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Are you growing vegetables this year?  To follow on from March’s sowing guide, here is a list of vegetable seeds to sow in April, as well as some handy growing tips. 

Seeds to Sow Outside in April

You can sow the following seeds straight outside in April: beetroot, peas, cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks, spinach, rocket, broccoli, broad beans, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi, beet spinach, lettuce, and radish. Here are tips on how to grow them.

Beetroot

Sow your seeds 1cm deep into the soil. Space the seeds 10 cm apart, with 30 cm between rows.

Peas

Make a flat-bottomed trench around 5cm deep and 15cm wide. Sow the seeds evenly in the trench about 7.5 cm apart, before covering them with a light layer of soil.  If you sow a second row, space it at a distance equal to the height of the final pea crop.

Cabbage

Sow cabbage seeds in April at a depth of 2cm, 25 cm apart.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

Carrots

Thinly sow the seeds, at a depth of 1cm, in rows 15–30 cm apart. Thin out seedlings if necessary – you should aim for your carrot plants to be 5 – 7.5cm apart.

Kale

Sow at a depth of 1 cm, leaving 60 cm between seeds and rows.

Leeks

Sow at a depth of 1 cm, 15 cm apart.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

Spinach

Sow your seeds 2.5cm apart, at a depth of 1cm.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

Rocket

Sow your seeds thinly, at a depth of 0.5 – 1cm.  Leave 15 cm between rows.  When the seedlings appear, thin them to make sure plants are 15cm apart.

Broccoli

Sow three seeds 2cm deep, leaving 30cm between each row.

Broad Beans

Sow seeds in April at a depth of 5cm, with 20cm between each seed. They are best sown in double rows, with the rows 20cm part. 

Brussels Sprouts

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 13mm, with 15cm between rows. 

Cauliflower

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 2cm. Depending on the size of the variety you’re growing, rows should be between 15 cm apart for small varieties to 60 cm apart for larger ones.

Chard

Sow seeds at a depth of 2.5cm, with 10cm between each seed, in rows 45cm apart.

Kohl Rabi

Sow these seeds in April at 1 cm deep in rows 30 cm apart.

Beet Spinach

Sow your seeds 2.5cm apart, at a depth of 1cm.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

Lettuce

Sow thinly at a depth of 1cm, leaving 30 cm between rows.

Radish

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 1cm, with a spacing of around 2.5 cm between each seed.  If sowing in rows, aim for 15 cm between each row.

Seeds to Sow Undercover In April

You can sow seeds for french beans, lettuce, and sweetcorn undercover in April. Here are some useful planting tips:

French Beans

Sow French beans in small pots, sowing one bean in each, planted at a depth of 5cm deep. Place the pots in a cold frame, or another sheltered and warm spot.  

Lettuce 

Sow seeds in April, thinly at a depth of 13mm, in rows 30cm apart, and cover with a cloche or tunnel.  

Sweetcorn

Grow sweetcorn in a warm, sheltered, sunny position, protected from strong winds.  I find a polytunnel works best.  Sweetcorn is pollinated by the wind, therefore seeds should be sown in blocks rather than rows, 45cm apart. Try sowing two or three seeds at each point, then thin out the extra seedlings to leave just the strongest one.

Seeds to Sow in Heat in April

In April you can sow aubergine, cucumber, celery, and tomato seeds in heat. Again, here are some useful sowing tips for each vegetable:

Aubergine

Sow these seeds at 18-21°C in small pots.

Cucumbers

Sow cucumber seeds on their side, at a depth of 1cm, in small pots. Keep them warm in a heated propagator, greenhouse, or on a sunny indoor windowsill.

Celery

Sow celery seeds thinly in seed trays or pots of moist compost at 15°C. Then apply a very light covering of fine vermiculite or sieved compost. Transplant the young seedlings into 7.5 cm pots when several true leaves appear. 

Tomatoes

Sow in small pots, then either place in a propagator or cover each pot with a clear plastic bag and place on a sunny windowsill. The seedlings need to be kept at around 18°C. Once two true leaves have formed, transplant them into 9cm pots.

What Seeds Are You Growing In April?

I’m curious to know – what are you sowing this month? I’m going to try and get a few seedlings going on our windowsill this month, and I’ll keep you updated!  There is a lot of choice when it comes to what seeds to sow in April, so I’m struggling to narrow down exactly what to sow!

Happy growing!

ps: I have lots of other useful gardening guides on Moral Fibres.  From some great sustainable garden ideas to why you should choose peat-free compost.

And if you’ve found this page through your search engine then you may be interested in May’s sowing guide for next month. For future reference, you may also be interested in my March sowing guide!  Bookmark them for later!

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Wondering what vegetable seeds to sow in March to get your vegetable garden off to a great start? Here are my top recommendations for what to sow directly outside, start indoors, or sow under heat for your best growing year yet.

I love growing my own vegetables.  Growing your own food is one great way to take real positive action against climate change.  And growing your own vegetables brings your food miles right down to zero!

However, it can be tricky knowing where to start. You don’t want to waste money on seeds that are not going to grow. If you’re a novice gardener then let me help you out. Here are some pointers on what seeds to sow in March – directly into the soil, inside, and in heat.

The Seeds to Sow Outside in March

The best seeds to sow outside in March are beetroot, early peas, kohlrabi, lettuce, parsnips, early turnips, broad beans, brussels sprouts, leeks, radish, and spinach beets. Here’s how best to grow them:

Beetroot

Sow your seeds 1cm deep into the soil. Space the seeds 10 cm apart, with 30 cm between rows.

Early Peas

Make a flat-bottomed trench around 5cm deep and 15cm wide. Sow the seeds evenly in the trench about 7.5 cm apart, before covering them with a light layer of soil.  If you sow a second row, space it at a distance equal to the height of the final pea crop.

Kohl Rabi

Sow seeds, 1 cm deep in rows 30 cm apart.

Lettuce

Sow thinly at a depth of 1cm, leaving 30 cm between rows.

Parsnips

Sow parsnip seeds thinly at depth of 13 mm, at 15cm intervals.  If growing in rows, sow each row 30 cm apart.

Early Turnips

Sow seeds thinly in a shallow groove of soil, around 1cm deep. If growing in rows, sow each row around 23 to 30cm apart.

Broad Beans

Sow broad beans seeds in March at a depth of 5cm, with 20cm between each seed. They are best sown in double rows, with the rows 20cm part.

Brussels Sprouts

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 13mm, with 15cm between rows.

Leeks

Sow at a depth of 1 cm, 15 cm apart.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

Radish

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 1cm, with a spacing of around 2.5 cm between each seed.  If sowing in rows, aim for 15 cm between each row.

Spinach Beets

Sow your seeds 2.5cm apart, at a depth of 1cm.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

The Seeds to Sow Undercover in March

Sowing undercover means in a greenhouse.  However, if you don’t have a greenhouse, or don’t have space for a greenhouse a simple cloche (a plastic or glass dome) or mini polytunnel will suffice.  We use plastic food pots rather than buying cloches to recycle and save money.

Sow summer cabbages and early cauliflowers and carrots seeds undercover in March. Here are my top tips for each vegetable:

Summer Cabbages

Sow at a depth of 2cm, 25 cm apart.  Leave 30 cm between rows.

Early Cauliflowers

Sow seeds thinly at a depth of 2cm. Depending on the size of the variety you’re growing, rows should be between 15 cm apart for small varieties to 60 cm apart for larger ones.

Early Carrots

Thinly sow the seeds, at a depth of 1cm, in rows 15–30 cm apart. Thin out seedlings if necessary – you should aim for your carrot plants to be 5 – 7.5cm apart.

The Seeds to Sow in Heat in March

The best seeds to sow in heat in March are tomatoes, celeriac, peppers, aubergines, and cucumbers.

To sow in heat you can buy electric seed propagators*.  If you’re looking for a thriftier option, you can plant seeds in small pots and set them on a sunny windowsill.  You can pop a clear plastic bag over them to help trap heat and moisture.

It does mean for a couple of months your windowsills might be overrun with plant pots, however, your efforts will be rewarded later in the summer when you have a substantial bounty of fresh vegetables that you’ve grown with your own fair hands!

Tomatoes

Sow in small pots, then either place in a propagator or cover each pot with a clear plastic bag and place on a sunny windowsill. The seedlings need to be kept at around 18°C. Once two true leaves have formed, transplant them into 9cm pots.

Celeriac

Sow celeriac seeds in March in a pot in a propagator, at 15-18°C.  Once the seedlings are hardy enough to be handled, transfer the single seedlings to individual small pots.  Maintain temperatures of 15-18°C, as excessive cold can lead to premature flowering (bolting).

Peppers

Sow seeds in small pots.  Place the pots in a heated propagator at about 18–21°C, or on a warm windowsill.  If you don’t have a heated propagator, cover your pots with a clear plastic bag or clear lid to trap moisture and warmth.  Transplant your seedlings into 7.5–9 cm pots when two true leaves have formed.

Aubergines

Sow at 18-21°C in small pots.

Cucumber

Sow cucumber seeds on their side, at a depth of 1cm, in small pots. Keep them warm in a heated propagator, greenhouse, or on a sunny indoor windowsill.

Hopefully, this guide on seeds to sow in March will keep you right this spring.  However, it’s not just about the vegetables in March.  Sowing some flowers, such as marigolds and nasturtiums at this time of year is also beneficial by way of companion planting.  These are good at discouraging pests from eating your precious seedlings, as well as being good at attracting pollinators, such as bees.

What Seeds Are You Sowing This March?

I’m curious, what seeds are you sowing this March? Any hits you’ve had in previous years? Any misses?

Come back soon and visit my post on what seeds to sow in April.  In the meantime, happy growing!   I also have lots of other useful gardening guides on Moral Fibres.  From some great sustainable garden ideas to why you should choose peat-free compost. and how to attract bees to your garden.