Click here to find your zone: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ - BOOK LINKS: → Signed Copy of My Book: bit.ly/epicgardenbook → My book on Amazon: amzn.to/2xf4cqv
Thank you so much for the info! Officially demystified, kind of lol. Appreciate your content it’s so helpful. Borrowed your book from the library it’s so good getting my own copy now.
actually you can but it requires much mork work because you have to make believe the tree the winter already came. i know cause a i have apples, pears & grapes trees and i have to dedicate the time & effort to cut all the leaves of the trees each season that way the trees complete the cycle.
High elevations in the tropics can grow them well, some "cold" plant species actually come from tropical highland countries like strawberries and potatoes from peru or pine trees from southern mexico.
"Averages" in general are awfully iffy things. If I stand with one foot in a bucket of ice water, and my other foot in a bucket of boiling water, "on average" I'm comfortable, right? Also, it really chaps my ass that nurseries around here (I'm in a mountain state) tout that "last average day of frost" without telling people that in the valley -- the prime area for growing -- the last average date of frost is a full THREE WEEKS after the rest of the city's!
This has been the absolute best explanation I’ve heard of growing zones (and their pitfalls). By miles. I live in zone 9a central Florida and it can be disheartening when you care for plants as instructed and they all seem to die. Took me a while to realize all of my video resources, and even most of my books, were based on the west coast. I definitely had to adopt a totally different gardening mindset.
I live in the mid Atlantic , while my actual zone is not that cold , the long term lack of sunlight in the winter and low temps keep any exotic stuff off the table.
I’m in a Zone 4 (Alaska)- and I can say that our climate and seasons have changed a lot over the past 20 years. And even year to year. This year we still have snow several weeks later than we did last year. We also have such a short growing season but very long daylight hours. So we have the capacity to grow certain crops that a shorter day Zone 4 cannot. Zone 4 is a challenge. But it’s not hopeless. You just have to work with what you’ve got. Root vegetables/potatoes, pumpkins and most squash, leafy greens, cabbage and berries do exceptionally well without a greenhouse. Most things that are slow to mature, not so much. We grow record breaking pumpkins and cabbage in Alaska...it’s a whole thing. Haha
I live in the high Rockies of Colorado also zone 4. I’ve learned that it’s trial and error here you can’t go off of what someone even 20 miles away does because it’s different from me! Happy gardening I hope you have a wonderful season!
@Uncle Iroh honestly, the only things I’ve been about to keep well here seems to be the things that grow naturally in the wild here like current bushes,raspberries, chokecherries things like that. My sister brought in her heirloom tomatoes last fall and produced all winter.
Another zone 4 Canadian here. Luckily the orientation of my old (100+) brick house has given me some zone 5 microclimate areas. We had 20-30 cm snow 2 days ago. My main garden is buried under snow but the south/southeast facing sides of the house are showing signs of new life peeking through, "Is it safe to come out yet?" I MUST get some of those gray poppy seeds that you showed us the other day. Thanks for all your hardwork and help.
I'm watching from Grenada, so I'm not in any zone, but I try to go with Florida and Puerto Rico. I hate when I'm told to plant something after my last frost date. What frost?
@judy Henry. I am actually growing pomegranates in my outside garden here in the netherlands. My mom thinka like u. I showed her how people are growing strawberries in India. Hahah. Now she loves not caring about it being too hot.
This is great! I’m in Texas and I’m zone 8a and I’m realizing I may not need to cover my citrus as much as I was told. Last night it was about 30 degrees and right now it’s almost 60. I’m realizing we are truly on the cusps here in dallas.
I’m in the DFW area as well. Between the extreme heat in the summer and these freezes…. My garden is now obsolete!! I’ve lost 90% my garden, shrubs and a couple of trees.
I'll give you confusion try being a Canadian watching UA-cam gardening videos and trying to figure out if the plant being talked out will grow in my Canadian zone 5 garden and survive our Canadian winter, which is different from USA zone 5.
I know the feeling, I'm in the Canadian zone 5 myself. I tend to get most of my seeds from Veseys (since they're also about as local as I can get for decent quality and affordable seeds--PEI to NS isn't bad, though), and they actually have the chart available on their site for a reference, so I use it quite a bit, just in case there's a different version floating around that would put me in a different zone. www.veseys.com/ca/gardening-101#hardiness-zones
just found your channel bc ive got a sudden interest in growing plants + food, and as a hard of hearing individual i super appreciate you taking the time to caption your videos. it's not something a lot of content creators think to do so it's always a delightful surprise to see channels where people put in that extra effort for accessibility 🧡
A good source people should use to better understand their planting time is to use their local agriculture college. I'm in South Florida, and as mentioned, a whole different 10b...u just can't grow much in the summer. Here the University of Florida AG school puts out planting calendars for different areas of the state...in general my season is just about over for most veggies...but I push my zone a bit by planting on the east side of my house that is shaded from the heat of the day...
I live in WV, my neighbor always grew the best tomatoes growing up. They grew so tall, and he kept his garden so manicured. I always believed his success was due to his extreme care and work ethic. @ 7:00 enlightened me on to a possible variable as to why he had such a green thumb. His garden ran length wise/ parallel to an old 9’ brick wall. I remember as a kid how warm that wall was in the winter months and by summer, it was down right hot! Great incite, great video, watched it to the very end✌🏽 Happy Easter and Godspeed to you and your family.
Yup, Floridian here in 9a and I'm happy to learn I was using the zones correctly (only referencing them for whether or not the plant in question could handle our winters). When it comes to whether or not they can handle our summers, I turn to our local extension office and nurseries, and look for keywords like 'heat resistant' in the plant's description. Plus good old fashioned trial and error ;)
Spring starts much later in Zone 8 Seattle (far from the Equator, but maritime) than in Zone 8, Gulf Coast. Zones don't tell you the length of the growing season, just the average minimum temperature.
@@desireereynolds577 honestly there’s a big difference even between Portland and Seattle. Most of Texas is in zone 8b, just like Portland. And there’s a pretty damn big difference between what grows well there and here.
I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how much i appreciate your content. I usually struggle on here with all the paid ads and channels struggling to make jokes or fake laughs. This channel is great and I appreciate it
I was just thinking of this, introducing myself to my elder neighbor and asking her advice... Then i clicked on this video and saw your comment first. Thanks for the push :)
@@850beachmomrn find a Facebook group that's as Central to your area as possible. Sometimes you can even find a very specific gardening groups that cater to your area.
I live in a valley in central Washington. Most souces identify my location as zone 6b. On the other side of the Cascades, it is zone 8b for some zip codes. It is quite windy here especially during the summer months. However, if there is a wildfire burning, then the wind seems to be non-existent. Last year, I had my fabric pots up near the front of my unit. My plants got all of the morning sun. By the time the hottest part of the day happened, the plants were in mostly shade.
Spot on. I accidentally created a microclimate this Summer by planting on the north side of my home. The sun was just scorching my plants everywhere else. I live in Central Florida and none of the “rules” apply! Great video!
We use the USDA zones in Europe as well. They are actually very helpful for a first look, or for beginners. Also as a gardener in the mildest parts of Germany I can explain to ordinary people, why I'm able to grow palm trees and exotic plants with little to no protection and others in Germany might not. But my tip is always: When you want to plant something, research the original habitat and distribution of the plant. This works very well. And then just risk it! I've often grown stuff, that wasn't supposed to cope well with my climate but did amazing.
The fact that coastal Northeastern states like Cape May NJ, Southern CT, Southern RI, Long Island NY, and Cape Cod MA have the same plant hardness zone as Stockholm Sweden is bizarre. Gulf stream has a beneficial effect on Sweden it seems. And even more bizarre is that Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire being in the same plant hardiness zone as Moscow Russia.
I thought that the Hardiness Zones applied more to trees and shrubs and some perennial flowers, *not* to annual flowers or vegetables. That is, the zone was designed to tell you whether your permanent plant will survive the winters. It doesn't tell you WHEN to plant anything.
@@Zizzyyzz Your Dept. of Ag website will give you better detailed info on when. And now that I'm moving further north, it looks like I've got some major adjustments to do.
@@SandcastleDreams Correct. Here in ontario the last frost date and when to plant vegetables and fruits etc is posted on the Ontario Ministry of agriculture website, which provides information by zones within Ontario.
This was a really good video. The other thing is that zones mean different thing for different types of farmer. If you are big ag with 1000s of acres, then it is what it is... but if you are a market gardener on 1 acre, than you can use plastic row covers to easily push yourself up a zone or two and get your stuff into the ground a month before big ag can.
I just purchased my first semi dwarf nagami kumquat tree and basically my first tree ever purchased so I'm very new to growing anything. I really do appreciate your video definitely very informational and just opens my mind up to different possibilities of growing as well as manipulating microclimates for the benefit of the plant . Thank you so much I really appreciate the information
Technically my UK location is 8a. What this does not take into account is that the UK is an island with a maritime climate on the same line of latitude as Moscow. Damp, Windy, large changes to day night cycle, and lots of rain and even salty rain. Growing like it is zone 8a USA here will only lead to disappointment. Brassicas here however tend to do quite well as they should, they were originally coastal plants.
I love flowers, but I also love fruits and vegetables. I have not seen very many videos on how to grow all of them together in an aesthetically pleasing way, if you don't want to have raised beds in the middle of your yard! Can you give some pointers? Thx.
Thank you for sharing this! We were amazed by how many "annuals" overwintered that were planted against southeast facing walls or in the unheated greenhouse this spring in our 6b-7a zone. It's all about micro-climates! Thanks again!
Kevin, an additional consideration considering how different the latitudes in the USA are is sunlight hours. Anything less then 10 hours of sunlight in general direct or indirect you are not really growing no matter the temperature. Eliot Coleman has many references on this.
Awesome video! That is great information. I'm in 7b, and this is spot on that there are so many other factors to consider. I would say that our heat and humidity is almost more important to consider in planting that the low temps. Micro-climates is an important concept too. Thank you for posting this! A lot to think about as I redo my garden.
I actually use it to be able to speak to my friends in the usa on what they can grow when. Like living in the Netherlands I have many kales outside all winter. I know I live in zone 8B when I compare it to American seeds. So I can show my sister what of what I am growing snd help her. Hahaha I love the unity it brings.
Lucky you. I am zone 4. Bordering zone 5 but taking that chance to plant zone 5 things is a guarentee to get that really cold winter throwing back to lower in zone 4. Very short growing season and Rainfall here is maybe 16 inches.
Love using micro-climates. I lived in 6a in OH, but had a SW facing brick wall. Planted roses in front of that and had flowers from early May to Thanksgiving.
OMG!! I have been waiting for a video like that in awhile... I have watched may gardening videos and most gardeners on you tube live in zone 5 through 8.. so your channel is more relatable to my area. I live in Florida zone 10a. Thank you very much! I started gardening 1 year ago and I have become obsessed with it... so satisfying to see something grow and produce and can eat it. Thank you!!!
So glad you made this video! I live in Montreal so a zone 5b, but... our weather is unpredictable, it gets insanely cold in winter, sometimes minus 40 for weeks (-40 is the same in C and F by the way lol) and then unbearably hot in the summer. So we have to think about that before planting a zone 5 perennial, it will need protection and might still die.
I'm in Montana, in the middle of the state, and to say our weather is unpredictable is beyond an understatement. Our growing season is short. We augment that with greenhouses and cold boxes, but -40° dramatically effects what and when you can grow!! I've learned to pivot, but sometimes I loose a crop!!
I'm in a zone 10 microclimate pocket caused by our city being at the edge of the Sierra foothills (cold air rolls down into the valley), surround by zone 9. My yard has never had frost in the 6 years I've lived here, and my neighbors grow avocados, but my parents across town get black ice on their street if it rains in January. Thing is, because it still does get cold, just not *quite* freezing, at the same time as the rest of the valley, I still get about 700 chill hours. End result: I can grow both a mango tree and a cherry tree in my yard. 😁
THANK YOU for explaining this! Micro climates are incredibly over looked...I'm in zone 6a Michigan, but we have a small garden near our driveway on the south side next to a brick wall where tomatoes grow back, calla lillies do great and even rosemary stays evergreen, it's pretty much zone 7b or even 8a Totally different story on the north exposure lol great explanation my man
Very good. I live in a zone 7a area, but it’s high desert, high spring winds, colder nights in the summer than a lowland 7a. It all makes a big difference.
Humidity adds the tropical plant factor for many plant categories. For example, you’re more likely to have success with orchids in Florida than California. In any case, most people don’t need a chart for most plants except for when you live in a place that frosts over. One year, it did get really cold in California and my plant died. That was the only time it happened.
If you are on the west coast use the Sunset Magazine zones. They are a very accurate and location specific. My town has two zones depending on where you live!
@@magicandmoonbeams magic_and_ moonbeams You planted them at the right time, but you should have planted them indoors in small containers. If the plants did not actually start coming up yet, then some of them might be okay??? The cold does not hurt the seeds, only the small plants.
If they haven't germinated, they can still make it! In fact, as the snow melts it might actually help them, as long as it stays warm after they germinate.
I'm right on the line between 4a and 3b. We get real cold and have a shorter overall growing season. Gotta start seeds inside and grow fast to maximize your garden.
Just found this April 2021. Very good video Mahalo. Long time zone 5 Gardner NE Rural Illinois, Moved to Maui, HI just restarting, You talk about micro climates this place is the king of them. Just go up 100 ft. vertical and the game changes. Wind direction can make the temp swing 20 degF on the high side. Then you take into the account of the length of day changes all sorts of new challenges. Old went from 11 hr. to 17 hr. daylight and new goes from 12 to 13 hr. daylight length. I'm an old dog (69) trying to learn new tricks.
Firstly, Thank you for your clear and scholarly explantation of your topics. Help me ! I live in the Smoky Mountains and I only have filtered sunlight . Everything I plant needs life support except for weeds and poison ivy. What are your recommendations, except for moving? 🤔
This is very helpful!! I always wondered how San Diego was in the same planting group as we were in South Florida because your climate seems so much more temperate to me. Thanks so much for explaining this so thoroughly!! - A fan who is trying to be an urban gardener in the sauna known as zone 10b in S. FL
Thank You! For the easy explanation on this. It's very confusing for me living in the Pacific Northwest, just south of Seattle our weather is pretty mild, with a cool temperate climate. Lot's of overcast, rainy or sprinkly days in Spring, and fall. July - Thru Sept...even Oct. pretty nice 70's maybe 80's.....And yet according to the Grow Zone we are the same zone as FLORIDA....Not even close. I remember watching a video on someone in my same zone HARVESTING Zucchini in MAY as I was just planting them!!! I tend to think my grow zone is more like Gary's from 'The rusted Garden' 7, Which he mentioned that YOU are doing the tomato contest with him this year. Good luck!
You can’t grow in Alaska things that work in Minnesota even though they have similar hardy zones. We have longer days so photoperiod plants won’t work and we have about 90-100 days of growing per season. But that being said cold hardy plants thrive here brassicas grow larger here than anywhere. World records.
This is exactly what I needed last year! I ended up placing them off intuition and being in line with this, feels good to have found this for reference even a year+ later with them doing well. Appreciate the knowledge regardless! Thanks so much
Good information, it made things clearer for me now. Especially when, why and how things differ even in the same area. Hadn’t thought about a wall or fence making a difference. It makes sense!
This was an awesome video. I live in zone 7b and my balcony faces West. So it's shaded most of the day. I never thought about microclimates before. But it makes such since and explains some of the struggles I had last year. Hopefully this year will.be better.
Thank you for a whole video on this question! 😃 Too legit. I started planting tomatoes indoors and have only a slight idea on what I'm doing. The seed packet said "frost sensitive 60 days from transplanting after last chance of spring frost" and I was confused. 🤔 Frost as in... the last rain we had? L.A. doesn't get frosty. 🤷🏻♀️
I so enjoy your content. You not only answer questions I didn't know I had, but you also are precise and to the point. It really helps my monkey brain out.
In the Southeast, be sure you look at Chilling Hours. Most plants that experience cold-related seasonal dormancy, such as temperate fruit trees, decide when to "wake up" by the number of hours below 45F yet above freezing. A mismatch, if C.H. are much lower than in the climate, often means premature growth damaged by late frosts and if higher than the chilling hours that year, a failure to flower at all, and delayed, indifferent vegetal growth. Maritime and many Mediterranean climates get both warm winters and high chilling hours, and therefore don't need to worry about it. In cold climates, they may be a factor in why apricots for example tend to bloom to early, but most people look at bloom charts. If you ignore Chilling Hours in the Deep South, you are doomed to failure for deciduous fruit/nut trees and bushes. You can probably still grow evergreens like kumquats if the disease pressure and frosts aren't too severe, as well as locally adapted vegetables if you time them right (plant Yankee stuff in October to harvest over winter; only tropical stuff tolerates summer). (Perennial monsoon vegetables with storage roots/rhizomes like ginger and tumeric seem to wake up based on soil temperature.)
I'm so glad this video popped back up in my feed. I was just thinking about this! Excellent explanation of the zones that was super helpful complement to the book!
What do you think about Sunset’s zones? I find that they take much more into account and are more helpful when choosing what plants will do well in my area.
This is helpful. I have a house in Joshua trees which is a zone 9 and in desert hot springs (palm springs) which is also a zone 9. It freezes and shows sometimes in JT but never in DHS. I didn’t understand how they were both zone 9! In DHS the summers can be over 120/100 but in winter it averages about 60/40. I was thinking it is a zone 10. Also there is more rain in DHS than JT so it is more humid (especially with all the golf courses). So I think I’m going to go with zone 10 from now on. I’m just starting and I was going threw a lot of plants. Luckily most I started from seeds I saved from my corner produce stand and the woman there helps me with tips on how to grow stuff.
Hello from Canada! Thanks for this video. My wife and I know we want a large garden or small farm when we find our forever home, and this is a good reminder to check hardiness zones when considering locations. Good tips on raising zone!
I live in Hudson County, NJ and we have zone 7b here. The other day I was surprised to see a what it appears to be a banana tree here in Jersey City, in a park (Pershing Field Park), but next to a pool building that have the park. I just google the hardiness zone for banana trees, and i read that there are some varieties that can survive up to a zone 7!
Here is a fun fact for the great lakes folks , Chicago is roughly the dividing line between zone 5 and 6 , northside being a 5 , far south side /suburbs closer to 6 Houghton Michigan , 8 hours north of Chicago is also a zone 5, and they receive on average 200-300 inches of snow per year , with most years having snow on the ground in late April through early June and snowfall starting in October like Alaska
Thank you for this video. We live in Northern California Zone 9b and planted our lime tree 5 years ago, and this year is the first year we're getting limes. BUT we're planning to move to Washington which is zone 8a-b. I want to seed save from that lime and plant in pots. I've already done this with my dwarf lemon tree. I'm determined to grow these citrus plants in Washington, so I'm trying to gather as much information as I can to make it a successful grow.
Moving from Texas to Oregon, and it blows my mind that we are still going to be in the same "zone". Gardening there is going to be a learning curve adjustment, I'm sure.
The weather in Kentucky is changing so much, it no longer freezes in October like it used to. It stays warmer later in the year than it used to. Plus, with my garden being in town and next to the alley gravel it stays warmer. What we are getting this year is high temps with lots of rain. It is really humid, the tomato's need that air flow. My potatoes seem to be really long stemmed this year, with the soggy soil I don't know if they will produce anything or not.
I'm in zone 7, North Georgia. Fortunately, I have a sunny yard. It definitely has hot and cold spots. Feb 10, it's about 56 in the shade. On the south side of my house a thermometer read 100 F.
A good source of regional planting information is a Farmer's Almanac. The Ag Zones have been moving north due to Climate Change. In the S.E. U.S. moved about an hour northward.
So, I live in Cape Town, South Africa and from now on will consider myself as living in zone 11. Spring is just mixed up a bit and summers get really hot and winters wet. Summer is November,December and January.
Not mentioned here as a consideration: the relationship between day length and first/last frost date. Consider this specific application: I'm planning on planting some roselle this year, and I live in zone 7a. The growing season is definitely long enough to grow it, but because it's a short day flowering tropical plant, no matter how much the plants have matured it won't start flowing until pretty close to my first frost date, which will kill it. This crop should be doable, but I'll definitely have to resort to some combination of covering the plants for darkness and polytunnels for warmth to make it work.
I was really surprised to see a variety of palm trees in Swiss gardens, some of them don´t seem to get much sun at all and yet, they survived for many years.
The hardiness zones always confused me. I look at the record highs and lows as well as the average temps for each month for the past few years. I’ll compare that to what the farmer’s almanac tells me for my zip code as well as Weather Underground’s 7 day forecast (they predict polar vortexes very well). My goal is to predict when the lows are going to be 46f+ and when highs get over 98f. Until the lows reach 46f, I’ll take my seedlings outside everyday and bring them inside every night. Once I’m positive the lows are above 46f, I’ll transplant the seedlings outside. The plants that don’t like extreme heat and sunlight get put into potting bags so I can move them into the shade of the porch on those days when the highs hit 98f.
I'm in zone 6a and we are trying to grow lemon trees in the pot because it getts to cold for them in the winter so we have to bring them inside and we bring them out in the warmer months. I'm in massachusetts so average highs are in the low 80s and we a higher humidity throughout the year. We also gonna try yot plant a native plant known as the Beach Plum or Prunus Maritima. Because they are around here mostly on the coast we will be able to plant it and it can stay outside all year round. Can't wait to get beach plums so I can make jam out of them
The most important imo it doesnt tell you is the prolonged cold. I live en zone 8b ish, but we can get prologned cold for weeks where the temperature doesnt get above freezing during day or night. Some plants doesnt like to be in sub zero for weeks even if its only minus 5 degrees celsius. Plants might be rated to zone 7a but dies in 8b. Second thing it doesnt tell you is the amount of light during winter which could also mean a huge difference as well
This is so true in California..out here in Menifee I have been growing tomatoes all winter but my friends in Hemet had a hard freeze that killed everytjing...its hard to know when to grow anything by the charts
I really want to grow some beautiful Colombian flowers from Eden Brothers but I was so sad that the hardiness zone here in San Diego wouldn’t allow me to but you gave me hope with the microclimate thing. 😁
I live in the NE corner of Indianapolis, Zone 5A. Our summer temperatures are higher than what you get in San Diego. We are up to 103/104 every afternoon in August. That's crazy.
Good video. Good info. and intuition. I've been thinking on the same lines. My USDA hardiness zone is 9b. I grew up gardening in Hardiness Zone 6b. The USDA zones were good. They worked. Now that I'm here, they are useless. The city I live in is a micro-climate which does not in anyway confirm to USDA categories. Zone 9b is supposed to have hot summers. It is rare for the temperature here to exceed 63 degrees F. On the converse, the USDA Hardiness map works for the lows. Temperatures rarely drop below 36 degrees F. But, they did drop to 34 degrees two days ago, on April 16. I have began to use a combination of USDA zones with geography definitions such as "Mediterranean Climate", "Maritime Climate", "Temperate Rain Forest", and etc. This has yielded a slightly more exact approximation of my climate zone. In the past, I wouldn't have needed this information, but as our family has been seeking to create a self-sustaining, permaculture garden, within space and environmental constraints, I have been looking at unfamiliar crops. To make things more complicated, our climate seems to be changing. The temperature actually got up to 73 degrees last year. My kids were complaining about the heat...? The winter time lows dipped down to freezing more frequently, while staying above 27- 29 degrees (normal limits). And, though we supposedly live in a "Mediterranean Climate" there was no rain this winter. However, it's been raining cats and dogs this spring. It's like I'm back in Zone 6b again: totally atypical. Thanks, again. I thought I would offer this for food for thought.
Mature Atrees are not producing were I live in Ventura county CA. due mostly to new higher temperature in Summer over 110 F . Temporary shade cloth and watering just before a heat event help the more sensitive trees survive.
I'm in zone 5b, and our hot days days reach 99 to 100 the last 5 years... And -10 to -20 during the coldest snaps in the winter, which has lasted an entire month... I hate the extremes!
I think we need a new system. It took me 15 years to figure out how to work with my zone 7b Atlanta climate. It certainly didn't help that my hardiness zones changed twice since I started.
Shocked that San Diego and San Francisco (where I am) are both zone 10b... yet we cannot grow heat-loving plants. (SF 3000 growing-degree-daysF vs SD 5000 growing-degree-daysF and the summer ocean fog and wind seem to make a big difference, despite no frost). Seeing your gardens, I want to move to SD now! 😆 ~chillin’ in the other “10b”
Yay am from SD too , no wonder i love your videos , i have never had success growing cilantro and ginger. Am going to check if you have videos on those two
I live in Atlanta and have for 32 years. I don't really agree with zone 7b that we are designated. I have been able to successfully grow some zone 8 plants for the last few years. And.... 7 or 8 years ago, I couldn't grow tomatoes through October. Now I have Christmas dinner on the back deck. Not saying that's a good thing! I never thought I could grow olive trees either, but I am! Major weather changes in my lifetime here.
Zone 10B in Florida means we can only grow Florida vegg, it’s too hot for greens without a filter, it’s too cold for tropical, we get no frost so no winter vegg will grow and we’re too humid for mediterranean plants to grow without constant babysitting. We’re big on monoculture. If you want lots of rice or big sugar we’ve got you covered! I would love to grow sweet corn or sweet grapes or beets! Nope! I’m looking into Asian options. They have weather like ours and I’m considering using a zone manipulation to grow some tropical fruits.
Hi @Epic Gardening i am in a 10b zone too i as i found out recently, its my first year growing im excited to see the results as i planted in late july, as ive seen i should be ok
As always, very interesting. Living outside the US we obviously don't really have the exact equivalents, but those zones are really helpful. And of course we don't always take into consideration how adaptable and resilient some plants can be. Thank you and have a wonderful day!! ☺️
You always share great information, thank you. And to think, I thought I completely understood plant hardiness zones, here you come with new information to consider :)
Great video Kevin, being a native Southern Californian and know in WV....its is very different to grow here then there....I have a lot more space but a very small growing window. as a matter of fact we are expecting a light snow on Wednesday....YUK!!
Those zones are created for the purpose of growing perennials, for example, to tell you that you can't grow oranges in Montana. For annuals, it's not really useful. There are areas with a very long growing period and relatively high heath index but they are like zone 5 or 6 cause they have one extremely cold snap during the winter.
Click here to find your zone: planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ - BOOK LINKS:
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ooh.. technical video.. well, sort of.. there is an art to it, obviously
A magic, if you will...
Thank you so much for the info! Officially demystified, kind of lol. Appreciate your content it’s so helpful. Borrowed your book from the library it’s so good getting my own copy now.
@@epicgardening Thank you. This is exciting.
Bro my name's John. I live in GA and I'm on YT looking up potato growing tips. Lmao
Some plants also need a freeze and a winter rest. That's why apple trees don't grow in the tropics.
actually you can but it requires much mork work because you have to make believe the tree the winter already came. i know cause a i have apples, pears & grapes trees and i have to dedicate the time & effort to cut all the leaves of the trees each season that way the trees complete the cycle.
Woah, that's interesting!
High elevations in the tropics can grow them well, some "cold" plant species actually come from tropical highland countries like strawberries and potatoes from peru or pine trees from southern mexico.
USDA Hardiness should denote Average last frost date as well. In school that was always the main reason we talked about it.
Agreed, or even add more dimensions
"Averages" in general are awfully iffy things. If I stand with one foot in a bucket of ice water, and my other foot in a bucket of boiling water, "on average" I'm comfortable, right? Also, it really chaps my ass that nurseries around here (I'm in a mountain state) tout that "last average day of frost" without telling people that in the valley -- the prime area for growing -- the last average date of frost is a full THREE WEEKS after the rest of the city's!
They do if you research your zone by zipcode it will give you a first and last frost date and the length of your growing season.
with Climate Change the weather is becoming more turbulent in it's annual cycles.
@Alpha Centauri 😶
This has been the absolute best explanation I’ve heard of growing zones (and their pitfalls). By miles.
I live in zone 9a central Florida and it can be disheartening when you care for plants as instructed and they all seem to die. Took me a while to realize all of my video resources, and even most of my books, were based on the west coast. I definitely had to adopt a totally different gardening mindset.
I live in the mid Atlantic , while my actual zone is not that cold , the long term lack of sunlight in the winter and low temps keep any exotic stuff off the table.
I’m in a Zone 4 (Alaska)- and I can say that our climate and seasons have changed a lot over the past 20 years. And even year to year. This year we still have snow several weeks later than we did last year. We also have such a short growing season but very long daylight hours. So we have the capacity to grow certain crops that a shorter day Zone 4 cannot. Zone 4 is a challenge. But it’s not hopeless. You just have to work with what you’ve got. Root vegetables/potatoes, pumpkins and most squash, leafy greens, cabbage and berries do exceptionally well without a greenhouse. Most things that are slow to mature, not so much. We grow record breaking pumpkins and cabbage in Alaska...it’s a whole thing. Haha
TRA 907, ji from usa, /mn 4b zone. Interesting you said you have te capacity to grow that we cant. Love to hear what. Great growing.
I live in the high Rockies of Colorado also zone 4. I’ve learned that it’s trial and error here you can’t go off of what someone even 20 miles away does because it’s different from me! Happy gardening I hope you have a wonderful season!
@Uncle Iroh honestly, the only things I’ve been about to keep well here seems to be the things that grow naturally in the wild here like current bushes,raspberries, chokecherries things like that. My sister brought in her heirloom tomatoes last fall and produced all winter.
Another zone 4 Canadian here. Luckily the orientation of my old (100+) brick house has given me some zone 5 microclimate areas. We had 20-30 cm snow 2 days ago. My main garden is buried under snow but the south/southeast facing sides of the house are showing signs of new life peeking through, "Is it safe to come out yet?" I MUST get some of those gray poppy seeds that you showed us the other day. Thanks for all your hardwork and help.
Oh that's awesome, I'm glad to hear that and those gray poppies are AMAZING
As someone trying desperately to grow a garden in Phoenix, THANK you for explaining why I'm in the same zone as much more temperate areas in Cali.
I'm watching from Grenada, so I'm not in any zone, but I try to go with Florida and Puerto Rico. I hate when I'm told to plant something after my last frost date.
What frost?
EXACTLY how I feel!
Zone 3 northern Minnesota here, I’ll share some of my frost and cold weather with y’all 😉😉😉
@@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123 that would be great, one week in December would be appreciated. I need some rain too
@judy Henry. I am actually growing pomegranates in my outside garden here in the netherlands. My mom thinka like u. I showed her how people are growing strawberries in India. Hahah. Now she loves not caring about it being too hot.
JoJo Skye yields are also smaller.
This is great! I’m in Texas and I’m zone 8a and I’m realizing I may not need to cover my citrus as much as I was told. Last night it was about 30 degrees and right now it’s almost 60. I’m realizing we are truly on the cusps here in dallas.
I’m in the DFW area as well. Between the extreme heat in the summer and these freezes…. My garden is now obsolete!! I’ve lost 90% my garden, shrubs and a couple of trees.
I'd never attempt citrus in zone 8 in Oregon!
I'll give you confusion try being a Canadian watching UA-cam gardening videos and trying to figure out if the plant being talked out will grow in my Canadian zone 5 garden and survive our Canadian winter, which is different from USA zone 5.
Yeah, yet another problem with the zones!
Well, my father’s family were all farmers in New Brunswick (potatoes, mostly) so it’s possible. Good luck!
Look into what grow local in your area, and ore build a Greenhouse 👍
I know the feeling, I'm in the Canadian zone 5 myself. I tend to get most of my seeds from Veseys (since they're also about as local as I can get for decent quality and affordable seeds--PEI to NS isn't bad, though), and they actually have the chart available on their site for a reference, so I use it quite a bit, just in case there's a different version floating around that would put me in a different zone.
www.veseys.com/ca/gardening-101#hardiness-zones
Trying to figure it out in Australia is fun as well when trying to figure out my equivalent zone. It's a zone 10, dat semi tropical life.
I live in Puerto Rico. I guess zone 12b. I never felt like hardiness zones were very helpful for people who live in warmer climates.
Yeah basically not at all
@@epicgardening I live in FL . My problem is the heat and constant moisture. Can't wait to get your book. In the meantime, thank you for your videos.
Same zone out in maui, mostly it's been a game of best guesses so far
@@oceancurl Same here in Keaau on the Big Island. I keep hearing that we can grow anything and everything year-round but...
just found your channel bc ive got a sudden interest in growing plants + food, and as a hard of hearing individual i super appreciate you taking the time to caption your videos. it's not something a lot of content creators think to do so it's always a delightful surprise to see channels where people put in that extra effort for accessibility 🧡
Hi from Mn usa. I am partially deaf and depend on that WW Be safe.
A good source people should use to better understand their planting time is to use their local agriculture college. I'm in South Florida, and as mentioned, a whole different 10b...u just can't grow much in the summer. Here the University of Florida AG school puts out planting calendars for different areas of the state...in general my season is just about over for most veggies...but I push my zone a bit by planting on the east side of my house that is shaded from the heat of the day...
So very true - local is best here
I live in WV, my neighbor always grew the best tomatoes growing up. They grew so tall, and he kept his garden so manicured. I always believed his success was due to his extreme care and work ethic. @ 7:00 enlightened me on to a possible variable as to why he had such a green thumb. His garden ran length wise/ parallel to an old 9’ brick wall. I remember as a kid how warm that wall was in the winter months and by summer, it was down right hot! Great incite, great video, watched it to the very end✌🏽
Happy Easter and Godspeed to you and your family.
You bet - thank you so much and great thing to notice!
Yup, Floridian here in 9a and I'm happy to learn I was using the zones correctly (only referencing them for whether or not the plant in question could handle our winters). When it comes to whether or not they can handle our summers, I turn to our local extension office and nurseries, and look for keywords like 'heat resistant' in the plant's description. Plus good old fashioned trial and error ;)
Spring starts much later in Zone 8 Seattle (far from the Equator, but maritime) than in Zone 8, Gulf Coast. Zones don't tell you the length of the growing season, just the average minimum temperature.
I bet what you would grow is different than what we would grow south of portland.
@@desireereynolds577 honestly there’s a big difference even between Portland and Seattle. Most of Texas is in zone 8b, just like Portland. And there’s a pretty damn big difference between what grows well there and here.
I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how much i appreciate your content. I usually struggle on here with all the paid ads and channels struggling to make jokes or fake laughs. This channel is great and I appreciate it
Easy way: Ask an old neighbour with 50 years of gardening experience what to plant!
Great call
I was just thinking of this, introducing myself to my elder neighbor and asking her advice... Then i clicked on this video and saw your comment first. Thanks for the push :)
Facts they are use to what grows
My old neighbor that has lived here for almost 30 years only offered me herbicide to kill off weeds and volunteers growing around my house 😔
@@850beachmomrn find a Facebook group that's as Central to your area as possible. Sometimes you can even find a very specific gardening groups that cater to your area.
I live in a valley in central Washington. Most souces identify my location as zone 6b. On the other side of the Cascades, it is zone 8b for some zip codes.
It is quite windy here especially during the summer months. However, if there is a wildfire burning, then the wind seems to be non-existent.
Last year, I had my fabric pots up near the front of my unit. My plants got all of the morning sun. By the time the hottest part of the day happened, the plants were in mostly shade.
Sounds like you've got a unique microclimate!
Spot on. I accidentally created a microclimate this Summer by planting on the north side of my home. The sun was just scorching my plants everywhere else. I live in Central Florida and none of the “rules” apply! Great video!
We use the USDA zones in Europe as well. They are actually very helpful for a first look, or for beginners. Also as a gardener in the mildest parts of Germany I can explain to ordinary people, why I'm able to grow palm trees and exotic plants with little to no protection and others in Germany might not.
But my tip is always: When you want to plant something, research the original habitat and distribution of the plant. This works very well. And then just risk it! I've often grown stuff, that wasn't supposed to cope well with my climate but did amazing.
The fact that coastal Northeastern states like Cape May NJ, Southern CT, Southern RI, Long Island NY, and Cape Cod MA have the same plant hardness zone as Stockholm Sweden is bizarre. Gulf stream has a beneficial effect on Sweden it seems. And even more bizarre is that Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire being in the same plant hardiness zone as Moscow Russia.
I thought that the Hardiness Zones applied more to trees and shrubs and some perennial flowers, *not* to annual flowers or vegetables. That is, the zone was designed to tell you whether your permanent plant will survive the winters. It doesn't tell you WHEN to plant anything.
Looking at the back of most seed packets will tell you WHEN to plant them.
@@Zizzyyzz Your Dept. of Ag website will give you better detailed info on when. And now that I'm moving further north, it looks like I've got some major adjustments to do.
@@SandcastleDreams 👍🏽
me too. I think garden answer had a more straightforward explanation of the zones.
@@SandcastleDreams Correct. Here in ontario the last frost date and when to plant vegetables and fruits etc is posted on the Ontario Ministry of agriculture website, which provides information by zones within Ontario.
This was a really good video. The other thing is that zones mean different thing for different types of farmer. If you are big ag with 1000s of acres, then it is what it is... but if you are a market gardener on 1 acre, than you can use plastic row covers to easily push yourself up a zone or two and get your stuff into the ground a month before big ag can.
I just purchased my first semi dwarf nagami kumquat tree and basically my first tree ever purchased so I'm very new to growing anything. I really do appreciate your video definitely very informational and just opens my mind up to different possibilities of growing as well as manipulating microclimates for the benefit of the plant . Thank you so much I really appreciate the information
Technically my UK location is 8a. What this does not take into account is that the UK is an island with a maritime climate on the same line of latitude as Moscow. Damp, Windy, large changes to day night cycle, and lots of rain and even salty rain. Growing like it is zone 8a USA here will only lead to disappointment. Brassicas here however tend to do quite well as they should, they were originally coastal plants.
Yeah, you guys absolutely crush growing brassicas over there! I'm slightly jealous
I love flowers, but I also love fruits and vegetables. I have not seen very many videos on how to grow all of them together in an aesthetically pleasing way, if you don't want to have raised beds in the middle of your yard! Can you give some pointers? Thx.
Thank you for sharing this! We were amazed by how many "annuals" overwintered that were planted against southeast facing walls or in the unheated greenhouse this spring in our 6b-7a zone. It's all about micro-climates! Thanks again!
Kevin, an additional consideration considering how different the latitudes in the USA are is sunlight hours. Anything less then 10 hours of sunlight in general direct or indirect you are not really growing no matter the temperature. Eliot Coleman has many references on this.
Awesome video! That is great information. I'm in 7b, and this is spot on that there are so many other factors to consider. I would say that our heat and humidity is almost more important to consider in planting that the low temps. Micro-climates is an important concept too. Thank you for posting this! A lot to think about as I redo my garden.
I actually use it to be able to speak to my friends in the usa on what they can grow when. Like living in the Netherlands I have many kales outside all winter. I know I live in zone 8B when I compare it to American seeds. So I can show my sister what of what I am growing snd help her. Hahaha I love the unity it brings.
Wow 😮 this was the most helpful video I’ve watched on zones. Thanks so much Kevin 🙂👌🏽
Lucky you. I am zone 4. Bordering zone 5 but taking that chance to plant zone 5 things is a guarentee to get that really cold winter throwing back to lower in zone 4. Very short growing season and Rainfall here is maybe 16 inches.
Love using micro-climates. I lived in 6a in OH, but had a SW facing brick wall. Planted roses in front of that and had flowers from early May to Thanksgiving.
OMG!! I have been waiting for a video like that in awhile... I have watched may gardening videos and most gardeners on you tube live in zone 5 through 8.. so your channel is more relatable to my area. I live in Florida zone 10a. Thank you very much! I started gardening 1 year ago and I have become obsessed with it... so satisfying to see something grow and produce and can eat it. Thank you!!!
I'm glad to hear this!
So glad you made this video! I live in Montreal so a zone 5b, but... our weather is unpredictable, it gets insanely cold in winter, sometimes minus 40 for weeks (-40 is the same in C and F by the way lol) and then unbearably hot in the summer. So we have to think about that before planting a zone 5 perennial, it will need protection and might still die.
Yeah one of those bipolar zones!
Same with far north in Kirkland Lake, we don’t really have much of a spring and fall we got 2 weeks of mid summer temps and then frost on the weekend.
I'm in Montana, in the middle of the state, and to say our weather is unpredictable is beyond an understatement. Our growing season is short. We augment that with greenhouses and cold boxes, but -40° dramatically effects what and when you can grow!! I've learned to pivot, but sometimes I loose a crop!!
Holy moly -40!?
Live in Missouri. I feel your pain. We had freezing temps overnight and then 96 two days after.
Black plastic helps warm the soil faster in spring and helps keep weeds out.
@@epicgardening Haha! It's only 9° here right now!!! It's been a long cold winter!!
@@ws2228 I'll have to try that!! Thanks!
I'm in a zone 10 microclimate pocket caused by our city being at the edge of the Sierra foothills (cold air rolls down into the valley), surround by zone 9. My yard has never had frost in the 6 years I've lived here, and my neighbors grow avocados, but my parents across town get black ice on their street if it rains in January.
Thing is, because it still does get cold, just not *quite* freezing, at the same time as the rest of the valley, I still get about 700 chill hours.
End result: I can grow both a mango tree and a cherry tree in my yard. 😁
THANK YOU for explaining this! Micro climates are incredibly over looked...I'm in zone 6a Michigan, but we have a small garden near our driveway on the south side next to a brick wall where tomatoes grow back, calla lillies do great and even rosemary stays evergreen, it's pretty much zone 7b or even 8a Totally different story on the north exposure lol great explanation my man
Very good. I live in a zone 7a area, but it’s high desert, high spring winds, colder nights in the summer than a lowland 7a. It all makes a big difference.
Totally does - good on you for knowing!
Humidity adds the tropical plant factor for many plant categories. For example, you’re more likely to have success with orchids in Florida than California. In any case, most people don’t need a chart for most plants except for when you live in a place that frosts over. One year, it did get really cold in California and my plant died. That was the only time it happened.
If you are on the west coast use the Sunset Magazine zones.
They are a very accurate and location specific.
My town has two zones depending on where you live!
It was 86 here on Monday, today it's 21 and SNOWING. 😑😒 So much for all the seeds I painstakingly planted this week. RIP.
:( so sorry!
Where do you live? Some seeds should be fine like sweet peas.
@@trendinvestor2893 I'm in Nebraska. Planted sunflowers, mums, lavender, catnip, thyme, marigolds...sighs
@@magicandmoonbeams
magic_and_ moonbeams
You planted them at the right time, but you should have planted them indoors in small containers. If the plants did not actually start coming up yet, then some of them might be okay??? The cold does not hurt the seeds, only the small plants.
If they haven't germinated, they can still make it! In fact, as the snow melts it might actually help them, as long as it stays warm after they germinate.
I'm right on the line between 4a and 3b. We get real cold and have a shorter overall growing season. Gotta start seeds inside and grow fast to maximize your garden.
It would be awesome if you created an app that you can input your gardening spaces info and it helps you plan where, what and when to plant!
There is already a company that does that called growveg
😲👍
Just found this April 2021. Very good video Mahalo. Long time zone 5 Gardner NE Rural Illinois, Moved to Maui, HI just restarting, You talk about micro climates this place is the king of them. Just go up 100 ft. vertical and the game changes. Wind direction can make the temp swing 20 degF on the high side. Then you take into the account of the length of day changes all sorts of new challenges. Old went from 11 hr. to 17 hr. daylight and new goes from 12 to 13 hr. daylight length. I'm an old dog (69) trying to learn new tricks.
Firstly, Thank you for your clear and scholarly explantation of your topics. Help me ! I live in the Smoky Mountains and I only have filtered sunlight . Everything I plant needs life support except for weeds and poison ivy. What are your recommendations, except for moving? 🤔
This is very helpful!! I always wondered how San Diego was in the same planting group as we were in South Florida because your climate seems so much more temperate to me. Thanks so much for explaining this so thoroughly!! - A fan who is trying to be an urban gardener in the sauna known as zone 10b in S. FL
Thank You! For the easy explanation on this. It's very confusing for me living in the Pacific Northwest, just south of Seattle our weather is pretty mild, with a cool temperate climate. Lot's of overcast, rainy or sprinkly days in Spring, and fall. July - Thru Sept...even Oct. pretty nice 70's maybe 80's.....And yet according to the Grow Zone we are the same zone as FLORIDA....Not even close. I remember watching a video on someone in my same zone HARVESTING Zucchini in MAY as I was just planting them!!! I tend to think my grow zone is more like Gary's from 'The rusted Garden' 7, Which he mentioned that YOU are doing the tomato contest with him this year. Good luck!
You can’t grow in Alaska things that work in Minnesota even though they have similar hardy zones. We have longer days so photoperiod plants won’t work and we have about 90-100 days of growing per season. But that being said cold hardy plants thrive here brassicas grow larger here than anywhere. World records.
Alaska, the home of GIANT VEG. Love it up there
This is exactly what I needed last year! I ended up placing them off intuition and being in line with this, feels good to have found this for reference even a year+ later with them doing well. Appreciate the knowledge regardless! Thanks so much
Good information, it made things clearer for me now. Especially when, why and how things differ even in the same area. Hadn’t thought about a wall or fence making a difference. It makes sense!
Glad to hear!
This was an awesome video. I live in zone 7b and my balcony faces West. So it's shaded most of the day. I never thought about microclimates before. But it makes such since and explains some of the struggles I had last year. Hopefully this year will.be better.
Thank you for a whole video on this question! 😃 Too legit. I started planting tomatoes indoors and have only a slight idea on what I'm doing. The seed packet said "frost sensitive 60 days from transplanting after last chance of spring frost" and I was confused. 🤔 Frost as in... the last rain we had? L.A. doesn't get frosty. 🤷🏻♀️
Yup, for LA you can plant out as early as about a month ago I've noticed, and have 2 main crops of tomatoes per yr
I so enjoy your content. You not only answer questions I didn't know I had, but you also are precise and to the point. It really helps my monkey brain out.
In the Southeast, be sure you look at Chilling Hours. Most plants that experience cold-related seasonal dormancy, such as temperate fruit trees, decide when to "wake up" by the number of hours below 45F yet above freezing. A mismatch, if C.H. are much lower than in the climate, often means premature growth damaged by late frosts and if higher than the chilling hours that year, a failure to flower at all, and delayed, indifferent vegetal growth. Maritime and many Mediterranean climates get both warm winters and high chilling hours, and therefore don't need to worry about it. In cold climates, they may be a factor in why apricots for example tend to bloom to early, but most people look at bloom charts. If you ignore Chilling Hours in the Deep South, you are doomed to failure for deciduous fruit/nut trees and bushes. You can probably still grow evergreens like kumquats if the disease pressure and frosts aren't too severe, as well as locally adapted vegetables if you time them right (plant Yankee stuff in October to harvest over winter; only tropical stuff tolerates summer). (Perennial monsoon vegetables with storage roots/rhizomes like ginger and tumeric seem to wake up based on soil temperature.)
I'm so glad this video popped back up in my feed. I was just thinking about this! Excellent explanation of the zones that was super helpful complement to the book!
What do you think about Sunset’s zones? I find that they take much more into account and are more helpful when choosing what plants will do well in my area.
Yeah, for us they are great, it's just unfortunate they're not nationwide as far as I can tell
Old times went by the length of days, sunrise, sunset, equinox.....I think the farmers almanac still refers to it some ??
@@rnupnorthbrrrsm6123 I still refer to the old farmers almanac on so many things
I feel like this video has been made exactly for me. I’m that person in Florida in zone 10b.
Lo mismo.
This is helpful. I have a house in Joshua trees which is a zone 9 and in desert hot springs (palm springs) which is also a zone 9. It freezes and shows sometimes in JT but never in DHS. I didn’t understand how they were both zone 9! In DHS the summers can be over 120/100 but in winter it averages about 60/40. I was thinking it is a zone 10. Also there is more rain in DHS than JT so it is more humid (especially with all the golf courses). So I think I’m going to go with zone 10 from now on.
I’m just starting and I was going threw a lot of plants. Luckily most I started from seeds I saved from my corner produce stand and the woman there helps me with tips on how to grow stuff.
Hello from Canada! Thanks for this video. My wife and I know we want a large garden or small farm when we find our forever home, and this is a good reminder to check hardiness zones when considering locations.
Good tips on raising zone!
I live in Hudson County, NJ and we have zone 7b here. The other day I was surprised to see a what it appears to be a banana tree here in Jersey City, in a park (Pershing Field Park), but next to a pool building that have the park. I just google the hardiness zone for banana trees, and i read that there are some varieties that can survive up to a zone 7!
Thank you for this, I've seen zones mentioned on several of the herbalist things I follow and it always confused me because I'm in the UK .
Most of the UK is in 9a if coastal 8b ish if not coastal and 7 if in scottish highlands. Your welcome.
Here is a fun fact for the great lakes folks , Chicago is roughly the dividing line between zone 5 and 6 , northside being a 5 , far south side /suburbs closer to 6
Houghton Michigan , 8 hours north of Chicago is also a zone 5, and they receive on average 200-300 inches of snow per year , with most years having snow on the ground in late April through early June and snowfall starting in October like Alaska
Thank you for this video. We live in Northern California Zone 9b and planted our lime tree 5 years ago, and this year is the first year we're getting limes. BUT we're planning to move to Washington which is zone 8a-b. I want to seed save from that lime and plant in pots. I've already done this with my dwarf lemon tree. I'm determined to grow these citrus plants in Washington, so I'm trying to gather as much information as I can to make it a successful grow.
Moving from Texas to Oregon, and it blows my mind that we are still going to be in the same "zone". Gardening there is going to be a learning curve adjustment, I'm sure.
Great topic. The Sunset magazine breaks down the growing zones even further. Thank you for this video!
The weather in Kentucky is changing so much, it no longer freezes in October like it used to. It stays warmer later in the year than it used to. Plus, with my garden being in town and next to the alley gravel it stays warmer. What we are getting this year is high temps with lots of rain. It is really humid, the tomato's need that air flow. My potatoes seem to be really long stemmed this year, with the soggy soil I don't know if they will produce anything or not.
I'm in zone 7, North Georgia. Fortunately, I have a sunny yard. It definitely has hot and cold spots. Feb 10, it's about 56 in the shade. On the south side of my house a thermometer read 100 F.
A good source of regional planting information is a Farmer's Almanac.
The Ag Zones have been moving north due to Climate Change. In the S.E. U.S. moved about an hour northward.
So, I live in Cape Town, South Africa and from now on will consider myself as living in zone 11. Spring is just mixed up a bit and summers get really hot and winters wet. Summer is November,December and January.
Not mentioned here as a consideration: the relationship between day length and first/last frost date. Consider this specific application: I'm planning on planting some roselle this year, and I live in zone 7a. The growing season is definitely long enough to grow it, but because it's a short day flowering tropical plant, no matter how much the plants have matured it won't start flowing until pretty close to my first frost date, which will kill it. This crop should be doable, but I'll definitely have to resort to some combination of covering the plants for darkness and polytunnels for warmth to make it work.
I was really surprised to see a variety of palm trees in Swiss gardens, some of them don´t seem to get much sun at all and yet, they survived for many years.
The hardiness zones always confused me. I look at the record highs and lows as well as the average temps for each month for the past few years. I’ll compare that to what the farmer’s almanac tells me for my zip code as well as Weather Underground’s 7 day forecast (they predict polar vortexes very well). My goal is to predict when the lows are going to be 46f+ and when highs get over 98f. Until the lows reach 46f, I’ll take my seedlings outside everyday and bring them inside every night. Once I’m positive the lows are above 46f, I’ll transplant the seedlings outside. The plants that don’t like extreme heat and sunlight get put into potting bags so I can move them into the shade of the porch on those days when the highs hit 98f.
I'm in zone 6a and we are trying to grow lemon trees in the pot because it getts to cold for them in the winter so we have to bring them inside and we bring them out in the warmer months. I'm in massachusetts so average highs are in the low 80s and we a higher humidity throughout the year. We also gonna try yot plant a native plant known as the Beach Plum or Prunus Maritima. Because they are around here mostly on the coast we will be able to plant it and it can stay outside all year round. Can't wait to get beach plums so I can make jam out of them
Never knew about this, but then again i live in a tiny country that (as far as i know) dont use this system. I just figured out i am in Zone 8a
The most important imo it doesnt tell you is the prolonged cold. I live en zone 8b ish, but we can get prologned cold for weeks where the temperature doesnt get above freezing during day or night. Some plants doesnt like to be in sub zero for weeks even if its only minus 5 degrees celsius. Plants might be rated to zone 7a but dies in 8b. Second thing it doesnt tell you is the amount of light during winter which could also mean a huge difference as well
Oh my goodness I just moved to Imperial Beach from Chicago! I love your videos.
This is so true in California..out here in Menifee I have been growing tomatoes all winter but my friends in Hemet had a hard freeze that killed everytjing...its hard to know when to grow anything by the charts
I really want to grow some beautiful Colombian flowers from Eden Brothers but I was so sad that the hardiness zone here in San Diego wouldn’t allow me to but you gave me hope with the microclimate thing. 😁
I live in the NE corner of Indianapolis, Zone 5A. Our summer temperatures are higher than what you get in San Diego. We are up to 103/104 every afternoon in August. That's crazy.
Good video. Good info. and intuition. I've been thinking on the same lines. My USDA hardiness zone is 9b. I grew up gardening in Hardiness Zone 6b. The USDA zones were good. They worked. Now that I'm here, they are useless. The city I live in is a micro-climate which does not in anyway confirm to USDA categories. Zone 9b is supposed to have hot summers. It is rare for the temperature here to exceed 63 degrees F. On the converse, the USDA Hardiness map works for the lows. Temperatures rarely drop below 36 degrees F. But, they did drop to 34 degrees two days ago, on April 16. I have began to use a combination of USDA zones with geography definitions such as "Mediterranean Climate", "Maritime Climate", "Temperate Rain Forest", and etc. This has yielded a slightly more exact approximation of my climate zone. In the past, I wouldn't have needed this information, but as our family has been seeking to create a self-sustaining, permaculture garden, within space and environmental constraints, I have been looking at unfamiliar crops. To make things more complicated, our climate seems to be changing. The temperature actually got up to 73 degrees last year. My kids were complaining about the heat...? The winter time lows dipped down to freezing more frequently, while staying above 27- 29 degrees (normal limits). And, though we supposedly live in a "Mediterranean Climate" there was no rain this winter. However, it's been raining cats and dogs this spring. It's like I'm back in Zone 6b again: totally atypical. Thanks,
again. I thought I would offer this for food for thought.
Mature Atrees are not producing were I live in Ventura county CA. due mostly to new higher temperature in Summer over 110 F . Temporary shade cloth and watering just before a heat event help the more sensitive trees survive.
Please do a video about plant placement: south-facing, north-facing, etc. Thanks
Will do!
This is sooooo cool. Really enjoyed listening to you on this subject. Thank you so much.
I'm in zone 5b, and our hot days days reach 99 to 100 the last 5 years... And -10 to -20 during the coldest snaps in the winter, which has lasted an entire month... I hate the extremes!
I think we need a new system. It took me 15 years to figure out how to work with my zone 7b Atlanta climate. It certainly didn't help that my hardiness zones changed twice since I started.
Yup - it's totally limited as a guideline!
Shocked that San Diego and San Francisco (where I am) are both zone 10b... yet we cannot grow heat-loving plants. (SF 3000 growing-degree-daysF vs SD 5000 growing-degree-daysF and the summer ocean fog and wind seem to make a big difference, despite no frost). Seeing your gardens, I want to move to SD now! 😆 ~chillin’ in the other “10b”
Yay am from SD too , no wonder i love your videos , i have never had success growing cilantro and ginger. Am going to check if you have videos on those two
I live in Atlanta and have for 32 years. I don't really agree with zone 7b that we are designated. I have been able to successfully grow some zone 8 plants for the last few years. And.... 7 or 8 years ago, I couldn't grow tomatoes through October. Now I have Christmas dinner on the back deck. Not saying that's a good thing! I never thought I could grow olive trees either, but I am! Major weather changes in my lifetime here.
Zone 10B in Florida means we can only grow Florida vegg, it’s too hot for greens without a filter, it’s too cold for tropical, we get no frost so no winter vegg will grow and we’re too humid for mediterranean plants to grow without constant babysitting. We’re big on monoculture. If you want lots of rice or big sugar we’ve got you covered! I would love to grow sweet corn or sweet grapes or beets! Nope! I’m looking into Asian options. They have weather like ours and I’m considering using a zone manipulation to grow some tropical fruits.
Hi @Epic Gardening
i am in a 10b zone too i as i found out recently, its my first year growing im excited to see the results as i planted in late july, as ive seen i should be ok
Thank you for such an informative video about hardiness zones. I fully understand it now and can share my new knowledge with my 6th grade students.
Hardiness zones are loosely connected to last and first frost dates. That changes between maritime and continental climate.
Yup totally!
The video showed that the hardiness zone map was an indicator of average lowest temperature. It has nothing to do with frost dates!
San Diego is pretty ideal to grow. I’m in Massachusetts and boy is it a struggle.
Southern California has boring weather tho
Alaska too. We have such short growing seasons
As always, very interesting. Living outside the US we obviously don't really have the exact equivalents, but those zones are really helpful.
And of course we don't always take into consideration how adaptable and resilient some plants can be.
Thank you and have a wonderful day!! ☺️
Yes, totally true on both of those points!
You always share great information, thank you. And to think, I thought I completely understood plant hardiness zones, here you come with new information to consider :)
Start of this video was 100% accurate of my hardiness zone understanding
Great video Kevin, being a native Southern Californian and know in WV....its is very different to grow here then there....I have a lot more space but a very small growing window. as a matter of fact we are expecting a light snow on Wednesday....YUK!!
WOW hope it warms up soon
@@epicgardening you and me both buddy.....but no traffic here and I was more in northern LA area by Magic Mountain
not as nice as SD
Those zones are created for the purpose of growing perennials, for example, to tell you that you can't grow oranges in Montana. For annuals, it's not really useful. There are areas with a very long growing period and relatively high heath index but they are like zone 5 or 6 cause they have one extremely cold snap during the winter.