Get ready! Now is the time to plan your garden plot if you have not done this yet.
Our last frost date is around mid April. You should have a plan mapped out of what you want to grow.
It is also the right time to be preparing your plot. Clear/till it, and spread compost that we had delivered to the community garden during the third week of March.
You can download a 10×10 grid to draw out what you want to plant.
Tips to Planning Your Garden Plot
It is hard to visualize how large plants will become, planning out your plot on paper will help you from overcrowding your plot. As your plants grow and get over crowded, the following can happen:
- Disease is more likely because of lack of air flow. Once there is disease it is easy to spread across crowded plants
- Same goes for pests. Once you have bugs, they will easily spread to crowded plants.
- Lower production of produce. Overcrowded plants are competing for light, nutrients and water.
Don’t plant all the way to your plot border. Plant at least 1 footer inside the plot. We do not want plants growing into the paths.
If you rented the same plot last season and know what was planted, rotate your crops. This means do not plant the same variety of plant in the same place this season.
Consider building trellis to maximize your space for vining plants like cucumbers. They take up less space, plants produce better and less likely to get bugs and disease.
Learn what plants grow well together (called companion plants) and what do not.
Farmer’s Almanac Companion Plants
There are lots of resources to let you know how soon to plant what.
Here are a few to get you started.
Garden.org – Virginia Beach planting dates
Farmer’s Almanac – Virginia Beach planting dates
Planting Restrictions
If you are not sure if something falls within restrictions, email us to make sure. We will require you to pull plants that don’t meet our guidelines if we see them.
- Planting any trees, shrubs or bushes require advance approval. This includes non-herbaceous plant material that does not die to the ground every winter.
- No invasive plants in the ground. Invasive plants quickly spread outside of their normal range. They quickly take over their environment and spread. Once established, they are difficult to remove. Examples: all Mints, Lemon Balm, Bee Balm, Oregano. If you want them in your plot, they must be contained in a pot that is then sunk in the ground.
- Marijuana plants can not be grown at the community garden. (It is illegal to have them publicly viewable.)