what are the agricultural zones

What is a planting zone?

Planting zones are areas you can find on a growing zone map that show exactly which plants are best suited to thrive in your given area, or zone. When shopping for new plants for your garden landscape, the terms “plant hardiness zones,” “growing zones” and “planting zones” may at first seem a bit confusing.

What is a hardiness zone?

In essence, plant hardiness zones have been used by growers for years to simply identify the plants that are most likely to survive the winter in their area. Being able to understand a hardiness zone map means you’ll have a starting point for making wise planting decisions.

What is Zone 5 hardiness?

Plant hardiness Zone 5 includes the southern coastal region of Alaska, the North Central United States and portions of New England. With minimum average temperatures between -20 and -10 degrees F, this zone experiences a moderately cold winter. While the growing season is short, you can extend it by using cold frames or using started plants in your annual garden.

What zone do herbs grow in?

Many herbs become hardy to Zone 4 with nothing more than an application of mulch during the winter months, including:

What is Zone 4?

Planting Zone 4 covers the southern coastal areas of Alaska, northern areas of the United States and high elevations found in the western mountains. These unique climates share minimum average temperatures of between -30 to -20 degrees F. Planting in this zone is less challenging than in colder zones, but the short growing season impacts both vegetables and flower bloom times.

Can asparagus grow in Zone 2?

There are very few perennial vegetables able to withstand the extreme cold of Zone 2. Although, with added protection, it can be possible to grow asparagus as a perennial. Look for annual vegetables with a short growing season for the best results. In addition to Zone 1 vegetables, consider planting:

Can fruit trees survive in Zone 1?

Very few fruit trees are hardy enough to survive the extreme cold of Zone 1. Given the correct conditions, however, the following may be able to thrive:

What is the hardiness zone map?

This map divides North America into 11 separate zones. Each zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. (In some versions of the map, each zone is further divided into “a” and “b” regions.)

When was the USDA Zone Map released?

The latest version of the USDA Zone Map was jointly developed by USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oregon State University’s (OSU) PRISM Climate Group, and released in January of 2012.

Is the USDA map good for the East?

Great for the East. The USDA map does a fine job of delineating the garden climates of the eastern half of North America. That area is comparatively flat, so mapping is mostly a matter of drawing lines approximately parallel to the Gulf Coast every 120 miles or so as you move north.

How cold is each zone in the winter?

Each zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. (In some versions of the map, each zone is further divided into “a” and “b” regions.) Click on your region for an enlarged view. Color Chart Reference.

Is the 2012 US map warmer than the 1990 map?

Compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in the 2012 edition of the map have shifted in many areas. The new map is generally one 5°F half- zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United States. This is mostly a result of using temperature data from a longer and more recent time period; the new map uses data measured at weather stations during the 30-year period 1976-2005. In contrast, the 1990 map was based on temperature data from only a 13-year period of 1974-1986.

Why do we need a climate map?

That’s why climate zone maps were created. Zone maps are tools that show where various permanent landscape plants can adapt. If you want a shrub, perennial , or tree to survive and grow year after year, the plant must tolerate year-round conditions in your area, such as the lowest and highest temperatures and the amount and distribution of rainfall.

How many hardiness zones are there in North America?

The USDA Hardiness Zone Map divides North America into 11 separate planting zones; each growing zone is 10°F warmer (or colder) in an average winter than the adjacent zone. If you see a hardiness zone in a gardening catalog or plant description, chances are it refers to this USDA map.

How many people use the USDA hardiness zone map?

While about 80 million American gardeners, as well as those who grow and breed plants, are the largest users of the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, many others need this hardiness zone information. For example, the USDA Risk Management Agency uses the USDA plant hardiness zone designations to set some crop insurance standards. Scientists use the plant hardiness zones as a data layer in many research models such as modeling the spread of exotic weeds and insects.

What does a plant hardiness zone mean?

Plant hardiness zone designations represent the average annual extreme minimum temperatures at a given location during a particular time period. They do not reflect the coldest it has ever been or ever will be at a specific location, but simply the average lowest winter temperature for the location over a specified time.

What did USDA and OSU request to help develop the new map?

To help develop the new map, USDA and OSU requested that horticultural and climatic experts review the zones in their geographic area, and trial versions of the new map were revised based on their expert input.

What is PHZM in USDA?

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today released the new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), updating a useful tool for gardeners and researchers for the first time since 1990 with greater accuracy and detail.

What is the new map?

For the first time, the new map offers a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based interactive format and is specifically designed to be Internet-friendly. The map website also incorporates a “find your zone by ZIP code” function. Static images of national, regional and state maps also have been included to ensure the map is readily accessible to those who lack broadband Internet access.

How to read USDA zone maps?

To read each map, just click on the picture or header to see the full-size map . Look for the color-coded legend of zones, and match up the correct color and zone to where you live. You can then choose plants that are suggested for that USDA zone. 1

How to find your USDA zone?

You can find your USDA zone with state maps that are based on extreme minimum temperatures. However, it’s important to note they do not account for maximum temperatures, so some plants may struggle. But using these maps is an excellent guide for picking flowers, shrubs, trees, and herbs that will be able to thrive without much maintenance.

What USDA zone is New Hampshire?

USDA Zones 3b through 6a are represented in New Hampshire.

How to find plants in your zone?

To find plants that will grow in your zone, you can visit your local plant nursery. They will carry plants that will be clearly marked with the zone that they will grow in. You can grow any plant in your zone or lower in your garden. If you wish to grow a plant that is in a zone that is higher than yours, you will need to provide extra protection for those plant and possibly even bring them in for the winter.

Why is knowing the growing zone important?

Knowing the plant growing zones in Florida is important because this will help you decide which plants you should have in your garden. In order to find the plant growing zone in Florida that applies to you, locate where you live on the above Florida planting zone map.

Why is it important to know what zone you live in Florida?

It is important to understand what the growing zones for Florida are and which zone you live in because this will help you have a successful garden. Planting flowers, trees, vegetables and other plants that are appropriate for you zone will ensure that these plants grow well from year to year.

What is the USDA hardiness map?

The USDA plant hardiness map is an upgrade from the 1990’s map, which was not nearly as sophisticated as the new map, released at the beginning of 2012. The new zone divisions also take into consideration other factors such as elevation, proximity to a large body of water and urban heat.

What is the coolest zone in Texas?

The coolest zone indicated by the Texas USDA planting map is 6b, located in the northern part of the state. The rest of Texas enjoys a very warm climate year round, including the winter months. The remaining Texas zones include 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b and 9a.