What to plant this week in Indianapolis, IN
With Indianapolis hovering near the April 21 frost date, this week marks the critical transition where late-spring transplants can finally be moved outdoors but early summer harvests are already ripening on your shelves. The threat of a return to sub-freezing temperatures below -5°F is fading, yet gardeners must remain vigilant as cool nights still linger before the true heat sets in.
The next 7 days
Indianapolis, INGrowing in Indianapolis right now
- Take advantage of the narrow window between now and mid-May to transplant tender crops like Basil, Zinnia, and Scarlet Runner Beans before the soil warms enough for them to thrive without protection.
- Focus your harvest efforts immediately on Bush Beans, Early Zucchini, and Cantaloupe, which are listed as ready soon, while preparing to plant Garlic cloves if you missed the fall deadline earlier this season.
- Amend heavy clay soils common in Marion County with compost before planting Okra or Sweet Potatoes to ensure proper drainage during our typical spring rainfall spikes.
Sow this week
No direct sowing windows open this week.
Transplant this week
Nothing is due to go out this week.
Harvest soon
45 crops- Basil
- Borage
- Bush Bean
- Cantaloupe
- Celery
- Cleome (Spider Flower)
- Cosmos
- Cowpea (Black-Eyed Pea)
- Cucumber
- Dahlia
- Edamame
- Fennel
- Flour Corn
- French Marigold
- Garden Verbena
- Garlic
- Ghost Pepper (Bhut Jolokia)
- Gourd (Ornamental/Bottle)
- Honeydew Melon
- Leek
- Lima Bean
- Lisianthus (Prairie Gentian)
- Loofah (Luffa)
- Malabar Spinach
- Nasturtium
- Okra
- Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine
- Parsnip
- Pole Bean
- Potato
- Pumpkin
- Roselle (Cranberry Hibiscus)
- Scarlet Runner Bean
- Shiso (Japanese Basil)
- Summer Savory
- Sunflower
- Sweet Corn
- Sweet Potato
- Thai Basil
- Vinca (Madagascar Periwinkle)
- Watermelon
- Winter Squash
- Yellow Summer Squash
- Zinnia
- Zucchini
Seasonal tips
- Keep a close eye on pollinator-friendly flowers like Cosmos and Zinnia to ensure good seed set.
- Harvest bush beans and cucumbers frequently to encourage continued production throughout summer.
- Protect young transplants from late spring chill with row covers if an unexpected cold snap occurs.
- Plan succession sowing for cool-season crops now so they are ready as the weather cools in October.
Pest & disease watch
- Monitor for aphids and spider mites on newly transplanted Celery and Fennel, as the changing temperatures often trigger these outbreaks.
- Watch for squash vine borers attacking early Zucchini and Winter Squash plants, which become active as soil temperatures rise above 60°F.
- Check Cleome (Spider Flower) and Cosmos stems for cutworms, a frequent issue in Indianapolis lawns that can girdle young seedlings overnight.
Watering this week
Water deeply in the morning to reduce evaporation and prevent fungal issues on leafy greens.
Save seeds from your best-performing varieties like French Marigold and Zinnia to start your next season's garden early.
Indianapolis gardening questions
3Can I plant my Basil and Okra now since the frost danger has passed?
Yes, you can move these heat-loving transplants outdoors immediately, but keep an eye on them for a few nights in case we dip toward our -5°F minimum before warming up.
My Zucchini is producing quickly; when should I harvest and how often?
Harvest your Zucchini every two to three days now that it's marked as ready soon, cutting the fruit when they are still small and tender to encourage continued production.
Is there a safe time this week to plant Garlic for next year's crop?
Since Garlic is on the list of items to manage now in Zone 6b, you can plant cloves today if your soil isn't frozen solid, aiming for harvest before our first frost date of October 24.
Other cities in zone 6b
12See the full zone 6b guide → · Plan your Indianapolis garden in SproutGuide →