Virginia CropMAPVegetable CropsList of vegetable crops that are either currently grown, are recommended alternate crops, are experimental crops, or are not recommended for Virginia. Listing was compiled and written by:Greg Welbaum, Horticulture, 306B Saunders Hall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061. Phone: 540-231-5801; E-mail: welbaum@vt.edu Herman Holt, Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 33446 research Drive, Painter, VA 23420-2827. Phone: 757-414-0724; Fax: 757-414-0730; E-mail: hohlt@vt.edu Rikki Sterrett, Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 33446 research Drive, Painter, VA 23420-2827. Phone: 757-414-0724; Fax: 757-414-0730; E-mail: vators@vt.edu
Traditional - General
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| Traditional - General | |
| Asparagus | Well-adapted to VA. Profitable crop for fresh market. Not grown in VA for processing. |
| Beet | Adapted to VA for the fresh market. Limited market demand. Not grown in VA as processing crop. |
| Broccoli | Grown as a fall crop in VA. |
| Brussels Sprouts | Well-adapted to all of VA. |
| Cabbage | Well-adapted to all of VA. |
| Carrot | Adapted to VA, but performs best under cooler conditions. |
| Cauliflower | Well-adapted to all of VA. |
| Collards | Well-adapted to all of VA. |
| Cucumber | Well-adapted to all of VA. Grown both for the fresh market professing into pickles. |
| Eggplant | Adapted to all of VA. |
| Garlic, Elephant | A successful cash crop for VA. |
| Gourds | Well-adapted to VA. Gourds come from more than one plant species. Order seeds of gourds suited to VA conditions. Already limited production in VA, shows great promise as a cash crop. Lagenaria |
| Kale | Well adapted to all of VA. |
| Melon, Green-fleshed | A specialty melon with sweet green-flesh, adapted to VA, but needs light very well drained soils, performs better under hot dry conditions, short shelf-life. |
| Melon, Honeydew | Adapted to VA as long as the proper variety is selected. Yield and quality could be acceptable, but ripeness can be difficult to asses, fruits do not slip as with regular melons, and shorter maturity types are needed. Market demand is limited for local production of this type of melon. |
| Melon, Muskmelon | Well-adapted to all of VA. Largest production area on light sandy soils. |
| Mustard | Well-adapted to all of VA. Mustard greens are produced commercially. |
| Parsley | Well-adapted to all of VA, to both muck and mineral soils. See the herb list as well. |
| Parsnip | Adapted to VA, but performs best under cool conditions. |
| Pea | Well adapted to VA. |
| Peppers | Well-adapted to VA. |
| Peppers, Specialty | Includes the hot and colored peppers for the fresh market. Well-adapted to VA. |
| Potato | Well-adapted to northern VA, but the profitability of large production for the wholesale market is very questionable and not recommended unless you have a buyers agreement in advance, or already have an established market. Small acreage production is feasible for farm markets all throughout the state. The center of potato production in VA has been in northeast and eastcentral VA with one pocket in the southwest. |
| Pumpkin | Well-adapted to VA. A promising cash crop. |
| Radish | Adapted to VA. Limited market. |
| Rhubarb | Adapted to all of VA. |
| Snap Bean | Well-adapted to VA. |
| Soybean, Vegetable | Considerable potential for improving the human diet. cultivars have been developed for the state at Virginia Tech. |
| Spinach | Well-adapted to VA. |
| Squash | Well-adapted to VA. |
| Sweet Corn | Well-adapted to VA. Supersweets not recommended for the earliest plantings. |
| Sweet Potato | Adapted best to southern VA. |
| Tomato | Fresh market tomatoes are well-adapted to VA, and a major commercial crop. |
| Turnip | Adapted to VA, would perform best in cooler regions as a spring or fall crop. |
| Watermelon | Well-adapted to VA. Largest production area is in southeast VA on light sandy soils. |
| Seedless watermelons | Must be produced with pollinator cultivar. Adapted to same conditions as regular watermelon. Often grown from transplants. |
| Traditional - Coastal Plain | |
| Asparagus | Grown for direct market only. Adapted throughout the state. |
| Bean, Lima | Adapted in coastal plain, plant early to avoid flower abortion under high temperature. |
| Cabbage | Adapted throughout the state, spring and fall crop. |
| Collards | Fall and winter production. |
| Cowpea | Not adapted to coastal plain. |
| Cucumber | Adapted throughout the state, grown for fresh market and processed into pickles. |
| Gourds | Adapted to coastal plain, foliar diseases may be a challenge |
| Kale | Fall and winter production. |
| Melon, Muskmelon | Best adapted in coastal plain. |
| Mustard | Fall and winter production. |
| Pea | Adapted to coastal plain, lack of labor precludes production. |
| Peppers | Adapted throughout the state. |
| Peppers, Specialty | Red, Yellow. Sold in small quantities |
| Potato | Well adapted to coastal plain, market window late June-early August. |
| Pumpkin | Adapted to coastal plain. |
| Snap Bean | Adapted to coastal plain, spring and fall commercial crop. |
| Spinach | Fall crop, spring crop, and over-wintered in coastal plain. |
| Squash | Summer types grown commercially in coastal plain. |
| Sweet Corn | Adapted in coastal plain, mostly direct sale. |
| Sweet Potato | Adapted to coastal plain. |
| Tomato | Spring and fall commercial crop. |
| Watermelon | Best adapted to coastal plain. |
| Recommended | |
| Artichoke, globe | Imperial Star can be grown as an annual from seed if planted in late April. |
| Bitter Melon | Potential specialty crop. |
| Cabbage, Chinese | Well-adapted to the state. Many cultivars and types of Chinese cabbage are available including bok choy, che-foo, michihli, and napa. Napa is also called Japanese cabbage. Likes cooler conditions. Spring or fall production recommended. |
| Endive | Adapted to all of VA. |
| Gourd, Bottle | Potential specialty crop. |
| Gourd, Fuzzy | Potential specialty crop. |
| Gourd, Luffa | A type of gourd (Luffa cylindrica) for which the green mature fruits are processed and form a natural sponge. May be adaptable to VA, particularly in the southern areas, and has potential as a small market niche item. |
| Melon, Winter | Potential specialty crop. |
| Recommended - Coastal Plain | |
| Seedless watermelons | Best adapted to coastal plain. |
| Experimental | |
| Amaranth | Little information is available on its performance in VA. Select a vegetable type of amaranth for trial. Also called tampala, Chinese spinach, amaranth is really a type of pigweed grown for its edible leaves. |
| Arrugula | Very promising salad herb. Also called Roquette or Rocket salad. The fresh, flavorful greens are sold as a specialty herb or salad green. A cool season crop grown similar to radishes. |
| Bean, Adzuki | Cool season bean for spring or fall production. |
| Dry Bean | Recommended only when a contract is available, production on mineral soils only. |
| Lima Bean | Limited information available. |
| Chickpea | Viable crop in VA when planted in March-April. |
| Cowpea | Limited information is available. |
| Lettuce (Head and Leaf) | Adapted to all of VA, primarily as a spring or fall crop. |
| Mungbean | Potential new legume crop for VA and other southern states. |
| Onions (Bulb and Green) | Green onions are well-adapted to VA, but the profitability of large production for the wholesale market is very questionable and not recommended unless you have a buyers agreement in advance. Bulb onions are not well adapted for much of the state. |
| Pigeonpea | Promising new legume for VA. |
| Radicchio | A gourmet salad green, type of chicory may have potential for the fresh market. Not recommended for summer production unless grown at higher elevations. |
| Rocket salad | see arrugula |
| Roquette | see arrugula |
| Experimental - Coastal Plain | |
| Broccoli | Fall production only. |
| Cabbage, Chinese | Adapted throughout the state - some varieties susceptible to tip burn. |
| Eggplant | Adapted to coastal plain, preferred host of Colorado Potato Beetle. |
| Endive - Leaf | Adapted to coastal plain (fall only). |
| Lettuce (Head and Leaf) | Soil movement in heads reduces quality. |
| Melon, Green-fleshed | Best adapted in coastal plain, currently grown for local sales |
| Rocket salad | Can be grown early spring or late fall. |
| Turnip | Fall and winter production of greens. |
| Not Recommended | |
| Artichoke, Jerusalem | While it can and has been be grown in state, there is no market at present for the tuber, the plant part of commerce. Has great potential for a variety of applications, but VA growers must be assured there is a real market for the harvested product other than as seedstock for new growers. Can become a weed. |
| Cassava | VA's growing season is simply too short to grow this crop. |
| Celeriac | Not suited for VA's growing conditions and season. |
| Dasheen | Also called taro, malanga or eddo. VA's growing season is simply too short to grow this tropical plant grown for its edible corms. Potential specialty crop. |
| Jicama | VA's growing season is simply too short to grow this crop. |
| Pepino | Not suited for VA, breeding needed. |
| Not Recommended - Coastal Plain | |
| Artichoke, Jerusalem | Season too short, winters are too cold. |
| Bean, Dry | Climate too hot to set pods, too humid to dry pods, not adapted. |
| Beet | Adapted to coastal plain but generally grown in home gardens. |
| Brussels Sprouts | Climate is too warm - not adapted to coastal plain. |
| Carrot | Top soil too shallow. Nematodes can be problematic. |
| Cauliflower | Climate is too warm for coastal plain, head formation is erratic |
| Endive - Root | Climate too hot for quality root production. |
| Garlic, Elephant | Not well adapted to coastal plain - disease pressure. |
| Onions (Bulb and Green) | Too humid. |
| Parsley | Market too limited to be economically feasible. |
| Parsnip | Not adapted to coastal plain. |
| Radicchio | Not adapted to coastal plain. |
| Radish | Climate is too hot. |
| Rhubarb | Climate is too hot. |