What to Plant Now for a Yummy Summer Garden

This is the perfect time to start planning your summer garden, if you haven’t already. By taking note of the temperature and when frost is no longer a possibility in the weather forecast, here’s what you can plant and when to plant in eastern Virginia to have a bountiful garden this summer.

Greens

Cole crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kale and Brussels sprouts, can be direct-seeded into your garden around March 9th, assuming the ground can be worked. If you’ve already started these veggies indoors, transplant them into the garden at the end of March.

Spinach and Lettuce

These salad staples can be planted as seeds in March — generally about four weeks before the last frost, which is generally mid-April.

Radishes

Can be started as seeds in early March, generally about the same time you plant spinach and lettuce.

Carrots

Carrots should be planted directly into the ground. It is best to plant them about four weeks before the last frost, which is generally mid-April.

Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants

The nightshades can be planted in the ground in mid-April as soon as no frost is forecast. These can also be started indoors now and transplanted into the ground in April.

Onions

Can be started as seeds, sets or beginning plants in the ground in mid-March. Generally, treat as leaf veggies.

Peas

Sugar, snap and English pea seeds can be planted as long as the ground is no longer frozen.

Corn

Start directly in garden, not indoors, in soil at least 60 degrees. Generally after mid-April.

Cantaloupe and Watermelon

Directly sow seeds after mid-April.

Beans, Squash, Pumpkins, Cucumbers and Gourds

Plant seeds directly into the ground around April 20, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60 degrees.

Note: This is also a good time for planting sunflowers.

Beets

Ground temperature should be consistently at least 50 degrees to plant seeds. Otherwise, start indoors and transfer.

Hint: Soak seeds before planting for better germination.

Make sure you pay attention to when the last frost is, which varies by region. The Farmer’s Almanacwww.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar — offers a good planting guide by ZIP code. The National Gardening Association also has a planting calendar and tips at garden.org/apps/calendar.

Kim O'Brien Root: Kim O'Brien Root was a newspaper reporter — writing for papers in Virginia and Connecticut — for 15 years before she took a break to be a stay-at-home mom. When the lure of writing became too strong, she began freelancing and then took on the role of the Health Journal’s editor in Dec. 2017. She juggles work with volunteering for the PTA and the Girl Scouts. She lives in Hampton, Virginia, with her husband, a fellow journalist, their two children and a dog.