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April Direct Sowing in the Monterey Bay Area
by Delise Weir
April is the "sweet spot" for gardeners in the Monterey Bay area.
With the frost risk behind us and an unseasonably warm spring heating the soil, you can skip the plastic pots and indoor grow lights. Planting seeds directly into your garden beds—direct sowing—is cheap, easy, and prevents transplant shock by letting roots establish exactly where they’ll grow.
1. Prep Your Soil
The foundation of a healthy garden is loamy, nutrient-rich soil.
- Handle Cover Crops: If you grew a winter cover crop, now is the time to cut it down. You can dig it in, compost the tops while leaving nitrogen-fixing roots, or "chop and drop" to use the foliage as mulch.
- Clear and Amend: Remove weeds and add a layer of compost (home-made or purchased). While compost improves soil structure and supports microbial life that makes nutrients available to plants, it lacks enough nitrogen to meet plant needs on its own. Nitrogen, is a water-soluble nutrient which needs replenishing once or twice a year.
- Fertilize Right: Use a balanced, slow-release organic fertilizer. Remember: Brassicas, like broccoli and kale crave nitrogen, while fruiting plants like tomatoes and squash need more phosphorus. When in doubt, a soil test is the best way to know exactly what your soil needs.
2. Choose Your April Crops
April is perfect for a mix of fast-growing greens and summer favorites.
- Big Seeds (Kid-Friendly): Beans, corn, squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, and melons.
- Root Crops: Beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes, and carrots.
- Short-Season Greens: Lettuce, chard, bok choy, and spinach.
- Annual Herbs & Flowers: Basil, cilantro, dill, and parsley; plus sunflowers, cosmos, zinnias, and marigolds.
- Note: Save the transplants for heat-lovers like tomatoes and peppers, or woody perennials like rosemary and lavender.
3. Plant at the Right Depth
Check your seed packet for specifics, but the golden rule is to plant seeds twice as deep as the seed is wide.
- Spacing: Follow the packet’s spacing guides. For tiny seeds like carrots, be prepared to "thin" (pull out the extras) once they sprout so the remaining plants have room to grow.
4. Water and Protect
The first month is the most critical for survival.
- The Moisture Trick: Never let the soil dry out during germination. For small seeds, try covering the area with wet newspaper. Check daily and remove the paper the second you see green sprouts emerging.
- Bird Defense: Use tulle or agrifabric to cover new sprouts. These materials let light and water in but keep birds out. Remove the fabric once plants like squash start to flower so bees can pollinate them.
- Pest Control: Slugs, snails, and earwigs love tender sprouts. Use an organic control method like traps and hand picking at night or try an organic, pet-safe product like Sluggo Plus around your plantings to keep them safe.
5. Where to Get Seeds
Look for quality seed packets at your local nursery or order from one of the many catalogs available online. Here are just a few,
- Excellent instructions on packet: Renee’s Garden Seeds, Botanical Interests
- Organically grown: High Mowing Seeds, Seed Saver’s Exchange
- Unusual varieties: Kitazawa, Baker Creek Heirloom, Truelove Seeds
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Local Plant Sales
While direct sowing is great for many crops, April and May are the best times to pick up high-quality, local seedlings for your tomatoes, peppers, and native plants.
- UC Master Gardeners of Monterey & Santa Cruz 2026 Spring Plant Sale
- Date: Online shopping opens Monday, April 27; ends Sunday, May 3
- Location: Pickup at Salinas Greenhouse or Pinto Lake County Park (Watsonville)
- Type: Online Sale / Scheduled Pickup
- Description: Offers seasonal herbs, vegetables, and water-wise plants including California native shrubs and pollinator-friendly species.
- Website: UC Master Gardeners Site
- Cabrillo College Plant Sale & Spring Festival
- Date & Time: Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Location: Cabrillo Horticulture Center, Aptos
- Type: Horticulture & Festival
- Description: A major joint event with the Santa Cruz California Native Plant Society. Features organic veggie starts, water-wise perennials, native plants, succulents, and artisan pottery. Includes shuttle vans from the bottom of the hill.
- Website: Cabrillo College Events
- UC Santa Cruz Farm Spring Plant Sale
- Date & Time: Saturday, April 25, 2026 | 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
- Location: UCSC Farm & Garden, Santa Cruz
- Type: Organic Plant Sale
- Description: Features premium organic seedlings grown by students and staff, including a massive variety of flowers, vegetables, herbs, and strawberries.
- Website: UC Santa Cruz Events
- Watsonville Wetlands Watch Native Plant Sale
- Date & Time: Saturday, May 2, 2026 | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Location: Fitz Wetlands Educational Resource Center, Watsonville
- Type: Native Plant Sale
- Description: An in-person sale focused on resilient California native species that support local pollinators and habitat restoration.
- Website: Watsonville Wetlands Watch
- Mercy Spring Ranch Heirloom Plant Sale
- Date & Time: Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Location: 21819 McBride Rd, Salinas
- Type: Heirloom Sale
- Description: Specializing in heirloom varieties with a Garden Talk starting at 10:00 am.