AMKuska
Garden Master
USDA just changed the gardening zones to reflect warming weather: https://www.npr.org/2023/11/17/1213...pdates-key-map?utm_source=pocket-newtab-en-us
What's your new gardening zone?
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SPedigrees
Garden Addicted
It says 5a for me, but I don't believe it. It used to be zone 4, but I never believed that either. I think I am in a little cold pocket (high altitude but tucked in between higher peaks) that used to border on zone 3, so perhaps now I'm truly in the 4 zone that was claimed. My zip code includes the village of Danby which is at a low altitude, and where flowers bloom well before they do here. Interesting stuff though.
Love your chihuahua blog btw, AMKuska!
Love your chihuahua blog btw, AMKuska!
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baymule
Garden Master
I’m in 8b.
I looked up my state and got a state map. I don’t know if every state has one.
I looked up my state and got a state map. I don’t know if every state has one.
R2elk
Deeply Rooted
I ignore the government's zone charts because they are wrong. They have some idiots believing in the warmer weather trend but they couldn't have paid attention to the record cold temperatures from last winter. At the best I am in a very cold zone 4 but I continue to buy perennials that claim to be good to zone 3.
Ignoring the zone baloney, doesn't matter what your zone is if you're trying to grow acidic soil loving plants in alkaline soil or vice versa.
Ignoring the zone baloney, doesn't matter what your zone is if you're trying to grow acidic soil loving plants in alkaline soil or vice versa.
digitS'
Garden Master
I like how you can shift back and forth between the 2012 and 2023 maps on your linked NPR page. As they note, half of the locations have changed. A 30 year minimum average (1 January 1991 through 2020) ...
The basis for the zone designation is the average annual minimum but if you decide to go with it and the information on a particular species/variety, does that mean that your "hardy to zone 6" plant will not survive if the temperature drops below -10°f ? Or, that it has a 50% chance of survival every Winter in zone 6 ? I think that there was the word "thrive" in one of the pages that I read. Okay, good.
Averages ... Our zone changed in 2012 but not this year. But, what does it mean when our lowest temperature, 1991 to 2020, was -24°f and the warmest minimum was +13°f if we compare that to:
Steve
Perhaps for a few days yet, the National Gardening Association has the 2012 map and the 1990 map LINK.
The basis for the zone designation is the average annual minimum but if you decide to go with it and the information on a particular species/variety, does that mean that your "hardy to zone 6" plant will not survive if the temperature drops below -10°f ? Or, that it has a 50% chance of survival every Winter in zone 6 ? I think that there was the word "thrive" in one of the pages that I read. Okay, good.
Averages ... Our zone changed in 2012 but not this year. But, what does it mean when our lowest temperature, 1991 to 2020, was -24°f and the warmest minimum was +13°f if we compare that to:
Portland Maine with -16°f to +1°f ? How about
St Paul, Alaska (in the Bering Sea) with it's -16°f and warmest minimum of +11°f ?
Equivalent?Steve
Perhaps for a few days yet, the National Gardening Association has the 2012 map and the 1990 map LINK.
Cosmo spring garden
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I was in 7a but they moved it to 7b. I'm in a frost pocket tho and tend to lean towards zone 6b. My husband found one map that showed it correctly but I can't find it anymore. I don't plan to change anything regarding how I garden.
SPedigrees
Garden Addicted
If you go to the actual map at:
2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Im in Alaska! “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but new garden zones won’t change me”.
This is just about as useless as Daylight savings time. Some things remain relevant though like; when it’s daylight i can see and when it’s dark, i can’t. Or when it rains i can shut off the drip or, or, or!
It’s 40 this morning now that’s something to be excited about!
This is just about as useless as Daylight savings time. Some things remain relevant though like; when it’s daylight i can see and when it’s dark, i can’t. Or when it rains i can shut off the drip or, or, or!
It’s 40 this morning now that’s something to be excited about!
ducks4you
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Check out my claim to my zone, which I determined a few years ago, the winter 2012-13, when we had no Real winter and my 2012 spinach never died.
But THEN, in the winter after that I had winter dieback on plants that weren't supposed to die back.
I THINK it's a PC scam. It reminds me of how last month's Cat 5 hurricane that hit Acapulco Mexico and the COMPUTER models never predicted it.
It went from a tropical storm to a massive storm in 3 days. ANY amatuer meteorologist could have told you that the TS was powerful, the waters were hot, there was NO land to slow it down, and that Acapulco should hunker down.
Me wonders if the same computers are telling us how zones have changed?
But THEN, in the winter after that I had winter dieback on plants that weren't supposed to die back.
I THINK it's a PC scam. It reminds me of how last month's Cat 5 hurricane that hit Acapulco Mexico and the COMPUTER models never predicted it.
It went from a tropical storm to a massive storm in 3 days. ANY amatuer meteorologist could have told you that the TS was powerful, the waters were hot, there was NO land to slow it down, and that Acapulco should hunker down.
Me wonders if the same computers are telling us how zones have changed?
