Guides / What to plant
What to plant in April
Growth speeds up in April. Tulips flower, tomato seedlings need potting on and hardening off, new strawberry runners go into prepared ground, and the monstera may put out its first new leaf since October.
These are Northern Hemisphere months. If you garden in the Southern Hemisphere, the equivalent month is October.
In the garden
American Spikenard
Aralia racemosa
How to grow Aralia racemosa in a shaded border. A herbaceous perennial the size of a shrub, dark purple berry clusters, and a root that smells of liquorice.
Bluebell
Hyacinthoides non-scripta
How to grow English bluebells, Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Telling them from the Spanish invader, planting in the green, and why you must never cut the leaves.
Common Houseleek
Sempervivum tectorum
How to grow Sempervivum tectorum, the common houseleek. Why the parent rosette dies after flowering, why it survives winters that kill echeveria, and how to grow it on a roof.
Cotton
Gossypium hirsutum
How to grow upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum. The seed hair that clothes the world, the boll that has to open before frost, and the poison in the seed.
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
How to identify, use and control dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. The taproot that regrows from a fragment, why bees need it in April, and eating the leaves and roots.
Field horsetail
Equisetum arvense
How to identify and control horsetail, Equisetum arvense. The prehistoric weed with roots two metres deep, why weedkillers slide off it, and what does help.
Garden Tulip
Tulipa gesneriana
How to grow garden tulips, Tulipa gesneriana. Why they go in late, how deep to plant, why the second year disappoints, and how to spot tulip fire before it spreads.
Hosta
Hosta sieboldiana
How to grow hosta, Hosta sieboldiana. Why a thick blue leaf survives slugs when a thin green one does not, growing them in pots, dividing in spring and the shade they want.
Houpo Magnolia
Magnolia officinalis
How to grow Magnolia officinalis, a large-leaved deciduous magnolia. Leaves to forty centimetres, cream flowers in May, and a tree extinct in the wild in China.
Japanese holly
Ilex crenata
How to grow Japanese holly, Ilex crenata. The box substitute that resists box blight and box tree moth, how to clip it, and why it needs acid soil.
Milk Vetch
Astragalus membranaceus
How to grow Astragalus membranaceus, the huang qi of Chinese medicine. A hardy pea-family perennial for a sunny border, the four-year root, and the locoweeds it is not.
Perennial Flax
Linum perenne
How to grow perennial flax, Linum perenne. Sky blue flowers that open at dawn and fall by lunchtime, a wiry plant for dry chalk, and a rare British native at one edge of its range.
Photinia
Photinia fraseri
How to grow Photinia x fraseri. Clipping to force the red flush, treating the leaf spot that defoliates it, why chalk turns it yellow, and disposing of the clippings safely.
Saucer magnolia
Magnolia x soulangeana
How to grow saucer magnolia, Magnolia x soulangeana. Goblet flowers on bare wood in April, why frost ruins them, and where to plant one so it does not happen.
Sea Island Cotton
Gossypium barbadense
How to grow Sea Island cotton, Gossypium barbadense. The long staple behind Egyptian and Pima cloth, the yellow flower that separates it from upland cotton, and the reason it is grown so little.
Snake's head fritillary
Fritillaria meleagris
How to grow Fritillaria meleagris. Planting the fragile bulbs on their side, naturalising in damp grass, when to cut, and the lily beetle that strips them.
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
How to grow Asarum canadense as woodland ground cover. The maroon flower hidden at soil level, the rhizome that smells of ginger, and why it is not a culinary substitute.
Wood anemone
Anemone nemorosa
How to grow wood anemone, Anemone nemorosa. The ancient woodland indicator, why it spreads a few feet per century, and planting it in the green.
Herbs and edibles
Ajwain
Trachyspermum ammi
How to grow ajwain, Trachyspermum ammi. The carom seed that tastes of thyme, why it needs a greenhouse here, and its place in Indian cooking and home remedies.
Aromatic Ginger
Kaempferia galanga
How to grow aromatic ginger, Kaempferia galanga. The flat-leaved kencur of Indonesian cooking, its camphorous rhizome, and growing it as a pot plant under glass.
Avocado
Persea americana
How to grow avocado, Persea americana. Germinating stones, pollination groups, fruiting limits indoors and persin safety for pets.
Bitter Gourd
Momordica charantia
How to grow bitter gourd, Momordica charantia. The two shapes it comes in, how to take the edge off the bitterness, and why anyone on diabetes medication should read the safety section first.
Black Cumin
Nigella sativa
How to grow nigella, Nigella sativa. The black seed of kalonji, sowing it direct in spring, and how it differs from the love-in-a-mist in a flower border.
Black Mustard
Brassica nigra
How to grow black mustard, Brassica nigra. The hot seed behind traditional table mustard, why the pods shatter, and how it differs from the brown mustard grown commercially.
Black Salsify
Scorzonera hispanica
How to grow scorzonera, Scorzonera hispanica. The black-skinned root with an oyster flavour, lifting it without snapping it, and leaving it a second year to fatten.
Cabbage
Brassica oleracea var. capitata
How to grow cabbage, Brassica oleracea var. capitata. Firming the soil properly, beating cabbage white caterpillars with mesh, and what to do about club root.
Caraway
Carum carvi
How to grow caraway, Carum carvi. The biennial that seeds in its second summer, cutting it before the seed shatters, and the root eaten as a vegetable.
Carrot
Daucus carota subsp. sativus
How to grow carrots, Daucus carota subsp. sativus. Stone-free soil, why you must not thin them in daylight, beating carrot fly, and sowing for a Christmas crop.
Casabanana
Sicana odorifera
How to grow casabanana, Sicana odorifera. Heat, glasshouse growing, scented fruit, deep red skin and pollination for fruiting.
Chayote
Sechium edule
How to grow chayote, Sechium edule. Planting the whole sprouting fruit, why a short season ends before it flowers, and the parts of the plant nobody sells you.
Chickpea
Cicer arietinum
How to grow chickpeas, Cicer arietinum. A plant that sweats acid onto its own leaves, the difference between desi and kabuli, and the water you should stop pouring away.
Chinese Yam
Dioscorea polystachya
How to grow Dioscorea polystachya, the hardy yam that crops in a cool climate. Digging a tuber a metre long, growing it in a pipe instead, and keeping the bulbils under control.
Common Sage
Salvia officinalis
How to grow Salvia officinalis. The pruning cut that kills it, why a four-year-old plant stops earning its place, when the leaves taste strongest, and the thujone question.
Common Sorrel
Rumex acetosa
How to grow sorrel, Rumex acetosa. The sharp lemony leaf that comes back every spring, keeping it cutting all season, and the oxalic acid to respect.
Cumin
Cuminum cyminum
How to grow cumin, Cuminum cyminum. Why it needs a greenhouse in a cool climate, sowing it under glass in April, and telling it from caraway.
Date Palm
Phoenix dactylifera
How to grow date palm, Phoenix dactylifera. Sprouting a stone from a packet of dates, the male and female trees that have been hand-pollinated for five thousand years, and the desert heat a temperate summer cannot supply.
Ethiopian Eggplant
Solanum aethiopicum
How to grow the Ethiopian eggplant, Solanum aethiopicum. A scarlet aubergine that looks like a tomato, the leaves eaten as a green, and the bitterness that is the point rather than a fault.
Ethiopian Mustard
Brassica carinata
How to grow Ethiopian mustard, Brassica carinata. A second natural brassica hybrid, the leaf vegetable behind gomen, and the oilseed being turned into aviation fuel.
Fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
How to grow fennel, Foeniculum vulgare. The difference between herb fennel and Florence fennel, stopping the bulb bolting, and the yellow flowers that separate it from every poisonous lookalike.
Flax
Linum usitatissimum
How to grow flax, Linum usitatissimum. One plant that gives linen and linseed oil, a field of blue that lasts one morning, and a founder crop still grown across Europe and North America.
Galangal
Alpinia galanga
How to grow galangal, Alpinia galanga. The hard peppery rhizome of Thai curry paste, why it is not a substitute for ginger, and starting it from a supermarket root.
Grapefruit
Citrus paradisi
How to grow grapefruit, Citrus paradisi. The citrus that needs the most heat and the longest season, and the one with a genuine medical caution attached.
Greater Yam
Dioscorea alata
How to grow greater yam, Dioscorea alata. The winged stem that twines one way and only one way, the purple flesh sold as ube, and why nobody eats it raw.
Groundnut
Arachis hypogaea
How to grow peanuts, Arachis hypogaea. The flower that buries its own fruit, why a peanut is not a nut, and the mould that makes storage the risky part.
Indian Gooseberry
Phyllanthus emblica
How to grow Indian gooseberry, Phyllanthus emblica. The intensely sour amla behind chyawanprash and triphala, the leaves that look like a fern and are not, and the cold it will take.
Lentil
Lens culinaris
How to grow lentils, Lens culinaris. One of the eight founder crops, the shape that named the optical lens, and a pulse that grows in a cool climate better than most people think.
Lesser Galangal
Alpinia officinarum
How to grow lesser galangal, Alpinia officinarum. The smaller, hotter galangal of Chinese cooking, how it differs from the greater, and growing the rhizome under glass.
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
How to grow lettuce, Lactuca sativa. The four types, sowing little and often, why lettuce bolts in hot weather, and the milky sap that gives it its name.
Loofah
Luffa aegyptiaca
How to grow loofah, Luffa aegyptiaca. Eating the young fruit, growing the bathroom sponge, and why a short season is only just long enough for one of the two.
Lovage
Levisticum officinale
How to grow lovage, Levisticum officinale. The two-metre celery-flavoured perennial, cutting it back for a second flush of leaf, and how little of it a recipe needs.
Mango
Mangifera indica
How to grow mango, Mangifera indica. Telling a ripe one by smell rather than colour, cutting the hedgehog, why the skin can raise a rash, and what a stone on a windowsill will and will not do.
Melon
Cucumis melo
How to grow melons, Cucumis melo. Cantaloupe under glass in a cool summer, training and stopping the vine, supporting the fruit, and knowing when it is ripe.
Okra
Abelmoschus esculentus
How to grow okra, Abelmoschus esculentus. Getting the seed to germinate, picking before the pod turns to string, and what to do about the slime if you would rather not have it.
Oregon Grape
Mahonia aquifolium
How to grow Oregon grape, Mahonia aquifolium. The shade-tolerant evergreen with holly leaves, its yellow spring flowers and blue berries, and the berberine in its root.
Papaya
Carica papaya
How to grow papaya, Carica papaya. The fastest fruit tree there is, why most seedlings turn out male, green papaya salad, and the latex that tenderises meat.
Psyllium
Plantago psyllium
How to grow Plantago psyllium, the plantain grown for its seed. A hardy annual sown in April, the mucilage that swells in water, and the three species sold under one name.
Quinoa
Chenopodium quinoa
How to grow quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa. A fat hen relative from the Andes, the soap coating you have to wash off, and a crop that grows better in a cool summer than a hot one.
Rapeseed
Brassica napus
How to grow rapeseed, Brassica napus. The yellow fields that take over the landscape every spring, a hybrid of turnip and cabbage, and the two compounds that had to be bred out before anyone could eat it.
Safflower
Carthamus tinctorius
How to grow safflower, Carthamus tinctorius. A spiny thistle that dyed Egyptian cloth, the fake saffron in a spice jar, and a taproot that goes down three metres.
Salsify
Tragopogon porrifolius
How to grow salsify, Tragopogon porrifolius. The oyster plant explained, sowing fresh seed, lifting the brittle root, and eating the spring shoots.
Strawberry
Fragaria x ananassa
How to grow strawberries, Fragaria x ananassa. Planting depth, runners, straw under the fruit, and why plants need replacing every three years.
Stuffing Cucumber
Cyclanthera pedata
How to grow caigua, Cyclanthera pedata. The hollow fruit that comes ready to stuff, the gourd that will crop outdoors in a cool summer, and the seeds shaped like tiny turtles.
Sweet Cicely
Myrrhis odorata
How to grow sweet cicely, Myrrhis odorata. The perennial that sweetens rhubarb, its green seeds eaten raw, and why the seed needs a winter outdoors before it germinates.
Sweet Marjoram
Origanum majorana
How to grow sweet marjoram, Origanum majorana. Why it is a tender annual wherever frost comes, telling it from oregano, and the knotted flower buds that give it its other name.
Swiss Chard
Beta vulgaris var. cicla
How to grow Swiss chard, Beta vulgaris var. cicla. The spinach that does not bolt, cutting it for eighteen months, and cooking stalk and leaf separately.
Tamarind
Tamarindus indica
How to grow tamarind, Tamarindus indica. The African tree with an Indian name, the sour pod behind Worcestershire sauce and pad thai, and why it makes a better bonsai than an orchard tree outside the tropics.
Tomatillo
Physalis philadelphica
How to grow tomatillos, Physalis philadelphica. Why you must grow two plants, picking when the husk splits, and the sprawling habit that needs staking.
Tomato
Solanum lycopersicum
How to grow tomatoes, Solanum lycopersicum. Cordon and bush types, side-shooting, blossom end rot, blight, and which parts of the plant you must not eat.
Turmeric
Curcuma longa
How to grow turmeric, Curcuma longa. Starting it from a supermarket rhizome, growing it in a pot under glass, and harvesting and curing your own.
Watermelon
Citrullus lanatus
How to grow watermelons, Citrullus lanatus. Why they need a greenhouse in a cool summer, choosing a small icebox cultivar, hand pollination, and the ripeness tests that work.
Welsh Onion
Allium fistulosum
How to grow Welsh onions, Allium fistulosum. The perennial spring onion that never makes a bulb, dividing the clump, and cutting it through the winter.
White Lupin
Lupinus albus
How to grow white lupin, Lupinus albus. The bar snack that takes a week to make safe, a named allergen in Britain, and roots that mine phosphate out of dead soil.
White Mustard
Sinapis alba
How to grow white mustard, Sinapis alba. The mild seed behind English and American table mustard, growing it as mustard cress, and its use as a green manure.
White Turmeric
Curcuma zedoaria
How to grow zedoary, Curcuma zedoaria. The bitter white turmeric of Indonesian and Thai cooking, its purple-veined leaves, and growing the rhizome under glass.
White Yam
Dioscorea rotundata
How to grow white yam, Dioscorea rotundata. The staple of the West African yam belt, why pounded yam behaves the way it does, and the two-harvest trick growers use on one plant.
Wild garlic
Allium ursinum
How to grow wild garlic, Allium ursinum. Planting it in the green, keeping it in bounds, when to pick, and the deadly lookalikes that catch foragers every spring.
Wild Leek
Allium tricoccum
How to grow ramps, Allium tricoccum. The North American wild leek, why it takes seven years from seed, and harvesting one leaf instead of the bulb.
Yam Bean
Pachyrhizus erosus
How to grow jicama, Pachyrhizus erosus. A crisp sweet root on a plant whose pods and seeds are an insecticide, and why the flowers have to come off.
Indoors
Coleus
Plectranthus scutellarioides
How to grow coleus, Plectranthus scutellarioides. Pinching out the flowers to keep the leaves, taking cuttings that root in a week, and overwintering it.
Rubber Plant
Ficus elastica
How to care for Ficus elastica. Why it drops leaves when you move it, what the red sheath on new growth is, how to stop it becoming a bare pole, and the latex problem.
Swiss Cheese Plant
Monstera deliciosa
How to grow and care for Monstera deliciosa, the Swiss cheese plant. Watering, light, feeding, common problems, and whether it is safe around pets.