Table of Contents
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Curious what you should plant in Tucson in April? It's a great time in the low desert! Let's talk about what you can grow in April in Tucson.
Last frost is likely already passed by April, but you could still get a late frost early this month. I've seen tomatoes killed by April frost, but I would still have my first succession of tomatoes outside this month.
Microclimate may push your last frost back later than the Tucson average, so keep your eyes on the nightly lows this month just in case.
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Overnight average lows rise from 51F to 58F during April.
Planting
Cover Crops & Forage
1st Half of April
BROADCAST IN FIELD:
Alfalfa, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Cowpea, Millet, Sesame, Sorghum, Sorghum-Sudan (hybrid), Sudangrass
DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD:
Buckwheat, Corn, Cowpea
2nd Half of April
BROADCAST IN FIELD:
Alfalfa, Amaranth, Buckwheat, Cowpea, Millet, Sesame, Sorghum, Sorghum-Sudan (hybrid), Sudangrass
DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD:
Buckwheat, Corn, Cowpea
if you're using sorghum, sorghum-sudan, or sudangrass as forage, understand that these grasses produce prussic acid and cyanide under certain conditions which may affect some livestock. Do thorough research before grazing animals on these.
Herbs
April is the perfect time to start almost any herbs in Tucson, as we're now officially past the danger of frost at the lower elevations.
Warm tempepratures will help herbs get established quickly, before the heat really picks up.
Many herbs are perennials in Tucson, surviving both the extreme heat and the frost. Plants like oregano, mint, lemon balm, and catnip will all survive for years without maintenance. They will die back at times, but always pop back up again when conditions are favorable.
1st Half of April
SOW INDOORS:
DIRECT SOW IN FIELD:
Basil, Bee Balm, Catnip, Catmint, Chives, Epazote, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Mint, Roselle Hibiscus, Sage, Tarragon, Thai Basil
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT TO FIELD:
Basil, Bee Balm, Catnip, Catmint, Chives, Epazote, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Mint, Roselle Hibiscus, Sage, Tarragon, Thai Basil
2nd Half of April
SOW INDOORS:
DIRECT SOW IN FIELD:
Basil, Bee Balm, Catnip, Catmint, Chives, Epazote, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Mint, Roselle Hibiscus, Sage, Tarragon, Thai Basil
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT TO FIELD:
Basil, Bee Balm, Catnip, Catmint, Chives, Epazote, Lemon Balm, Lemongrass, Mint, Roselle Hibiscus, Sage, Tarragon, Thai Basil
Remember not to plant mint in the ground, even in Arizona. It will spread rapidly to any irrigated parts of your yard of garden.
Keep it in planters, pots, or grow bags, where it can't get roots into the ground. It's extremely difficult to remove if allowed to root in-ground.
Fruits & Vegetables
1st Half of April
SOW INDOORS:
Amaranth, Basil, Chili Pepper, Cowpea, Eggplant, Jerusalem Artichoke (Tuber), Malabar, Melon, Okra, Pole Bean, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper
DIRECT SOW IN FIELD:
Amaranth, Basil, Bush Bean, Chili Pepper, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Jerusalem Artichoke (Tuber), Malabar, Melon, Sorghum, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Tomato, Tomatillo, Winter Squash
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT TO FIELD:
Amaranth, Basil, Bush Bean, Chili Pepper, Cucumber, Eggplant, Jerusalem Artichoke, Malabar, Melon, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Winter Squash, Tomato, Tomatillo
2nd Half of April
SOW INDOORS:
Amaranth, Basil, Chili Pepper, Cowpea, Eggplant, Malabar, Melon, Okra, Pole Bean, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper
DIRECT SOW IN FIELD:
Amaranth, Basil, Chili Pepper, Cowpea, Eggplant, Jerusalem Artichoke (Tuber), Malabar, Melon, Okra, Pole Bean, Sorghum, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Sweet Potato (Slips)
HARDEN OFF & TRANSPLANT TO FIELD:
Amaranth, Basil, Cowpea, Eggplant, Hot Pepper, Jerusalem Artichoke, Malabar, Melon, Okra, Pole Bean, Summer Squash, Sweet Pepper, Tomato, Tomatillo
Grains, Seeds, & Cereals
1st Half of April
BROADCAST IN FIELD:
Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa, Sesame, Sorghum
DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD:
Buckwheat, Corn
2nd Half of April
BROADCAST IN FIELD:
Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, Quinoa, Sesame, Sorghum
DIRECT SOW / DRILL IN FIELD:
Buckwheat, Corn
Flowers
1st Half of April
DIRECT SOW IN FIELD:
2nd Half of April
DIRECT SOW IN FIELD:
Harvesting
Produce
1st Half of April
Carrots, Kale, Lettuce, Peas, Swiss Chard
2nd Half of April
Kale, Swiss Chard
It's more heat-tolerant than many other cool season crops.
Seed Saving
1st Half of April
Broccoli, Collard, Radish, Turnip
2nd Half of April
Broccoli, Collard, Radish, Turnip
Cut Flowers
1st Half of April
2nd Half of April
Weeding
Bindweed
Cowpen Daisy
Grass
Mallow
Spiny Sowthistle
More Tucson Planting Calendars
Know some plants I missed for April in Tucson? We'd love to hear from you over on the forum!
That's all for now, thanks for reading!
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to connect with fellow gardeners, head on over to the forum and post there.
