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Starting vegetable seeds indoors
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Date Posted: Mon, Jan 05 - 11:06 am
- When should I start my indoor vegetable seedlings?
- For gardeners in Richmond, Virginia, the average last frost date is around April 10–20. Indoor vegetable seedlings are typically started 4–10 weeks before that date, depending on the crop. Here are some general indoor seed-starting timelines for Richmond: Start 8–10 weeks before last frost (early–mid February): Tomatoes Peppers Eggplant Start 6–8 weeks before last frost (late February–early March): Broccoli Cabbage Cauliflower Lettuce Start 4–6 weeks before last frost (mid–late March): Cucumbers Squash Melons (often better direct-seeded unless you have a short season) Best direct-seeded outdoors (after frost): Beans Peas Corn Carrots Radishes Helpful reminders: Starting too early often leads to tall, weak seedlings that are harder to transplant. Strong light is essential—most seedlings need supplemental grow lights. Seed packets provide excellent crop-specific guidance and should always be followed. Harden seedlings off gradually before planting outdoors. It's fun to start planning what you will grow this year! Good luck!
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Improving Yard conditions
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Date Posted: Mon, Jan 05 - 11:02 am
- How to thicken and greening a big yard with out reconstruction
- I apologize for the slow response to your question. I somehow did not receive the alert and just noticed the question when I was alerted to another question coming through. This is a question that needs more details for a specific response, however thickening and greening a large yard without major reconstruction is very possible, but the best approach depends on both site conditions and the end goal for the space. Before making changes, it helps to clarify whether the goal is a traditional turf lawn, a lower-maintenance landscape using native plants, or a mix of both. In general, improvements without reconstruction focus on soil health, plant selection, and management practices. Start with soil health (no digging required): Core aeration if the soil is compacted Top-dressing with compost to increase organic matter Soil testing to identify nutrient deficiencies or pH issues before fertilizing Next, match plants to both the site and the goal. If the goal is turf: Overseed with grass varieties suited to sun/shade, traffic, and moisture conditions. In Virginia, this often means tall fescue blends, fine fescues for shade, or warm-season grasses depending on location. If the goal is reduced turf: Transition difficult areas (deep shade, poor drainage, slopes, heavy traffic) to native groundcovers or mixed plantings. This can improve appearance and resilience without regrading or major removal And finally, adjust maintenance practices: Mow higher (3–4 inches for most cool-season grasses) Water deeply but infrequently Avoid over-fertilizing, which can lead to shallow roots and thinning turf Some information that would be needed to help give more specific recommendations would include sun exposure (full sun, part shade, deep shade), existing vegetation (grass type if known), size of the yard and problem areas, ultimate goal for the space (turf lawn, natives, or a combination), any recent soil test results. Feel free to follow up with us at rvamastergardeners@gmail.com. We also have some volunteers available for home consults and an in person conversation may be a great way to move forward! Thanks for reaching out to us and my apologies again for the delayed response!
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Hydrangea identification & tips
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Date Posted: Fri, Oct 31 - 10:02 am
- Any idea what kind of hydrangea this might be? It was in the garden when we moved in. Maybe the first year a couple of pinkish blooms but last year nothing In particular any suggestions for pruning would be appreciated
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners and for including the picture! From your description and photo, we think your hydrangea is most likely a Hydrangea macrophylla (French hydrangea). French hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs known for their rounded clusters of pink, blue, or purple flowers. And it sounds like your plant is still young, which can explain the limited blooming so far — these shrubs often take a few seasons to establish before flowering reliably. Here are a few tips about pruning to help improve your blooms: Hydrangea macrophylla blooms on old wood, meaning next year’s flowers form on stems that grew this year. Because of that, pruning at the wrong time can remove potential flower buds. Only prune right after the plant finishes blooming (early to mid-summer). Avoid pruning in fall, winter, or spring, as this will remove next season’s buds. When pruning, remove only dead, damaged, or very weak stems, and lightly shape the plant to improve airflow. Older, woody stems can be cut back at the base every few years to encourage new growth. A few other things to note about these hydrangeas: They prefer partial sun — ideally morning sunlight with afternoon shade. They like moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. You can add compost to improve texture and moisture retention. They should be kept evenly moist during dry periods, especially in hot weather. If your soil is naturally acidic, you may also notice the flower color shift toward blue; in more alkaline soil, blooms stay pink. We hope these tips will help you see more blooms in the years to come!
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Connecting with RVA Preschool
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 30 - 9:06 pm
- Good Afternoon, We are looking for partnerships to help our Preschool students with respecting and appreciating the environment. Do you all offer any master gardeners to come into our school/classroom and do projects with them?
- Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. One of the main focuses for the work that we do is partnerships with RVA schools! We would love to connect more and get more information about what you are looking for and see if we can partner with one of our volunteers to help. We will reach out by e-mail to connect more about this!
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Connecting Master Gardener Units
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 30 - 8:58 pm
- I am President of the Henrico Master Gardener Association. I'd like to plan a brainstorming session with other Master Gardener groups in the metro area, and would like to include Richmond City. I don't have any contact information, so am trying this. I'd appreciate it if you could pass my email and/or phone number to whomever might be interested. Thanks
- Thanks so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners! We will follow up with you via e-mail to connect!
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Growing a Winter vegetable garden
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Date Posted: Tue, Oct 28 - 10:21 am
- I have a raised garden bed, 4 ft by 8 ft, that is in a very sheltered location with good winter sunlight. I'd like to grow as much food as I can in that bed this winter. I'm open to adding a greenhouse cover of sorts if that would help, as well as mulching around the sides of the bed to keep the soil warm. what plants would you suggest?
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. It sounds like you’ve got a great setup for a productive winter garden — a raised bed with good winter sun and some shelter gives you lots of options, especially here in Richmond’s climate. With a little protection, you can keep fresh greens and roots growing all season long. We recommend focusing on cool-weather crops that tolerate frost and even improve in flavor after a chill. These include: Leafy greens: spinach, kale, collards, Swiss chard, mustard greens, and arugula Salad mixes: lettuce (especially cold-hardy romaine, butterhead, and oakleaf types), endive, and tatsoi. Root crops: carrots, beets, turnips, and radishes. Alliums: scallions and garlic (if not already planted, you can still get garlic in soon). Herbs: parsley, cilantro, and chives can survive with a little protection. A few tips to help extend your growing season: Since your bed gets good sunlight, a simple greenhouse cover or low tunnel can make a big difference. You can use PVC hoops and clear plastic sheeting to create a mini greenhouse, just be sure to open it during sunny days to prevent overheating. For added insulation, layer frost cloth (row cover) underneath the plastic on the coldest nights. You can also consider mulching the sides and soil with straw, shredded leaves, or pine needles to hold warmth and protect roots. Best of luck to you! I've also decided to grow some cool weather crops this year and have been really enjoying all of the greens my garden has been producing so far! We hope you have lots of success!
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Fall Native Seed Sowing
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Date Posted: Tue, Oct 21 - 12:33 am
- I am getting ready to sow native flower seeds. I plan on just casting them on soil (blanket flower, tickseed sunflower, cardinal flower, salvia, turtlehead and coneflower) I have some heavily mulched areas and understand I should rake that back so they contact the dirt and rake it back in the spring. I also have a lot of trees and wonder if it's ok if seeds are covered w leaves, or should I wait until all of the leaves fall and clear the area as I would the mulch? Thank you!
- Thanks for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners! Those are all wonderful native choices that benefit from being sown now so they can go through a natural winter cold stratification period. You’re also correct that good seed-to-soil contact is key for germination. Here’s how to approach each situation: Mulched areas: Yes — rake the mulch back before sowing so the seeds can fall directly onto the soil. After seeding, gently press them in (you can even walk over the area) so they make contact with the soil surface. Leave the mulch off for winter and rake it lightly back in the spring after seedlings start to emerge and you can see where they’ve sprouted. Leaf-covered areas: A thin layer of leaves is fine — it can even help protect seeds from washing away and mimic natural forest duff. However, a heavy mat of leaves (especially large, flat ones like oak or maple) can smother seeds and block light in spring. If you have thick leaf cover, wait until most have fallen, then lightly clear the area before sowing or thin the layer to about an inch so seeds can still reach the soil and get some light and moisture. Good luck! We hope you have lots of success!
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Master Gardener help in RPS
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Date Posted: Thu, Oct 02 - 12:26 pm
- Hi, I'm looking for a master gardener able to volunteer between an hour to several hours to help Chimborazo Elementary School with its landscaping plan. Our PTA is currently engaged in a major clean-up of this Title I school and in fact just two weeks ago, 30 volunteers spent 5-6 hours cleaning, weeding and mulching just about an acre. There's so much more to do and once we're out of the clean-up phase, we will begin work on 1-, 3-, and 5-year plans to make this wonderful school and its neglected gardens shine. In the near-term, I am heading up the efforts to create these plans. I could use a master gardener to walk the grounds with me to identify a handful of plants I can't, discuss options for low-maintenance plantings, and other considerations we should be sure to keep in mind. We could also use someone to help us develop these plans but even one hour of volunteer time would be wonderful for us. Thank you so much for considering this request or connecting us with other master gardeners whom this might interest. We want to create a beautiful, thoughtful and interesting place for all of the children who attend this school.
- Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. This request is RIGHT up our ally! We have a meeting this coming Monday - I will get this request to the rest of our group and work to get you connected with a Master Gardener that has the availability to help with this project. I will be in touch via e-mail next week. Thank you!
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Native Plants - best time to transplant
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Date Posted: Wed, Sep 10 - 8:08 pm
- Hello! I have several native plants and two small elderberries that I need to transplant to different spots in my yard. Is there an ideal time to do this? I heard something about "fall" being a good time, but not sure when exactly that means? Thank you!
- Good afternoon! Thank you for your question. What you have heard is exactly correct - Fall is the best time to transplant your natives, as well as your two elderberries. I would recommend anytime in October when temperatures are cooler. Be sure and add some amendments to the soil such as a good leaf compost which can be purchased at a local garden center, and water the plants well after transplanting. Thanks for reaching out!
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Insect on dog
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Date Posted: Fri, Sep 05 - 12:48 am
- I've noticed these small round black "beetles" hitching a ride into my house on my dog. Can you please tell me what they are and if they are dangerous. They are proliferative.
- Hello! Thank you so much for reaching out to the Richmond Master Gardeners. This is not our area of expertise as it does not have a tie to horticulture. You may be able to get some guidance from your veterinarian.