What to plant in April in zone 9a
79 crops to start indoors, direct sow, or transplant in April in USDA hardiness zone 9a. Typical last spring frost around Mar 2, 2026, first fall frost around Nov 17, 2026 — exact dates vary by location within the zone.
Zone 9a covers a lot of ground. Enter your ZIP for April dates from your nearest weather station and a month-by-month calendar:
Direct sow outside
Sow these straight into the garden bed this month.
Transplant outdoors
Move these hardened-off seedlings into the garden.
- Aji Pepper
- Alpine Strawberry
- Amaranth
- Amaranthus
- Armenian Cucumber
- Basil
- Black Cumin / Nigella
- Cape Gooseberry
- Chiltepin Pepper
- Chinese Toon
- Cucamelon
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Epazote
- Ethiopian Eggplant
- Gourd (Angled Luffa)
- Gourd (Bitter)
- Gourd (Bottle)
- Gourd (Luffa)
- Gourd (Ornamental)
- Gourd (Turban)
- Gourd (Wax)
- Grain Amaranth
- Ground Cherry
- Holy Basil
- Korean Mint
- Korean Summer Squash
- Lavender
- Lemon Basil
- Lime Basil
- Malabar Spinach
- Marjoram
- Melon
- Melon (Pickling)
- Mexican Tarragon
- Okra
- Paracress
- Pepper (Habanero)
- Pepper (Hot)
- Pepper (Sweet & Hot)
- Pepper (Tabasco)
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin (Maxima)
- Pumpkin (Moschata)
- Roselle
- Shiso
- Stevia
- Summer Savory
- Summer Squash
- Thai Basil
- Tomatillo
- Tomato
- Vietnamese Culantro
- Water Pepper
- Watermelon
- West Indian Gherkin
- Winged Bean
- Winter Squash (Acorn)
- Winter Squash (Banana)
- Winter Squash (Buttercup)
- Winter Squash (Butternut)
- Winter Squash (Cushaw)
- Winter Squash (Delicata)
- Winter Squash (Hubbard)
- Winter Squash (Spaghetti)
Plant out
Set out these crops (sets, tubers, or starts) now.
Keep going
Timings use NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals for a representative location (ZIP 71477) in zone 9a, computed with the same engine as GardenDraft’s in-app schedule. Guidance, not guarantees — your exact dates depend on your address.