Fall is in full swing along the Virginia Beach coastline, bringing with it crisp breezes, falling temperatures, and gorgeous fall foliage. The season of harvest is here–but it doesn’t mean that your planting has to stop! Whether your garden is reserved for edible eats only or luscious, rare blooms, we promise that fall can be an equally valuable season for your garden’s growing schedule.
Below, we’re helping you get the most out of your Virginia Beach garden beds in the colder months and showing you where you can go to pick up the best bulbs, tools, and gardening day essentials.
Read on for our comprehensive guide to Virginia Beach fall planting, and get ready to make your yard perfect for your incoming rental residents.
1. Complete Your Harvest & Support Your Soil
They don’t call fall the season of harvest for nothing! To avoid overgrowth and nutrient competition, consider clearing your beds and harvesting what you can. If you have shrubbery and florals in place of veggies and herbs, consider pruning or cutting them back to keep them growing healthily before you choose to plant next.
Now’s the best time to give your soil a much-needed boost, especially due to the high volume of nutrients your garden has likely taken. Before you put anything else down, consider what you’ll use for soil amendment. Our favorite additions include:
- Leaf mold: This addition breaks down easily in all soil types and promotes healthy hydration, airflow, and soil movement.
- Coconut coir: This amendment is the actual fibrous elements of the coconut, which promote soil water retention.
- Compost: This option is simple to make at home and should be a regular amendment so long as it’s properly processed and aerated. Compost adds rich nutritional composition to your soil parcels.
Looking to give your garden a boost? Stop by the McDonald Garden Center off Independence Blvd in Virginia Beach. They have some of the most extensive soil enrichment options and gardening essentials you’ll need for the Virginia Beach fall planting season.
2. Select Your Next Round of Plants
Now that you’ve prepared your soil or growing medium, it’s time to choose your next round of plants for fall planting in Virginia Beach’s cool, moist climate. Certain favorites that do especially well in the cooler temperatures include:
- Lettuces
- Kohlrabi
- Peas
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Chard
- Turnips
If you’re feeling more florally inspired for your fall planting schedule, you might also consider planting:
- Coral Bells
- Sweet Flag
- Small Miscanthus
- Violas
- Pansies
- Winter Annuals
Looking for the perfect fall- and winter-hardy additions for your Virginia Beach rental property? Consider the assortment at Four Seasons Nursery. They specialize in providing a range of seasonally-appropriate, native choices that are perfect to brighten up your outdoor living space. You can visit their store at 961 S. Military Hwy in Virginia Beach, or you can connect with them directly at their main line: 757.420.4182.
3. Invest in Irrigation
Irrigation is one of the most important considerations for your fall and winter garden. Virginia Beach is considered to be in Zone 8A of the USDA Hardiness Zone scale, which means that your garden needs about one inch of water per week–even in the winter! You can accomplish this easily with an effective irrigation system. Looking for recommendations? Instead of trying to piecemeal something together, we recommend getting professional insight and systems. Winesett Nursery & Landscaping is our top choice of irrigation and gardening shop, as their experts have years of experience crafting custom irrigation systems for some of the most complex and multifaceted coastal garden spaces.
Virginia Beach Rental Property Support
Considering listing your property in Virginia Beach? Connect with the team at PMI Virginia. Our specialists have years of experience helping rental properties break through the Virginia Beach rental market and are fully prepared to partner with you in success at every point in your rental journey. For more information and to get started today, please give us a call at 757.466.8378.
