I bought a farm in Southern VA. My dream has been to grow organic produce for profit. I know it’s a big job, especially for a novice so this year I’ll spend testing the soil, trying to grow things on a smaller scale.

I’m a little miffed over the season here. In Dec the temps could reach 65 degrees and there has been plenty of rain so the trees even start to bud back up again before it freezes again. I’d really love some solid advice from other Virginia gardeners, please.

I want to grow berries and brambles. When is the best time to plant these? Some people tell me Jan/Feb and other tell me spring. Keep in mind that I have never grown anything but strawberries.

Garlic- if the temps are high maybe I should plant the cloves in Jan so they come up in spring?

My soil is clay and seem pretty good, after all this is tobacco country, nice rich soil. Is it too dense for produce such as eggplant, cabbage, beans, etc?

Compost- I’m going to need a lot of it. Can I start this in early spring? Once it’s “done” can I save it? How can I make large amounts of it? I have some rescued farm animals- goats that I clean the bedding every week with lots of poop filled straw.

Thanks,
Tam

Hi--

I live in Richmond but am not a farmer.

I can tell you about the climate. Yes, the soil is very heavy orange clay.

We usually have pretty mild winters with a few small snowstorms. As you can tell so far this winter, we really aren't actually having a winter. Do not be surprised if this continues the remainder of the winter. I would not be surprised if we get no snow this year. I'll bet on it if we don't have any by Feb. 1. And yes, spring is in February. I think you'd be fine planting your black/rasp berries in early April.

I don't know anything about garlic, but if it acts at all like bulb flowers (hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses) I think the bulbs should have been planted by December 15th.

The growing season is very long and hot and humid. You will have a problem with powdery mildew because of the humidity and many buggy pests. I guess you are looking for non-chemical methods to rid yourself of these pests?

You should have great success growing all your berries, including strawberries. Lots of small farmers grow strawberries in Central and Coastal Virginia. I don't know what brambles are except the brambles that are those sticker bushes out in the woods.

If your farm is located twixt VA Beach and Petersburg, you may want to consider growing peanuts. This area is famous for them.

Good luck with your venture.

I have no advice to give other than what was aready stated by chocosoymilk, but welcome to Richmond! I am so excited to have you here and will gladly buy produce from you.

Thank you.

I am near Danville right by the NC state line off 58. Actually I'm maybe 20 minutes west of Danville. We will be open the public at some point. I'm going to try to get some things going so if the crops make it they will be for sale. My dream is to allow visitors to come, bring their families to visit the recued farm animals and take organic/natural produce home. I'm not sure if I can get certified right away or how important it is. I will, by my own standards grow healthy chemical free produce. I would like for families to come here and see now nice it is and learn how to grow smaller gardens at home.

The land is like a park with a nice creek along the back. The camping down there is execellent and it's so peaceful. In fact the name of my farm is Dancing Creek. If anyone wants to help me do some digging this spring they are more then welcome to camp by the creek and eat some good healthy food.

Peanuts? really? hmmm that sounds like fun.

I want to grow everything!

Oh also you said spring is feb??? No I don't think so.

So when do you start planting in the ground around here?

I'm in Richmond, too - in Midlothian, actually. Welcome to Virginia. Your ideas sound wonderful - especially the rescued farm animals. I hope you find your venture very successful!

Tamstrees--Yes, you will be surprised to find how many tender flowers come up in February. Many times, I've seen the crocuses blooming in late January. And you are in Danville, that is even warmer and milder than RIC. In Ric the last chance of frost is like May 5. The average last frost is about April 10. But remember there is a big difference between light frost and a hard killing freeze.

I love the idea of the rescued animals, too!

Peanuts are supposedly very easy to grow.

"Is it too dense for produce such as eggplant, cabbage, beans, etc?"

The wonderful thing about compost is that it is good for both excessively clay soil and excessively sandy soil. helps aerate and loosen clay soil, and helps keep sandy soil from allowing too rapid loss of nutrients, from organic sources or commercial chemicals, downward. Also check with cooperative extension as for the recommendations for cover crops to use to help keep the soil loose. They might have a succession they recommend. It is basicly the type of root system that they think is best for your soil. With a lot of work at at, after about 3 years of compost, cover, and green manures, you can have soil that has a very nice texture, is not too clayey any more. It does take about 3 years. Meanwhile, you can grow things that don't mind a bit of clay. Coop extension should be able to tell you. You will probably need all the compost you can imagine, and more. If you have trees and a fall season, you will be able to collect leaves, and will never have to buy any organic matter. If you are near sea water you can use a certain amount of salty seaweed. Kelp. Not too much tho. These has plant auxins that stimulate development, as well as provides organic matter.

While many crops prefer sandy soil, there are only a few that absolutely won't grow in clayey soil, after it has a good deal of organic matter added.

I'd recommend some books but Soilman will just argue that they are fluff and a waste of paper.

Oh what the heck, I'll list them anyway:

"Four Season Harvest" and "The New Organic Grower" by Eliot Coleman

"Grow More Vegetables" by John Jeavons

"Permaculture: a Designers' Manual" by Bill Mollison

"New Roots for Agriculture" by Wes Jackson

"One Straw Revolution" by Masanobu Fukuoka


These are some of the books I look at most, especially the Mollison and Jeavons. The Jackson and Fukuoka books are more for philosophy than detailed techniques. The Mollison and Jeavons have the most detail and have been the most useful to me.

I have nothing constructive to add, but apparently my mind is in the gutter because every time I see this thread I miss read the word "virginia" :naughty: