Thursday, May 8, 2014

Move It Up a Notch, It's Gettin' Hot Here!

I have been thinking, the way my garden shrivels up starting in May now instead of June, that I'm really not gardening in Zone 9 anymore. So I checked the latest USDA hardiness zone map, and sure enough, I'm in Zone 10! If you're in the US, you can check your zone here:

 http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Banana River Windsurfers, MR, 2014
 
Many hardiness zones all over the world are changing. It's getting hot in here! I'd recommend that any gardeners who haven't checked their zone in a while should do so. Most seed packets use old zoning maps, so their directions can be just plain wrong. Find your 2014 zone, then look on the internet to find the best planting times for your actual zone. I've gone officially Tropical, and will be planting my zinnias in September. Or maybe I'll skip the zinnias and just on to bananas and coconuts....
Dragonfly, MR, 2014



2 comments:

  1. According to the map I'm in Zone 7b, which should have minimum low winter temperatures of 5 to 10 degrees F. That's right on target until THIS winter. My two outdoor thermometers recorded a low temperature this winter of 4 degrees below zero. OUCH! Took out a lot of the cacti in my outside winter hardy garden. Lots of dead cactus pads to dispose of. Can't just put them in the compost pile. ;)

    My tomato and zinnia seedlings are up, but I won't put them outside until later in the month. I'll also direct sow the sunflowers later in the month. Good luck with the bananas, Zone 10 should be ok for them. :) I like your paintings, especially the Banana River Windsurfers. Very Nice.

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  2. Bob, your comment got me thinking and searching on the Web, and I just posted an interview with another gardener who's been going through "climate disruption"-- see what you think about his conclusions! I'm sure thinking about them.

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