Keep Your Lawn
Just because it’s winter, that doesn’t mean you can’t maintain a healthy lawn – and even grow a few winter plants. Central Virginia’s mild winters are more agreeable for your plant life than you may realize. With advanced planning and a little know-how, you can not only keep your lawn looking and performing well all winter long, but also have it ready for optimal growing in the spring.
Explore some of the questions we hear most often about winter lawn care.
What can I grow in the winter?
The U.S. Department of Agriculture breaks the entire country down into plant hardiness zones based on their average annual minimum temperature. This determines when your growing and planting seasons are, as well as what can grow well in your garden. Central Virginia is in zone 7, with most of the Richmond area in zone 7b, making the last spring frost in the first half of April and the first fall frost in late October or early November.
These plants are known to fare well in a Central Virginia winter:
- Kale, collards, spinach, and other hardy greens
- Onions
- Leeks
- Carrots
- Brussels sprouts
- Turnips
- Parsley
- Cilantro
If you’re interested in having a winter garden, you’ll want to start planning in the summer. Many winter vegetables and herbs should be planted in June or July.
What steps can I take to get ready for spring?
One of your cold-weather gardening tasks will be to prepare for spring. If you’re hoping to grow spring flowers, those bulbs will need to be planted once the ground gets cool. It’s generally recommended for those in zone 7 to plant spring bulbs in November. If you’re growing vegetables from seeds, you’ll also want to get them started in the winter. Although most spring vegetables don’t need to be planted until March at the earliest, you may want to start them indoors as early as February.
Why Choose Commonwealth Landcare
Commonwealth Landcare is your partner in a healthy outdoor environment, no matter the time of year! Keeping track of your year-round gardening tasks can be overwhelming, but we can help. We offer a science-based maintenance program to residential and commercial customers in the Richmond area that breaks down what your lawn needs in every season. From February to November, we’ll provide regular lawn treatments that keep your lawn disease-free, weed-free, and healthier than ever. Our seven-step program takes the guesswork out of winter lawn care.
