Angel: I'm in Va., too - but zone 6 (Loudoun County, base of the Blue Ridge). Nonetheless, you should not plant peppers or tomatoes until Mother's Day - a good rule of thumb I've followed through zones 7 & 6. Works great! When I've violated that procedure, I've been sorry - stunted plants, poor production. -- Robert Farr The Chile Man Hot sauce made from organically-grown peppers www.chileman.com (that's "chile" with an "e")