Gardens and Grub

03/30/2026

Fantastic list from Down To Earth Community Gardens, which did you start this past weekend?

Your Monthly Garden Chores and Checklist for April 2026
April = The Real Start

March was for seed starting.
April is where things get real really quick.

Transplant hardy starts
Direct sow cool crops
Install low tunnels if you haven’t already

Everything you plant right now will do better with a little protection. Think of it as sunscreen for your babies.

If you overwintered crops?
Congratulations—this is your month. Harvests start rolling in, everything wakes up, and suddenly you remember why you do this.

Also: rhubarb is here and thriving.

Don’t Rush the Heat-Lovers into the ground like tomatoes, peppers, squash, corn, beans, tomatillos.

Let’s keep this simple:

Soil: 50°F minimum
Nights: above 55°F
Warmer is better.

If you’re in Snohomish County (or similar), you are not behind.
Summer crops aren’t truly safe to transplant outdoors until mid-June.

Notice the plant rescue centers are well stocked with all varieties to tempt you. If you plant them now they will die and you'll want to give up. Instead, walk away from the tomato table without adding any to your cart.

LAST CALL FOR PERENNIALS

If you want them this year—get them now:

🍏 Bare root fruit trees & berries
🌱 Rhubarb, cane fruit, vines
🥔 Seed potatoes
🥦 Brassicas

Slugpocalypse Preparedness Plan
If slugs are your enemies (they are), act accordingly:

Diatomaceous earth add a protective circle around your beds and plant stems to deter slugs and snails.
Dollar store scissors to hack them in half (iykyk)
Sluggo (organic, bird-safe, sanity-saving, safe for our native frogs)

If 2025 was a full-blown slug uprising we do not need to repeat history.

BRASSICAS: Built for This Chaos
These thrive in April’s weather swings:

Broccoli – easy win
Brussels sprouts – start now for early harvest
Cabbage – dependable
Cauliflower – deffinitely worth it
Kohlrabi – weird little veggie, surprisingly delicious

NIGHTSHADES (START THEM NOW)

You’re on the clock:
Tomatoes
Tomatillos
Peppers (cool-climate varieties like King of the North)
Eggplant (go small like Little Finger)

Late start? Choose small, fast fruiting types.

GREENS & HERBS

Mid-April = basil indoors time.

Direct sow outside:
Swiss chard
Salad greens
Parsley, chives, dill, mint, oregano, fennel

These are your low-maintenance friends.

🎃 CUCURBITS (SQUASH CREW)

Start indoors about 3 weeks before transplant:

Pumpkins
Cucumbers
Melons
Summer & winter squash

Rules:

Soil must be 65°F+, add a teaspoon of eggshell powder or crushed tums when planting. Mulch around the plant.
Don’t let them get root-bound
Transplant on a warm, sunny day
They hate cold. They hate stress. They hate everything, honestly.

You’ve Got This (Even If April's weather needs to call an Uber)
April gardening is basically gambling with Mother Nature.

You might win.
You might lose everything to a random Tuesday frost. You're asking to fail if you plant summer crops now. Just because the plants are available to purchase in big box stores doesn't mean you should buy any. They are not safe to plant until mid-June which means if you ignore my advice and your plants die you could have saved yourself the trouble of spending a small fortune to fail.

Either way—you’re learning, growing, and probably muttering to plants like the rest of us. Welcome to feeling a little crazy, you're in great company with us gardeners.

Need help?
Terry Bockovich is out here building gardens, teaching classes, and enabling your plant addiction in the "most responsible way" possible. Schedule your site visit! It's easy! Call or text at 425.350.2658 and email at [email protected].

Now go play in the dirt.
Embrace the chaos.

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