What to Plant in April — Zone 8

April sits inside zone 8's frost-free season (Mar 15 – Nov 15) — everything on this page can go straight into warm soil.

Transplant outdoors — Set out sturdy transplants during these windows.

🫑 Peppers Mar 29 – Apr 5 60–90 days to maturity
🍆 Eggplant Mar 29 – Apr 5 65–80 days to maturity
🍉 Watermelon Mar 29 – Apr 5 75–95 days to maturity
🍈 Cantaloupe Mar 29 – Apr 5 75–90 days to maturity
🌶️ Okra Apr 5 – Apr 12 55–65 days to maturity
🍠 Sweet Potatoes Mar 29 – Apr 12 90–120 days to maturity

Direct sow — Seeds straight into garden soil.

🍉 Watermelon Mar 29 – Apr 5 75–95 days to maturity
🍈 Cantaloupe Mar 29 – Apr 5 75–90 days to maturity
🌶️ Okra Mar 29 – Apr 12 55–65 days to maturity
🌿 Basil Mar 29 – Apr 5 30–60 days to maturity

Windows use zone 8's typical frost dates (Mar 15 / Nov 15). For your own city's dates, run the frost lookup — the planting calendar then localizes everything automatically.

Frequently asked questions

What can I plant outside in April in zone 8?

7 crops can go in the ground: peppers, eggplant, watermelon, cantaloupe, okra, sweet potatoes, basil. Exact windows are in the tables above — early and late in the month can differ by a full frost date.

Is April the right time for tomatoes in zone 8?

The spring window has passed; tomatoes set out this late won't beat the Nov 15 average first frost to ripeness. Plan for next spring's seed-starting instead.