June 28, 2024

VIDEO: What Plant Hardiness Zones DON'T Tell You…


Hardiness zones are helpful, but for beginner gardeners, they can often confuse you more than they clarify. They’re based on the average annual minimum temperature, which gives you SOME info but not ALL the info you need to know what to plant and when to plant it in your garden.

Click here to find your zone: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

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26 thoughts on “VIDEO: What Plant Hardiness Zones DON'T Tell You…

  1. 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

  2. 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.

  3. 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!

  4. 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

  5. The Western Garden book is not perfect. But it’s really good at addressing smaller zones. I worked for a large California Nursery that specialized in deciduous Fruit and shade trees outside Visalia California. I set up a program for selling deciduous fruit trees by microclimate. Because stone fruits, apples, Cherries, Pears and Nut Trees and other deciduous fruit trees rely on “Chilling Hours” (hours under 45 degrees Fahrenheit).
    I put a TON of work into that. Basically informing each Nursery by Microclimate. So people wouldn’t buy the inappropriate variety. VERY complex. And my boss just let it die. Didn’t want to pay for Graphics the consumer could understand. Oh well, I did get paid to do the research.

  6. 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.

  7. I'm growing Microgreens in my uninsulated garage in a 7a zone during the summer months (60-90F). Lately, it's been in the 70's and 80s, but everything I sow (Sunflower, Peas, Beans, Corn, Broccoli, Clover) seems to take twice as long to germinate as what people prescribe. Wondering if this is due to the heat / humidity.

  8. Thanks for the informational video. Wondering if there are any micro-climate apps out there than can help me calculate how often and much I should water.

  9. One thing I never see in my homestead groups are the discussions about personal micro climate. My family and friends wonder why I have frogs and lizards, rabbits and hares living on my property when the neighbor can barely grow wheat on his acreage

  10. I LIVE IN THE 92139 AREA, THAT i THINK THAT IS 10A NOT SURE. I WANTED BEAUTIFUL, FRAGRANT, COOL TONE PLANTS, LIKE THE MAUVES, PINKS, LAVENDERS, BLUES, PURPLE, PINKS THAT HOPEFULLY ARE PERRENIALS. PLUS, SOME BEAUTIFUL ANNUALS LIKE STOCKS, I WAS ALSO TRYING TO FIND A GARDEN AND FLOWER CATALOG FOR THE 92139 AREA, BUT I DIDN'T FIND ONE. I AM LOST IN KNOWING WHAT I CAN PLANT, WHERE TO PLANT AND WHAT SOIL BAGS THAT I NEED FOR THAT PLANT. I NEED SOME ADVICE.

  11. 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.

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