Hardiness zone question....

[Alexia RSV]

I am researching planting schedules online and searching specifically for my hardiness zone which is 6B in PENNSYLVNIA. I found a website with awesome detail, but they are in zone 6b in KENTUCKY. Can I still use this as a reference since were are in the same zones but different states? Do frost dates/temperatures vary from state to state even though the zones are exactly the same? Or would going off this information based in Kentucky be a bad idea for me in PA?

Any clarification would help
thanks guys!

 

[Chuck]

Hardiness zones are used mainly for permanent landscape plants. What you want to know is your average date of first frost. You can find this by googling first frost and your zip code on your search bar. Anything you find is only an average

 

[Alexia RSV]

Hardiness zones are used mainly for permanent landscape plants. What you want to know is your average date of first frost. You can find this by googling first frost and your zip code on your search bar. Anything you find is only an average

I do know my first/last frost dates in my area. I guess I thought areas with the same zone #'s had the same frost dates but maybe that's incorrect...

 

[Chuck]

I do know my first/last frost dates in my area. I guess I thought areas with the same zone #'s had the same frost dates but maybe that's incorrect...

It is and sometimes it isn't. For instance I am in 8b and so is San Antonio but in my zip code my first freeze is usually about 2 weeks earlier and about 6 degrees F cooler. You must know YOUR local dates, not from the same hardiness number 200 miles away.

 

[YumYum]

Every year just as soon as I put out my warm weather transplants comes another last frost warning. So be prepared for that to happen because the last frost date isn't set in stone. It can vary a bit. Ever heard of blackberry winter?

They change the future weather forecast every day here. I plant mine in such a manner that I can protect them faily easy on my part and hope for the best even after the last average frost date.

 

[Alexia RSV]

It is and sometimes it isn't. For instance I am in 8b and so is San Antonio but in my zip code my first freeze is usually about 2 weeks earlier and about 6 degrees F cooler. You must know YOUR local dates, not from the same hardiness number 200 miles away.

 

[Ruderunner]

Every year just as soon as I put out my warm weather transplants comes another last frost warning. So be prepared for that to happen because the last frost date isn't set in stone. It can vary a bit. Ever heard of blackberry winter?

They change the future weather forecast every day here. I plant mine in such a manner that I can protect them faily easy on my part and hope for the best even after the last average frost date.

So your weatherman is as accurate as ours?

 

[Chuck]

So your weatherman is as accurate as ours?

All of the weathermen went to the same weatherman school.

 

[Sheal]

All of the weathermen went to the same weatherman school.

If it wasn't for the miles between us I'd be saying the same. The forecast here today said light snow showers but my road is impassable and shopping trip abandoned.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Weather can change quite quickly, especially here in the UK because we are an offshore island, in the middle of a continent it should be a bit more stable.
I am guessing if you compare your first frost date with Kentucky's it would give you a fair idea, but like people say nothing is set in stone. I usually plant some early some a bit later, and some at the last minute. That way at least some make it, and if they all make it I can give some away.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Soil Temps Matter. Landing in cold soil will delay the momentum that would otherwise bring in produce when you are manipulating the start times.