April in Montana can be a bit of a wildcard—sunshine one day, snow the next—but it’s also when gardeners start itching to get their hands in the dirt. Whether you're tending raised beds in downtown Bozeman or managing a sprawling yard in Gallatin Gateway, this is the month to lay the groundwork for a beautiful and productive growing season.
Start with Soil
Before anything goes in the ground, it’s time to prep your soil. If the ground has thawed and dried out enough to work, start by removing any leftover debris from last season—dead stems, leaves, and weeds. This is also the perfect time to test your soil pH and nutrient levels. Local garden centers or MSU Extension offer affordable soil testing kits, and a little info now can save you frustration later.
Amend your beds with compost or well-aged manure to boost nutrients, and consider adding mulch to suppress early weeds and retain moisture as temperatures rise.
Plan & Prep Your Planting
In most of Montana, April is still too early to put most warm-weather crops directly into the ground, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait. Start hardy vegetables like peas, spinach, radishes, and lettuce directly outdoors as soon as the soil is workable. These cool-season crops thrive in early spring conditions and will give you a head start on fresh harvests.
Indoors, it’s time to start seeds for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. Place seed trays in a sunny window or under grow lights and keep them warm—heating mats can help germination rates. Come late May or early June, you’ll be ready to transplant healthy, hardened-off plants into your outdoor beds.
Tidy Up Your Perennials & Shrubs
April is ideal for pruning and shaping most perennial plants and shrubs—just make sure to wait until new growth is visible so you don’t accidentally remove viable buds. Cut back ornamental grasses and dead stems from last year’s flowers to encourage healthy regrowth.
If you have fruit trees or berry bushes, this is a great time to prune them as well. Just make sure the risk of deep freezes has passed to avoid damage to new cuts.
Protect from Late Frosts (Because… Montana)
Even with sunny afternoons and longer days, Montana isn’t done with frosts in April. Keep row covers or frost cloth handy for unexpected cold snaps, especially if you've started planting outdoors. Raised beds warm up faster and are easier to protect, so consider prioritizing those for early sowing.
Container gardening? You’re in luck—pots can be moved in and out of shelter as needed, giving you more flexibility in unpredictable weather.
Plan for Pollinators
If you’re dreaming of wildflowers and a buzzing, blooming garden come summer, now’s the time to plan for pollinator-friendly additions. April is a great month to start native flower seeds indoors or direct sow varieties like bee balm, coneflower, and black-eyed Susan that thrive in our climate and support local bees and butterflies.
Adding pollinator plants not only supports the ecosystem—it boosts your vegetable yields, too.
Need a hand finding local gardening resources, landscaping professionals, or simply dreaming up how to maximize your outdoor living space this season? I’d love to help.
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