What to plant in April in Portugal
14 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in April in Portugal, for the climate around Central Portugal, Santarem district (lat 39, lon -9).
Climate: Mild Mediterranean climate with cool, damp winters (coldest nights around 2-6 °C, rare light frost), hot dry summers with highs near 39 °C, and almost no rain from June to September, so summer beds need irrigation.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Warm, sunny summers ripen fruit well once seedlings are set out after the last cold nights in spring.
Harvest: 60-85 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Sweet pepper Capsicum annuum
Long hot days in summer give peppers the heat they need to thicken and sweeten.
Harvest: 70-90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Courgette Cucurbita pepo
Fast-growing and productive in the warm season, and it copes well with the dry summer.
Harvest: 45-60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Mild winters and cool autumns let lettuce grow in two seasons, and it bolts in the heat of summer.
Harvest: 45-65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Green bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Warm soil from spring onward gives quick, heavy pickings before the late summer heat slows plants.
Harvest: 50-65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Beetroot Beta vulgaris
Tolerates the cool season and grows quickly in the mild spring and autumn.
Harvest: 55-70 daysEasyIn pots
Fruits
Pomegranate Punica granatum
Drought-tolerant and loves the hot dry summers, which sweeten and colour the fruit.
Harvest: 3-4 yearsEasyIn pots
Orange Citrus sinensis
Mild winters above freezing and warm summers suit sweet oranges, though nights near 2 °C need some shelter.
Harvest: 3-5 yearsModerateIn pots
Watermelon Citrullus lanatus
Needs the long hot summer days that this location reliably provides.
Harvest: 80-100 daysEasy
Herbs
Basil Ocimum basilicum
Thrives in the hot sunny summer and needs only frost-free nights.
Harvest: 30-50 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
Hardy through the mild winter and productive in cool spring and autumn.
Harvest: 70-90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
Native to dry Mediterranean hillsides, it thrives on the summer drought and mild winters.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Thyme Thymus vulgaris
Drought-hardy and happy in hot, sunny, well-drained spots, surviving the local winter easily.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Prefers cool weather and bolts in summer heat, so it is best sown in spring and autumn.
Harvest: 40-60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →