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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Accurate well defined hardiness map.

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  • From: "tanis cuff" <tanistanis@hotmail.com>
  • To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Accurate well defined hardiness map.
  • Date: Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:11:06 +0000

Learn what your neighbors are growing. If they are getting away with growing healthy but border-line hardy material, try to figure out why. In this area, the "lucky" gardeners are actually not so lucky, but just benefit from better soil, less tree shade, and a ridge or bluff protecting them from prevailing winter winds. They have great microclimates; I don't. On the other hand, I can give them plants and say "I know this will do great at your place because it grows at mine."

tc, s. WI, trying to at least reduce the tree shade...


----Original Message Follows----
From: Jwlehman
To: nafex
Subject: [NAFEX] Accurate well defined hardiness map.
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 21:53:12 EST

There is no such thing.

If you found one that divides down to the county level it will be
meaningless. Each zone has a 10 degree difference, and just because a line might be drawn
on a county line, those counties will not have average temps 10 degrees
warmer or colder than the other. Also those temp ranges aren't absolute. My zone
5b (-15 to -5, my extrapolation) regularly sees -20 and the record is -32.

Conclusion: A well defined map is meaningless. Close counts in horse shoes
(the game), hand grenades and USDA Hardiness Zones.

Opinion time: Add at least one zone to what most nursery catalogs list their
material to be hardy too. If they say zone 5, if might survive zone 6 over a
long time period.

Stephen is correct when he writes: Even in a very large area of a single
zone, one might live in a microclimate;
I might add, those microclimates can be much colder as well as warmer.

Jerry






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