Vancouver in April: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, April in Vancouver has run 5.2–11.6°C with about 117 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 Vancouver is actually having, today.
Grow one in Vancouver's weather right now →❄️ In 1 of the last 5 years, Vancouver saw at least one night at or below 0°C in April (record low 0.0°C). Cold-sensitive crops need cover.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Mar 10, first autumn frost around Nov 17 — roughly 252 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 9.2 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 2.2°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 Vancouver usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 47 | May 31 |
| 🌿 Rocket | 49 | Jun 2 |
| 🌿 Spinach | 60 | Jun 13 |
| 🌱 Microgreens | 8 | Apr 22 |
| 🌿 Coriander | 63 | Jun 16 |
| 🧄 Garlic | 82 | Jul 5 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 65 | Jun 18 |
| 🫛 Peas | 77 | Jun 30 |
| 🟣 Beetroot | 77 | Jun 30 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 89 | Jul 12 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 81 | Jul 4 |
| 🍃 Mint | 28 | May 12 |
🌡️ Cucumber, Tomato, Chili Pepper, Pumpkin, Edamame, Yardlong bean, Bitter melon, Luffa, Winter melon, Aubergine, Okra never accumulate enough heat outdoors in Vancouver — not in any month. Locally these need a greenhouse or a warm windowsill.
Best crops to sow now
- 🍒 Cherry Radish Ideal about 88 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Rocket Ideal about 84 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Spinach Ideal about 102 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌱 Microgreens Ideal about 8 days to harvest 🪴 Windowsill pot — sheltered from outdoor weather
- 🌿 Coriander Ideal about 118 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🧄 Garlic Ideal about 135 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip Good about 140 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫛 Peas Good about 159 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot Good about 159 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean Good about 175 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry Marginal about 170 days to harvest Recent mean 8.4°C is too cold (ideal 10–27°C)
- 🍃 Mint Ideal about 30 days to harvest 🪴 Windowsill pot — sheltered from outdoor weather
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 8.4°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 8.4°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 8.4°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Vancouver
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Vancouver, 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.