Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to common questions about vegetable starts, flowers, herbs, fruit, fresh produce, and growing tips to help your garden thrive.
Seasonal Produce
& Pre-Orders
When is fresh, local corn ready?
Fresh local corn is typically ready from late July through early August, depending on the weather.
When is fresh-eating, Joe’s-grown, and other local produce available?
Fresh produce is typically available beginning in late May each season.
When do you accept pre-orders for summer vegetables and fruits?
We begin accepting pre-orders on June 1 each season.
When are garlic braids available?
For years, we partnered with our friends at Boxx Berry Farm to grow our famous Italian Silver softneck garlic, allowing us to produce several hundred garlic braids each season. After Boxx Berry Farm sold their property, we could no longer reliably source Italian Silver garlic.
In 2026, we began working with another local farm to grow a small amount of garlic for us to braid and sell. When garlic braids are available, they are typically ready in late August.
We do not reserve or accept pre-orders for garlic braids.
Vegetable Starts
& Home Gardening
When is the earliest you have tomato plants available for sale?
Our first round of tomato plants is typically ready in mid-March each season. Early-season plants should be protected from cold temperatures in a greenhouse.
Can I begin planting vegetable starts in my home garden in early March?
Absolutely! Several varieties are cold-hardy and can tolerate a light frost, including lettuces, salad greens, onions, peas, and brassicas.
Early March is also a great time to direct-sow radishes, carrots, beets, and spinach in your garden.
When is it safe to plant tomato and pepper plants outside?
Depending on our weather pattern, we recommend waiting until late April to plant tomatoes and peppers outdoors. As a general guideline, nighttime temperatures should consistently remain above 50°F. Waiting for warmer nighttime temperatures reduces the risk of frost and cold-related plant damage.
Do you offer autumn/fall vegetable starts?
We sure do! From late July through late August, we offer a great selection of lettuces, salad greens, onions, peas, and brassicas for late-summer planting.
You can also direct-sow radishes, beets, carrots, and other vegetables. Seeds are available in our Plant Barn.
Flowers & Ornamental Plants
Do you offer fresh-cut flower bouquets, and when are they available?
Yes! We grow a large variety of fresh-cut flowers in our fields. Availability generally begins with peonies around May, followed by snapdragons, sunflowers, and sweet peas in late June, and mixed dahlia bouquets beginning in mid-July.
Can I pre-order flower bouquets for an event?
Yes! Bouquets and flower buckets can be pre-ordered while flowers are in season, typically July through September.
Quantities, colors, and flower varieties depend on the time of year and field production. We require at least seven days’ notice for bouquet pre-orders, and customers must provide their own buckets for transporting flowers from Joe’s Gardens.
Please contact us during business hours for current availability and pricing.
Can I select and hold hanging baskets for Mother’s Day?
Yes! Visit us to select your basket(s), pre-pay, and we will tag and care for them until you are ready for pickup. All pre-paid baskets must be picked up no later than Mother’s Day weekend.
Is there such a thing as a “deer-resistant” plant?
Yes! We offer a large selection of deer-resistant plants for both sun and shade gardens. We’ll be happy to walk you through the available options when you visit us.
Growing Practices
& Products
Is Joe’s Gardens organic?
Joe’s Gardens is not a Certified Organic grower. We use no pesticides or herbicides on our vegetable starts or on produce grown in our fields, including pesticides and herbicides approved for organic production. We also do not use GMO (genetically modified organism) seeds or plants.
In addition to what we grow ourselves, we offer certified organic, uncertified organic, and conventionally grown produce.
Please visit our Growing Practices page for more information about Joe’s-grown produce and plants.
Do you offer bulk soil and compost?
We do not offer bulk soil or compost, but we carry several varieties of bagged soil and compost.
Shopping, Payment, Delivery & Returns
Do you accept EBT/SNAP benefits?
Unfortunately, we no longer qualify to offer EBT/SNAP benefits due to a policy change within the program. We closely monitor eligibility changes and hope to add this payment option again in the future if we become eligible.
Do you offer plant or produce home delivery?
No. We do not currently offer home delivery for plants or produce.
Can I return plants I purchased from Joe’s Gardens?
Yes. We are happy to review plant return requests made within 48 hours of purchase. Please retain your receipt.
Plants must be in their original pots with all corresponding tags and accompanied by a Joe’s Gardens receipt. A manager will review the return request.
We ensure that plants leaving our nursery are healthy unless they are marked down and sold “as-is,” in which case they are not returnable. Many factors can affect a plant’s ability to thrive after purchase, including temperature, soil, nutrition, sunlight, water, and transplant stress. Because these conditions are outside our control, we cannot guarantee a plant’s survival once it leaves Joe’s Gardens.
Can I return empty pots and flats from plants I purchased at Joe’s?
Unfortunately, we cannot accept used pots or flats. We are unable to sterilize them for reuse and do not have the dumpster capacity to dispose of them.
You may want to check with Lowe’s to see whether your local store currently accepts plastic garden pots for recycling.
Visiting Joe’s
& Farm Information
Do you offer U-pick vegetables and flowers?
We do not offer U-pick vegetables or flowers. Sustainable Connections offers resources for finding U-pick farms in our area.
Do you offer school tours?
We do not offer formal guided tours of our property or farm operations. Visitors are welcome to walk through our greenhouses and retail spaces. Our production fields are closed to the public.
Why is Joe’s Gardens seasonal instead of open year-round?
By October, our crew needs a well-earned break and time to catch up on life outside the farm. It also gives us time to begin planning for the next growing season.
Although we are closed for part of October through February, plenty is happening behind the scenes. We use this time to prepare for the coming season and make improvements throughout the farm.
When do you typically start hiring for the season?
We begin accepting applications for new hires in February, with most positions beginning in March and April. We also typically look for additional staff in July and August for summer and autumn positions.