April to June is the planting block: hardy crops go in during April with 35-45% of working adults, tender crops go out after the last frost in May with 50-60%, and June is spent on weeding, succession sowings and the first harvests. The month names are for a temperate northern climate, so set the actual dates from your own last spring frost.
The April-June block of the farm year covers planting, transplanting, early cultivation and the first harvests.
April: Planting Begins
Labour is 35-45% of working adults, about 19 to 29 people in a community with 55-65 working adults. Several crews work at once: field preparation, planting, seedlings, animal care and fencing.
- Plant potatoes, beets, carrots, turnips, peas, lettuce (in successive sowings) and onion sets.
- Transplant brassicas and herbs.
- Start warm-season seedlings indoors: tomatoes, peppers, squash and corn.
- Asparagus begins to give, but only from established patches (the carrier says not to harvest for the first three years).
- Turn compost and set up and test irrigation.
May: The Busiest Planting Month
Labour is 50-60%, about 28 to 39 people: nearly all available hands are in the field.
- After the last frost, transplant tomatoes, peppers, squash and cucumbers.
- Direct sow corn, beans, squash (the Three Sisters) and melons.
- Succession sow lettuce, radish and beans every two to three weeks.
- Thin earlier plantings of carrots and beets.
- Begin pest monitoring with daily walks (Monitoring and Identification).
- Shear sheep and cut the first hay.
June: Weeding And Early Harvest
Labour is 45-55%, about 25 to 36 people.
- Weed. The carrier’s warning is that weeds left alone in June overtake the crops by August.
- Harvest peas, lettuce, spinach (before it bolts), early potatoes, strawberries and early cabbage.
- Start preserving: jam and pickles (Preservation Schedule).
- Sow beans, cucumbers and late squash again, and lettuce for autumn.
- Cut hay a second time, and harvest garlic scapes.
Dates Come From Frost, Not The Calendar
A crop’s earliest sowing is set by the last spring frost and soil warmth; its latest by the first autumn frost minus its days to maturity and a safety margin (Planting and Harvest Windows). Worked example, using the planting-window rule: a crop that takes 100 days to mature, with a first autumn frost expected on 15 October and a safety margin of 14 days, must be in the ground 100 + 14 = 114 days before 15 October. Counting back, 15 days reach 30 September, 45 days reach 31 August, 76 days reach 31 July, 107 days reach 30 June and 114 days reach 23 June. Do the same sum for every crop and write each result on the calendar.
Weather Moves Everything
Late frost can follow a warm April. Keep covers ready (Emergency Response (Frost, Storms)) and sow the second batch of any tender crop a week or two later than the first, as insurance.
Common Mistakes
- Planting tender crops on the first warm day. Wait for the last frost date and the forecast.
- Letting June weeding slip. It cannot be caught up in August.
- Sowing everything at once. Succession sowing spreads the harvest and the labour of preserving it.
- Harvesting asparagus from a new patch. It weakens the plants.
What’s Next
- Learn next: July-September: Peak Harvest and Preservation — the next block
- Combine with: January-March: Preparation and Planning — the block before