RE: Zones (was White Flower Farm)

> From:          Nina Beheim <NBeheim@multicare.com>


> neens wrote:
> 
> (who's wondering why folks in my area quote zone 8 - as I do myself, and
> my Sunset Garden books says I'm zone 5...)
> 
The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture divides the country into zones based on 
average minimum winter temperatures and the USDA zones are the most 
commonly used.   If a catalog or book lists a plant as being hardy to 
zone 8, it means that the plant may be killed by cold weather in USDA 
zones 7 and colder.   The USDA zones are subdivided into, for 
example, 7a and 7b and you'll see that some catalogs/books use the 
subdvisions but many don't.  You'll also note disagreements about 
zones  You can find USDA zone maps in most catalogs, books, and on 
the web -- just do a search.

The American Horticultural Society  (AHS) came out last 
year with a new zone map based on average summer highs, which should 
be very helpful once catalogs start including that info, since heat 
also has adverse effects on  plants.  I think the only way you can 
see AHS maps is by buying a map or a book -- there's a new book out 
about the heat zones.

Sunset Garden zones are, of course, determined by the people at 
Sunset Gardens and I tend to think of them as being "a Western thing" 
so you'll have to tell me what they base them on.   I'm in north 
Georgia, in the Appalachian piedmont, so what zone is that?

In any case, zones are useful guidelines but you have to take them 
with a grain of salt.   Always remember that plants don't read.

Kate Lykins
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@mallorn.com with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE PERENNIALS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index