Virginia’s unique climate offers gardeners a chance to grow food almost year-round. With mild winters, warm summers, and pleasant transition seasons, the Old Dominion State creates perfect conditions for many vegetables to thrive.
Knowing which plants work best with our weather patterns can help you enjoy fresh, homegrown produce in every season.
1. Kale: The Winter Warrior
Frost actually improves kale’s flavor, making it sweeter and more tender. This leafy powerhouse grows straight through Virginia’s mild winters when other vegetables have long given up.
Plant kale in late summer for a fall harvest that continues well into winter. Some gardeners report harvesting from the same plants for over six months! The ‘Lacinato’ and ‘Winterbor’ varieties perform exceptionally well in Virginia’s climate.
2. Snap Peas: Spring’s Sweet Treasure
Nothing announces spring like the crisp crunch of a fresh snap pea. These early risers tolerate cool soil and can be planted as soon as the ground thaws in late February or early March.
Virginia’s gradual warming through spring gives snap peas the perfect growing window before summer heat arrives. Try trellising your peas to save space and make harvesting easier. ‘Sugar Snap’ and ‘Super Sugar Snap’ varieties produce abundantly in our climate.
3. Tomatoes: Summer’s Crown Jewel
Virginia’s hot, humid summers create tomato paradise. These sun-lovers soak up our long summer days, producing fruit that store-bought varieties can’t match for flavor.
Heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Arkansas Traveler’ and ‘Cherokee Purple’ stand up beautifully to our summer conditions. For best results, plant after the last frost date (usually mid-April in central Virginia) and mulch well to retain moisture during July and August dry spells.
4. Garlic: The Patient Overachiever
Plant garlic in fall, forget about it all winter, and harvest treasure come summer! Virginia’s climate provides the perfect cold period for garlic to develop robust bulbs and complex flavors.
October planting allows roots to establish before winter dormancy. The cloves then awaken with spring’s warming soil to produce summer-harvested bulbs. Hardneck varieties like ‘Music’ and ‘German Red’ perform exceptionally well in our climate, producing both delicious bulbs and edible scapes in late spring.
5. Collard Greens: Southern Tradition Meets Year-Round Production
A staple in Southern cooking, collard greens thrive in Virginia’s climate nearly year-round. Their remarkable heat tolerance keeps them producing through summer when other greens have bolted.
Fall-planted collards often survive winter to produce again in spring, giving gardeners double value. The ‘Champion’ and ‘Georgia Southern’ varieties have proven particularly well-adapted to our growing conditions. For sweeter leaves, wait until after the first frost to harvest.
6. Sweet Potatoes: Underground Summer Gold
Sweet potatoes love Virginia’s warm soil and long growing season. These tropical-origin tubers thrive in our summer heat and humidity when many other vegetables struggle.
Plant slips after soil temperatures reach 65°F (usually May) and harvest before the first fall frost. Virginia’s growing season typically provides the 90-120 days sweet potatoes need to develop fully. ‘Beauregard’ and ‘Covington’ varieties consistently produce high yields in our climate.
7. Broccoli: Twice-a-Year Performer
Virginia gardeners can enjoy two broccoli harvests annually by planting in both spring and fall. This cool-season crop thrives during our moderate transition seasons when temperatures hover between 65-75°F.
Spring-planted broccoli produces before summer heat arrives, while fall plantings often continue producing well into December. For fall crops, start seeds indoors in July and transplant in August. ‘Belstar’ and ‘Green Magic’ varieties handle our temperature fluctuations particularly well.
8. Carrots: Sweet Winter Keepers
Virginia’s sandy loam soils in many regions create perfect conditions for long, straight carrots. Fall-planted carrots develop exceptional sweetness as cold weather triggers sugar production.
Sow seeds in late July or early August for fall/winter harvest. Many Virginia gardeners practice “in-ground storage,” leaving mature carrots in the soil through winter and harvesting as needed. Our typically mild winters with limited ground freezing make this possible in most areas.
9. Peppers: Heat-Loving Flavor Factories
From sweet bells to fiery habaneros, pepper plants flourish during Virginia’s hot, humid summers. These tropical natives need our extended warm season to fully develop their complex flavors.
Start seedlings indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost, then transplant after night temperatures consistently stay above 55°F. Virginia’s growing season typically allows peppers to produce from June through first frost (usually October). For best results, choose varieties with maturity dates under 80 days.
10. Lettuce: Quick-Growing Spring And Fall Favorite
Lettuce grows so quickly in Virginia’s mild spring and fall weather that you can enjoy multiple harvests each season. These cool-weather lovers bolt in summer heat but thrive during our transition seasons.
For continuous harvesting, plant small amounts every two weeks in early spring and again starting in late August. Heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Buttercrunch’ and ‘Red Sails’ extend the growing season. Many Virginia gardeners use shade cloth to protect summer lettuce from intense afternoon sun.