Roll Call - What's Your Growing Zone?

[ChanellG]

Here in southern Louisiana we are in USDA Hardiness Zone 9b. That means I get to garden through winter, even though I occasionally have to cover or move plants into the greenhouse. I have recently started compiling a list of everything I grow and the hardiness temps so I know which plants actually need to be protected when the mercury starts to drop (some are more hardy than you think).

I've also created Pinterest boards specific to gardening by the season in my zone (i.e., Winter Gardening in Zone 9). How dialed in are you to your growing zone and what plants work best?

 

[headfullofbees]

I don't know much about hardiness zones, but I'm interested in asking ChanellG a question.

I think of the winter here, not that cold, but a bit cold, as useful for a number of reasons, breaking up the soil, killing off many animal and fungal pests, etc. but for that we pay in having to grow many tropical and subtropical plants as annuals.

You get to grow year-round, but do you pay for that with many more, and higher numbers of, pests?

 

[ChanellG]

I don't know much about hardiness zones, but I'm interested in asking ChanellG a question...

You get to grow year-round, but do you pay for that with many more, and higher numbers of, pests?

No, not really. I think it's because I don't grow that many edibles. I get hornworms because I have started to grow tomatoes, but last year my mother put hers in the greenhouse during the period before fruiting when the moths were most active so she wouldn't get eggs, hence no worms. I'll be doing that at some point this year at home.

I get cutworms on the herbs, but I can isolate them as well. Last year I pulled all the worms and gave them to a friend who has a turtle. This year I will be giving them to someone in the plant swap group who has chickens. I do have a snail problem, but I'm working on that. I also spray the plants with aspirin water which is supposed to help them defend themselves from attack, and I've recently learned from @Chuck that molasses offers some of the same benefit.

Aphids are the bain of my existence - I get the orange-y ones on the milkweed, greenish ones on the fennel, and black ones on the hibiscus (and okra 2 summers ago). I just blast them with soap, plain water, or I remove them with tape.

There's a beetle issue at garden #2; I'll be trying beneficial nematodes as soon as they are available and we're getting rid of the golden rain tree and cutting back the live oak, so that will help reduce their number.

I'm working on attracting more beneficial bugs in both gardens as well. Lacewings are my favorite, though the assassin bugs in the greenhouse have been patrolling fairly well. I'll be creating toad and lizard habitats soon too.

 

[ChanellG]

I don't know much about hardiness zones

P.S. @zigs can help you figure out your hardiness zone.

 

[zigs]

I'm in 9a & Bees is in 8b

http://www.trebrown.com/hrdzone.html

 

[R.R.]

8b here. Last spring was the first time I grew something in the garden, and we had to move in the middle of the season so I didn't get to enjoy the fruits of my work much. I believe this year is the year I'm going to be learning a lot, and I hope I get lots of everything

I'm really blessed to have @Chuck in my zone, because he has help me a lot. From answering every little question I've asked him, to sending me warnings like "cover the beds tonight, it might freeze", I would be doing so much worse without his help. I'd still be listening to a friend's advice who still treats all pest problems with DE and put his tomatoes outside 4 weeks ago and lost them because of the weather.

@zigs, how can Bees be in the same zone I am if he has different weather than we do? You seem to be in Chanell's zone, and I bet you don't have the Louisiana weather either. This is confusing to me.

 

[CanadianLori]

6a, sigh...

 

[Chuck]

8b here. Last spring was the first time I grew something in the garden, and we had to move in the middle of the season so I didn't get to enjoy the fruits of my work much. I believe this year is the year I'm going to be learning a lot, and I hope I get lots of everything

I'm really blessed to have @Chuck in my zone, because he has help me a lot. From answering every little question I've asked him, to sending me warnings like "cover the beds tonight, it might freeze", I would be doing so much worse without his help. I'd still be listening to a friend's advice who still treats all pest problems with DE and put his tomatoes outside 4 weeks ago and lost them because of the weather.

@zigs, how can Bees be in the same zone I am if he has different weather than we do? You seem to be in Chanell's zone, and I bet you don't have the Louisiana weather either. This is confusing to me.

Zones are only a guide as to minimum average temperature for a region and IMO are just about useless. Just because you live in a particular zone doesn't mean a plant will grow there even if it is rated for that zone. It is a guide for the cold hardiness of a plant. Temperature is just a small part of what enables a plant to thrive

 

[zigs]

@zigs, how can Bees be in the same zone I am if he has different weather than we do? You seem to be in Chanell's zone, and I bet you don't have the Louisiana weather either. This is confusing to me.

I dunno, it was the yanks that zoned us, we were happy getting on with it before.

Yep, I got the same weather as Chanell, storms, floods etc, just wish I had her daylight and temps

 

[R.R.]

 

[ChanellG]

@zigs, how can Bees be in the same zone I am if he has different weather than we do? You seem to be in Chanell's zone, and I bet you don't have the Louisiana weather either. This is confusing to me.

Our weather is surprisingly similar at times (we chat daily), though he's often colder. I also get more sun this time of year. My city is in a weird little pocket, likely because we have the river on one side (well, kind of like three sides, lol) and the lake on the other. It's usually warmer in the city than the surrounding metro areas.

 

[ChanellG]

6a, sigh...

Hang in there, Lori. Spring is coming. I think if you could find away to cheaply heat your greenhouse you could get going earlier and extend your season to grow longer.

 

[deepestblues]

6a, sigh...

I don't know what zone I'm in but that sounds about right. Unless zones cross the border

 

[ChanellG]

I don't know what zone I'm in but that sounds about right. Unless zones cross the border

Well, she's in Canada so...

 

[Trellum]

To be honest I'm very disconnected with this kind of stuff, because I no longer grow anything (but I will soon). I'm not sure how growing will go in the place where I'll be living, I think Ill need a lot help in that department! Over here I was able to grow a little bit of everything during the whole year, but the place I'm going to... it seems it's impossible to successfully grow fruit trees there (or so I've been told). Which is sad because I was dreaming of growing a lemon tree