Seattle in April: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, April in Seattle has run 6.0–13.4°C with about 81 mm of rain across the month. Here is what weather like that will carry to harvest.
Everything above is a five-year average. In the game it is this — the weather Seattle is actually having, today.
Grow one in Seattle's weather right now →❄️ No sub-zero nights in April in the last 5 years — frost is not the limiting factor here.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Mar 1, first autumn frost around Dec 9 — roughly 283 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 8.7 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 2.0°C from the first ten days to the last.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-April, then adding up the warmth Seattle usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens | 54 | Jun 7 |
| 🌿 Rocket | 44 | May 28 |
| 🌿 Coriander | 58 | Jun 11 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 59 | Jun 12 |
| 🌿 Spinach | 56 | Jun 9 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 42 | May 26 |
| 🧄 Garlic | 77 | Jun 30 |
| 🫛 Peas | 72 | Jun 25 |
| 🟣 Beetroot | 72 | Jun 25 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 76 | Jun 29 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 84 | Jul 7 |
| 🥬 Kale | 64 | Jun 17 |
🌡️ Chili Pepper, Yardlong bean, Bitter melon, Luffa, Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Seattle — not in any month. Locally these need a greenhouse or a warm windowsill.
Best crops to sow now
- 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens Ideal about 90 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Rocket Ideal about 66 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Coriander Ideal about 92 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip Ideal about 103 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Spinach Ideal about 83 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish Ideal about 64 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🧄 Garlic Ideal about 116 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas Ideal about 124 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot Ideal about 124 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry Good about 132 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C is too cold (ideal 10–27°C)
- 🫘 Broad bean Good about 143 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥬 Kale Ideal about 106 days to harvest Recent mean 9.7°C — right in the sweet spot
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 9.7°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 9.7°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 9.7°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Seattle
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Seattle, averaged day by day over the last 5 years. Whether a crop finishes in time is worked out from its own starting temperature and heat requirement — those numbers are listed on each crop page if you want to check them.