What to grow on your balcony or terrace in April?
In April, the first days of spring bring longer days, more light and milder temperatures. It's the perfect time to start sowing and planting!
Be careful, though, as you know the saying: April is not the time to be shy! It also applies to plants: while the earth may be warming up, the risk of frost is not yet over. Remember to protect your plants when temperatures drop 😉
Discover the plants you can sow, plant and harvest on your balcony in April.
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Contents
What to plant on my balcony in April?
In April, growing plants in pots offers many possibilities! Here are a few ideas for plants suitable for growing in pots, window boxes or tubs, for a lush, green balcony vegetable garden.
Vegetables
In the vegetable garden, plantshallot and onion bulbs, as well as potato tubers , crosnes and Jerusalem artichokes. Try your hand atartichokes, to take advantage of their extraordinary flowering! And why not try growing ginger?
- Shallots and onions: Plant bulbs 2 cm deep in light soil. Space each bulb 10-15 cm apart.
- Potatoes: count on a 40L pot for 3 to 4 potato plants. Find a sunny spot for them. Plant the sprouted tubers at the bottom of your pot. Add substrate as the potatoes grow, so that they produce new tubers. Tubers should not be exposed to light. Harvest when foliage turns yellow!
- Crosnes: Crosnes are small, white tubers that are very tasty. Plant crosnes in bunches of 3 or 4 rhizomes, in holes 10 cm deep. Give your pot a sunny exposure. Water regularly. Harvest once the foliage has disappeared in autumn.
- Ginger: first, find fresh ginger rhizomes in your local organic department. In a large, deep pot (at least 30 cm in diameter), lightly press your ginger into the soil. Find a warm, sunny spot and keep it well moistened. After a month, you'll see green shoots appear. After 6 to 9 months, the stems will wither, and you'll be able to harvest new ginger rhizomes!
Fruit trees
For fruit trees, plant strawberry and raspberry plants. Plant your strawberry plants in a sunny spot, preferably in rich, cool, low-limestone soil.
Aromatic plants
For aromatic plants, planttarragon, lemon balm, chives or dill.
Ornamental flowers
How about some flowers? Plant summer-flowering bulbs in your window boxes, such as lilies, gladioli, dahlias and begonias. To plant your bulbs at the right depth, dig a hole about 3 times the height of the bulb. You can also plant heather, geraniums, campanulas and Japanese anemones.
What to sow in April
April is sowing time! Some seeds need to be sown under cover, but others can be sown in the ground, directly in situ.
Vegetables
In April, you can sow your tomato, eggplant, bell pepper, chilli, zucchini, cucumber and gherkin seeds indoors ! Start your seedlings indoors. Find them a sunny spot to prevent them from wilting. Native to hot climates, their seeds need relatively high heat to grow. Cherry tomatoes are particularly well-suited to balcony gardening, thanks to their small size.
Sow spinach, carrot, turnip, parsnip, radish, leek, pea, beet, Chinese cabbage, fennel and salad seeds!
- Radishes: the ideal crop for gardening beginners! Radishes are easy to grow in small spaces. Separate your seeds by 2 to 3 cm, and cover them with 1 to 2 cm of potting soil. Radishes like sun or half-shade. Water as soon as the soil dries out. Some varieties develop in as little as 3 weeks! Space out your seedlings to spread out your harvests.
- Cabbage pak choï: space seeds 20 cm apart and sow 1 cm deep. Chinese cabbage prefers half-shade exposure. Water-hungry, water regularly.
- Salads: in April, recommended varieties include watercress, rocket, escarole, lettuce, batavia... Plant seeds 1 cm deep and 2 to 3 cm apart. Place in part-shade and water regularly. Plant individually in pots, or several plants in window boxes or tubs. The first leaves can be harvested after 5-6 weeks.
Aromatic plants
For aromatic herbs, sow seeds of parsley, coriander, chives, dill, chervil, lemon balm and chamomile. Sow basil, oregano and rosemary indoors in pots. You can put them outside once the risk of frost has passed.
Edible flowers
To encourage biodiversity and pollination on your balcony, don't forget to plant flowers such as nasturtium, borage and marigolds! These flowers are also edible.
What to harvest in April
Prepare beautiful salads by carefully harvesting lettuce or arugula leaves. Don't forget to add a little parsley or delicious radishes for a touch of freshness.
There are several ways to harvest lettuce:
- Remove the larger leaves from the sides as you go along. This way, your lettuce will continue to grow. After several harvests, it will eventually go to seed.
- Cut off the plant's leaves halfway up, leaving the heart intact. This will enable the plant to grow stronger and bushier.
- Harvest the whole lettuce once it has fully developed. Use a knife to make a clean cut at the crown.
Harvest cabbages, turnips, peas and leeks too. There's plenty for you to enjoy in the kitchen!
If you sow your spinach early, you may be lucky enough to enjoy your first leaves.
Enjoy your meal!
