Seasonal Action Guide
What to Do in the Garden in April (Warm-Climate US)
The short answer
By April the warm-climate garden is fully in summer mode. Finish setting out tomatoes and peppers early in the month (zone 7's turn now), and shift to the true heat lovers: okra, southern peas, sweet potato slips, and melons as soil warms. UF/IFAS flags April for heat-loving herbs — basil, oregano, sage, Mexican tarragon, rosemary — and for caladiums and coleus in the ornamental beds.
This is also lawn month in the South: university calendars time the first fertilization of warm-season grass to after it has fully greened up and is actively growing, typically April. Get mulch on every bed now, watch new growth for aphids, and stay ahead of watering as temperatures climb.
Plant and sow
- Zone 7: set out tomato and pepper transplants after the last frost; warmer zones finish any remaining plantings early in the month.
- Plant the heat lovers as soil warms: okra, southern peas, sweet potato slips, melons, and eggplant.
- Plant heat-loving herbs — basil, oregano, sage, Mexican tarragon, rosemary (UF/IFAS April list).
- Add caladium, coleus, and canna for summer color.
- Succession-sow beans and squash for a longer harvest.
Maintain and protect
- Fertilize warm-season lawns after full green-up with a controlled-release nitrogen product, per Florida and Texas extension calendars.
- Mulch all beds 2-3 inches deep before summer heat sets in.
- Monitor new growth for aphids and thrips; check tomato leaves for early disease and remove affected foliage.
- Deep-water new transplants and young fruit trees as dry spring weather arrives.
- Pinch herbs and young annuals to encourage branching.
Harvest
- Pick strawberries at peak in much of the South.
- Harvest the first squash, beans, and cucumbers in the lower South from March plantings.
- Cut the last cool-season lettuce and greens before they bolt.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.
- UF/IFAS Extension — North Florida Gardening Calendar (EP451) — April: plant heat-loving herbs (basil, oregano, sage, Mexican tarragon, rosemary), coleus, caladium, canna; monitor aphids on new growth
- UF/IFAS Extension — Central Florida Gardening Calendar (EP450) — April lawn care: fertilize after new growth starts, using controlled-release nitrogen
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension (Travis County) — Monthly Gardening Calendar for Austin Area — Central Texas monthly checklists: hold lawn fertilizing until April; monthly vegetable-garden task lists
Keep going
Garden Tasks for January (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for February (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for March (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for August (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for December (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for July (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for June (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide
Garden Tasks for May (Warm-Climate US)
Seasonal Action Guide