What to Do in the Garden in April (Cool-Climate US)

Start and sow

• Direct-seed or transplant cool-season vegetables in April: brassicas, spinach, and cold-tolerant lettuces (UMN Extension).
• Direct-seed moderately cold-tolerant crops such as carrots, beets, and potatoes in the last week of April.
• Keep starting summer vegetable seeds indoors (the window runs through early May) and begin hardening off the earliest cool-season transplants.
• Plant or transplant asparagus and rhubarb crowns (Purdue Extension).

Plant and transplant

• Plant bare-root trees and shrubs before they leaf out; container stock can go in as soil becomes workable.
• Divide perennials from the second week of April through the third week of June, the best window in the Upper Midwest (UMN Extension).
• Plant hardy perennials such as daylilies.
• Remove winter protection from roses, but keep mulch handy for frost protection.

Prune and maintain

• Finish cutting back perennials (the UMN window is March-April) and complete removal of dead or damaged branches.
• Begin regular watering from the third week of April through November (UMN Extension).
• Start mowing the lawn in the last week of April; late April through May is also an acceptable window for aerating (UMN lawn care calendar).
• Don't fertilize the lawn too early in spring; it pushes growth when grass should still be slow (UMN Extension).

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• University of Minnesota Extension — Upper Midwest home garden care schedule — April: cool-season vegetables (brassicas, spinach, cold-tolerant lettuce); last week of April carrots/beets/potatoes; divide perennials from 2nd week of April; watering from 3rd week of April
• University of Minnesota Extension — Lawn care calendar — Mowing runs last week of April through early November; aerating acceptable late April through May; avoid fertilizing too early in spring
• Purdue University Extension — April garden calendar (Indiana Yard and Garden) — Direct-seed cool-season crops, transplant cool-season seedlings, plant asparagus/rhubarb crowns, harden off transplants, remove rose winter protection

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