Having an eager green thumb is a fantastic way to supply your own food while maintaining an engaging hobby. Many gardeners enjoy connecting with nature while growing their plants—not to mention the pride of a successful harvest. Ultimately, planting appropriately in relation to your specific zone raises your chances of a better yield. For your convenience, here’s a brief guide to plant hardiness zones for gardens.
What Are Hardiness Zones?
In short, hardiness zones refer to different areas of the country whose weather conditions and soil types determine if a specific plant will thrive. The country is divided up into zones of 10-degree variables, with each zone having lower or higher success rates for certain plants An area’s average minimum winter temperature directly affects the hardiness factor. As you probably assumed, southern regions are far more likely to produce bountiful harvests; however, certain plants still do well in the northern part of the continent.
How To Determine Your Hardiness Zone
The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, is responsible for creating hardiness zone maps for the general public. You can navigate its information by searching your ZIP code. Zones range from 1a (the coldest) to 13b (the hottest). For example, zone 6 features a minimal winter average of -10 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning any crop planted there must be able to withstand those temperatures at the least.
Most plants can thrive in any hardiness zone; however, the care required to ensure plant success is different for more extreme weather areas. Use the USDA interactive map to determine which plants are best for your location.
Heirloom Crops vs. Hardiness Zones
With ARK’s impressive collection of heirloom herb seed kits, you’re probably wondering how hardy these plants are in various zones. In truth, quality heirloom produce has significantly adapted to nearly any weather, as these plants have existed for generations. Because of this, many gardeners attest to the resilience of heirloom seeds no matter the location of their plots. The only thing to look out for is that these plants have less protection against diseases, but that’s a minor worry compared to the vast rewards of successfully growing heirloom produce.
We at ARK pride ourselves on our quality selection of heirloom products, which are sure to make your garden a cornucopia of delicious, healthy plants. Using this brief guide to plant hardiness zones for gardens and one of our many seed kits, your plot will successfully produce thriving plants for many years to come!