How US Garden Climate Zones can Help You Choose the Right Plants
If you are planning a new garden, the first thing you need to do is figure out what will grow well in your area.
Selecting plants that are suited to your climate is an important step to getting the garden you want. It will also save you time, money and the frustration that sometimes comes with trial-and-error gardening.
The History of Gardening Zones
In 1960, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) mapped out the country’s gardening climate zones in the Plant Hardiness Zone Map. “Hardiness” describes a plant’s ability to grow in climatic conditions, such as cold weather, that are not ideal.
The garden climate zones are based on average minimum temperatures. In order for a plant to survive year-round, it needs to be able to withstand the lowest temperature that is likely to occur in a given area. Plants are placed into the gardening zones according to how well they tolerate cold weather.
While you’re shopping, check labels for zone recommendations and make sure you’re selecting plants that are appropriate for your garden climate. Often, plants are tagged for a range of gardening zones – not just one.
Finding Your Garden Climate Zone
There are 11 gardening zones in North America. The higher the zone number, the warmer the average winter is in that zone. The lower the zone number, the colder and farther north the zone is.
Zone one is the coldest, with average minimum temperatures below minus 50 degrees. Zone 11 is the warmest, with average minimum temperatures between 30 and 40 degrees. Neither of these extremes occurs in the United States. The map of the United States is color-coded for zones two through 10. Each zone represents a 10-degree range of average minimum temperatures.
To determine which zone you live in, locate your area on the map and use the key to match its color to a zone. Or, use your zip code to quickly look up your zone online. Here are the zones and their average minimum temperature ranges:
- Zone 2: -50 to -40 degrees (Prudhoe Bay, Alaska)
- Zone 3: -40 to -30 degrees (International Falls, Minnesota)
- Zone 4: -30 to -20 degrees (Minneapolis)
- Zone 5: -20 to -10 degrees (Anchorage, Alaska)
- Zone 6: -10 to 0 degrees (Chicago)
- Zone 7: 0 to 10 degrees (Oklahoma City)
- Zone 8: 10 to 20 degrees (Atlanta)
- Zone 9: 20 to 30 degrees (San Antonio)
- Zone 10: 30 to 40 degrees (Miami)
If you live on the border of a garden climate zone, you may be able to grow plants that are tagged for the neighbouring zone. To be safe, it’s best to choose plants with higher cold tolerance.
If there is a plant that you would like to grow, you can use the gardening zones to compare your climate to the climate in which it is known to thrive. However, it is important to keep in mind that the map is a guide and does not guarantee that a plant tagged for your zone will grow well where you live.
In addition to the gardening climate zones, there are other factors you should take into account when you are selecting plants, including the heat, humidity and rainfall in your area.
Preparing For Your New Garden
After you’ve chosen plants and seeds, you’ll need to prepare your soil for planting. Maintaining your garden tiller parts will make it easier for you to turn over your soil beds. New garden tiller tines will help you generate the fresh soil you need to create the garden you want.
Related articles
- Learn How To Plan Your Garden (backyardgardeningtips.com)
Tagged with: Climate • garden • garden climate zone • garden tiller • garden tiller parts • garden tiller tines • Hardiness zone • United States • United States Department of Agriculture
Filed under: backyard gardening • garden tools • gardening • home garden • organic gardening
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This is what people need to know. You just can’t plant everything where there is soil.
Plants have their seasons and climates. If you’re trying to grow a small garden right in your backyard you it’s good to know these things. If you don’t everything that you plant could be useless or may not grow as well as you may have expected.