 days to extend harvest time.
From experience this is one of the easiest vegetables to grow!
You might be interested in my other article, 5 Tips for a Sustainable Vegetable Garden.
How to Create a Secluded Garden
