Vegetables Recommended for Virginia

Introduction

In 2025, a multi-year Community Engaged Research (CEnR) project was initiated to evaluate vegetable varieties commonly grown in the Commonwealth. Home gardeners participated by rating varieties on yield, taste, and overall performance.

This publication summarizes results from the first year of trials. While these findings represent an initial step, ongoing evaluations will provide even stronger guidance to help answer the question: “What variety should I grow?”

For detailed annual reports and information on individual varieties, visit the Home Vegetable Variety Trials website (ext.vt.edu/lawn-garden/home-vegetables/Home_Vegetable_Variety_Trials.html).

How to Use the Table

The table below (Table 1) includes disease resistance information to assist Virginia home gardeners in selecting varieties. Disease-resistant cultivars provide the most effective protection against many serious vegetable diseases. While not completely immune, these varieties carry genetic traits that allow them to keep producing even under high disease pressure. Choosing resistant varieties greatly increases the chances of a healthy, productive harvest.

The average days to harvest shown here reflect data from our trials and may differ from published descriptions. This information offers a more accurate picture of how each variety performs in Virginia gardens.

Rating and recommendation are based on evaluations by participants in the annual Virginia Home Vegetable Variety trial. The Overall Rating score uses a scale from 1 (poor performance) to 10 (excellent performance). The Recommendation score represents the percentage of respondents who indicated they would recommend the variety, based on trial evaluations.

Additional Resources

A previous version of this publication, authored by Charles R. O’Dell and Diane Relf, Horticulture Extension Specialists at Virginia Tech, was last updated and published in 2009. While this edition is outdated, it may still serve as a useful reference for those seeking information on vegetable varieties for Virginia home gardens. To access this resource, visit VTechWorks, Virginia Tech’s institutional repository, which provides open access to scholarly works. (vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/items/0247671e-2a4f-4dc2-a0b5-0d74febf28b5).

The Virginia Cooperative Extension publication 426-331 - Virginia’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide (pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-331/426-331.html) can be used to determine quantities to plant.

Table 1: Variety Recommendations