Did your growing zone just change?! | What this means for you and your garden

[@Laughinginflowers]

As a scientist and an avid gardener; just plant it, mulch it and see what grows and comes back! Experiment!! Have fun and investigate. The best part of gardening is always learning something new from year to year. When I first started gardening I never would have imagined I could grow a variety of yummy figs in zone 6 Idaho or successfully have a fall garden in this climate of extremes. I grow from seed so I don’t waste $ but it’s crazy what will grow and you will never know if you don’t try 😁

[@rcjo2]

Figs?! Do tell. I'm zone 6 Eastern Washington. Might have to give that a try!

[@SunnySensei]

They have hardy figs like the Chicago hardy variety. My sister hasn't had luck in Chicago, but it is totally worth trying especially in a protected area of the garden.😁

[@shandysgarden]

I always buy things that are perennial 1-2 zones lower! But yes, essentially we're going to keep doing what we've done and keep recognizing what works and what doesn't in our microclimate. We are the Master Gardener of our space!

[@juliaschreiber7819]

The dates they are using are 1990-2020. The 80's were really cold winters, and they dropped off. The last couple of winters have been cold, and they are left off. Definitely great advice, Jess. Know your own garden. You can only know your own garden by getting out there and working in it.

[@loloholmes2793]

The 30's were colder than the 80's.

[@respectmothernature]

Pretty absurd! Pushing global warming a bit too much???

[@maryjomosley4030]

And the 90’s were warm, at least where I grew up, i remember many January days wearing shorts to play outside. Then at the end of the decade we started having snowy winters again though not as much as the 80’s.

[@Judith-z5d1e]

Thank you. Experience is the best teacher. I’m in Western North Carolina. Been gardening my whole life. Just turned 75. EVERY year is different. Just keep growing. Life is a journey. Enjoy every minute no matter the results.

[@respectmothernature]

You are so right, know your growing season. Last winter here in Montana was the coldest in years, with record low temps. We saw -40 degrees, which killed off our beehive, and snow on the ground from October till spring...brutal!!! Spring was very cool, followed by great summer temps that gave us record hatch green chili production and our largest most prolific delicious, sweet peppers, and amazing heirloom tomatoes. Know every year will be a bit different and filled with new challenges and new blessings come spring! Soil, not maps, is the key to healthy productive plants!!!

[@Just-Nikki]

My garden doesn’t know the zone has been changed and my perennials didn’t up and move so I’m good.

[@sydneykasmar]

When Garden Answer plants perennials, especially trees and shrubs, they prefer plants that extend two zones colder for viability over winter.

[@GeorgiasGarden]

If I listened to the “experts” on this I would be a 6 in winter and a 10 in summer.

[@ingridskitchengarden]

Live in a place for a year or 2 and you will know your “zone” before KZbin I had no idea what zones really were. I just turned 50 in Feb. been growing a garden for years. Zone 9a other places in the US a zone 9a has a totally different growing climate. I recommend to grow with your climate. You will have a greater success. Good luck everyone

[@MaryBornforHealth]

Temperatures fluctuate! I've lived in Michigan most of my life and as an 80-year-old, I've learned that there are colder winters and hotter summers during different years. On the whole, I feel that we are not getting warmer. As a child I can remember days in the summer when it was "triple digits"--I haven't seen those temperatures in ages. This whole thing about global warming is contrived to push an agenda and I think the weather "experts" are just chiming in and joining the lemming parade.

[@lindajones9191]

We've entered a grand solar minimum, so colder winters are likely going forward, and that's what I'm assuming when I choose perennial plants for my Massachusetts property. I like that your videos always encourage people to focus on their own expperience and experiment where their riisk tolerance allows.

[@smokiemistystar]

Thanks for this information!

[@breeziedreamz]

We live deep in the Virginia Appalachians and we have micro-climates galore here. I'm sticking with plants for 6a even though it now says 7a. The winters here are colder than say the same latitude 30 miles away because it is a river valley that is much lower in elevation, so the cold hardiness map is really not accurate for my area at all.

[@MK-ti2oo]

Same here in the high Sierra. Our zone is 7b with a first frost date of Sept 29 and last Frost of May 30 but we consistently sit 8-10°colder than the forecasted temps each day. This year is definitely even colder than usual though, we've had weeks of nights around 15°F in September/early October. Though we have a short growing season and 30+feet of snow, we don't usually get THAT cold. The zones really mean nothing to me anymore. Last year my last Frost was July 2nd.

[@katehassen6021]

I live in Oregon in 7B -8A. We have a lemon tree in a big pot that lives outside all year round. We put it in the sun with late afternoon shade because the late afternoon is always the most scorching here. In the winter we put it in a sheltered place on the patio. It has made it for 10 years that way. Last year we had a colder snap that I feared was the end for it. However, it came back although it took most of the summer to get healthy again. The cold snap also killed the avocado tree right back to the ground. But the roots produced a healthy little guy thear emerged in mid-July! The lemon has a few lemons, too.

[@joju24]

You give me hope for my lemon tree, I bring it inside every winter before first frost and it has gotten bigger and bigger so as you can imagine it's getting more difficult to bring it inside. It's at least 10 years old and only got 2 flowers for the first time last year, no lemons yet. Maybe I will try leaving it in a semi outdoor area. :)

[@AngeliyahMercado]

From south eastern Wisconsin along the lake- the zone change really just confirmed what I’ve been realizing over the years, we are getting warmer (in the Midwest). I think for those of us that plant native too the zone shift is going to be interesting.

[@4Rascals321]

Also from what I remember, You suggested to keep your own garden diary, with temperatures and charts in your own garden.

[@nikkid1038]

The timing is interesting to me. So many newly found road blocks for new gardeners the last few years. I feel so bad for them. I try to teach anyone I can but I’m disabled so it’s been hard. I always wanted someone to go to when I first started gardening but didn’t have anyone. I want to be that person now. Thanks for the update I had no idea. ❤️🙏

[@smokiemistystar]

Thank you for this!!! I am a person wanting to start gardening but there are so many obstacles for sure! Very daunting for sure. Lack of knowledge is always a big one, and lack of time. ( sad to say) but I want to go organic as much as possible, and budget friendly, and now I am scared of using my own abundant resources such as horse manure and hay. I think the thing I fear is called “graze on?” I am seeing people say you can test your compost ( a substance I have yet to create) by planting a series of bean plants. Some with compost and some without. If the leaves curl up, don’t use the compost. I just want to use the compost to kill out some poison ivy right now, under a slab of cardboard. (I found that idea online, too. ) but then I want to plant a tree in the location, so I need to avoid that plant poison. This will be my first attempt at compost. Why do I feel so intimidated by compost? ( intimidating even without “ graze on” fears. ) Anyway, thanks for wanting to help scaredy-cat “ gardeners” like me. Appreciated! 😄

[@smokiemistystar]

Where can I find hardiness zone maps for the old and new zones?

[@Cherryparfait41]

Same here😊 my enthusiasm was off the charts. Reading books and many, many catalogues helped. But, having in-laws who were much older than I and who homesteaded out of necessity helped the most. So thrilled that many are wanting to give it a go! Hope those who seek some in the moment guidance can find you.

[@BuiltOnRootsFarm]

In Canada we use zones as well. I do find them to be important for perennials of course. But anyone who asks me, I always advise for them to 1. Watch their garden area or potential garden area, tracking the sun and wind in that area. Then 2. Garden journal and chart their last frost and first frost dates every year. We are close to a lake and our tower that charts our weather is opposite side of the lake and we usually have different weather on this side. We always try to go down a zone for trees/shrubs/etc. We're zone 3b but I try to stick to zone 2 plants, and/or I will heavily mulch zone 3 and even some zone 4 plants. But I dont ever bank on them making it through our harsh winters. Even though our weather is vastly different than yours I quite enjoy watching your videos and you still inspire me with my own garden!

[@Junkinsally]

As someone who has lived in the same place for 50 years, I can say the weather patterns have definitely changed but not overall gotten warmer. We still have the same degree of low temperatures, the difference is we don’t have an insulating layer of snow that we used to have. This makes those same cold temperatures more destructive. Add to this we have these massive 20-30 degree swings in temperatures that can be devastating to plants and animals, hard on us too! I would not be scaling up all growing zones. I would be scaling them down one for protection in the mid to lower growing zones and leaving them same in all the rest. Because as we loose snow pack in lower zones the harder it will be to overwinter all but the most hardy of plants.

[@ElinWinblad]

I’ve been waiting for this since 2019 as we entered a grand solar minimum around 2020~ all of the symptoms of gsm have been rebranded as global warming- harsh weather, dry areas becoming wet and vice versa.

[@smokiemistystar]

What is gsm?

[@denisemusicnut]

My zone didn’t change, but now I’m no longer an island of zone 6a surrounded by zone 5b. Zone 5b moved north about 25 miles. I grow a lot of perennials, especially herbs, so I do pay attention to hardiness zones. However, like you, I tend to err towards the cold side. I hate spending money on plants, only to have them die in a cold snap during the winter. I only purchase perennials that are hardy to zone 5 or colder, except for those I can place near the south side of my house, which is a zone 7a microclimate. There, I plant zone 6 perennials!

[@mcmpistachio]

I didn't know the USDA updated that so I'll have to look it up, Thanks! As a nerd, I've been designing a garden app that calculates this and last/first frost dates at 1 standard deviation from the average. By using 1 SD I cover 84% of possibilities instead of only 50%.

[@Hailey-bz2ym]

For me it makes perfect sense honestly. Our past few winters have been a lot warmer than they were when I was a kid. I had kale survive being out in the garden uncovered last winter! (Former zone 6a now 6b)

[@carolsgardenjournal8326]

I've come to appreciate "micro climate" zone opportunities a suburban plot can provide. Example: A South facing bed sown with cold hardy greens can thrive in Winter while an East facing bed in Summer can grow excellent Tomatoes. I think the more important data is knowing "chill hours" if you intend to grow fruit trees that need longer dormancy to produce. Knowing your own garden is best. Thanks for the update. Good info.

[@dollykafloppers4515]

"If you've never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden."--Robert Brault.

[@MsJay0913]

I found it odd too that things were shifted to warmer when it's gotten colder and colder over the last few winters. Definitely go with your experience FIRST! And for those who don't have experience, please get comfortable asking people, even strangers, questions and pay attention to your weather during the winter. I would really hate for a new garden to buy/order a bunch of fruit trees based on the new map and have them all die because it got too cold for them.

[@deborahhilton]

I stayed the same, 8A. I always err on the side of caution with gardening. Especially, when it comes to my last frost date. It usual falls with in the first week or so of April. I usually give it another two weeks before I put anything in the ground. I learned early on by trial and error. It's been a crap shoot for the first frost date the past couple of years. We can have one or two days of at or below freezing and then we're back to mild weather in the dead of winter.

[@stephanieg5195]

Thank you, I wasn’t even aware of the change!

[@karenl7786]

Excellent refresher, thank you! It's helpful to know that these maps take large-scale general trends into accounts. They're looking at the whole planet after all, LOL!

[@katherineb6102]

My front yard already had a hard killing frost, my back yard still has cherry tomatoes in my greenstalk and I'm on 1/3 acre. Knowing your garden and being prepared with sheets and row covers is the best way to be prepared.

[@HeinemannHomestead]

I can’t help but think these zone changes have an agenda. Our zone didn’t change, but even if it had, I know what I’ve experienced living here in Montana for 33 years. What I plant isn’t going to change.

[@drekfletch]

It's just temperatures. No agenda there. They release a new map every 10 years. My parent's house had their big shift in the 2012 map. They went from the border between 4 and 5 when I grew up in the 80s, and they're now at the border between 5 and 6.

[@PurePeace20]

Whoa! My zone changed from 6/7 to 8a! I've always planted like I was in 7 while knowing I was right on the edge between 6 and 7, so some things might need more protection in the winter. However, even with protection, some of my perennials died last year because we got record temps down to -15 for an entire week. To be honest, I don't trust this map. If I go by the lowest temps from last year my zone would be 5, but because they are averaging they get a much higher number. I'll go by my experience at this location instead.

[@jenbear8652]

Agree! Not to trust the new zone map- trust experience with the weather

[@ingavaiciakauskaite3485]

In Lithuania (Europe, by the Baltic sea) we use hardiness zones as well. I think it started with ornamental gardening because many plants do not survive our winter but now I see hardiness zones being used more widely. My zone is 5a and we have a much shorter growing season than you so I am jealous of your late frost dates 😁

[@julie-annepineau4022]

We got bumped last year and then a polar vortex went thru and killed a lot of plants. But the average of Dec 21 to March 21 was very much above average. I think we will continue to see short bursts that are significantly colder, short bursts that are significantly warmer, and the average temperatures will be slowly increasing.

[@SaltCreekFarmstead]

I’m in a cold spot, so I will continue to plant as a zone 6 even though my zip moved to 7a. I’ve consistently seen colder temps than 7a in the 12 years we’ve been here. Thanks for using your platform to cover this. You reach many more than I would lol

[@TalkingThreadsMedia]

Same here! - have enough growing experience in Olympia (almost 24 years) that I will not make any significant changes to how gardening is conducted. Last frost of spring and first frost of fall, coupled with the length of the growing season, are the major components on which my decisions are based. Going from 8a to 8b will not change a thing. Best wishes, Kate 11/18/2023.

[@garysugden1055]

If the last few years has taught us anything it's that we should listen to our own inner teacher. Or bodies and minds are a diary of events. Fortunately most of us know BS when we hear it. Butl for people that are new to this, they rely on people who have their own narratives and may be fearful; that's where community comes into play. You make this more approachable Jess and that's important! You're a fear smasher girl!

[@josiahbowden1451]

I hope yall know yall grow zone😊

[@lillianmartin8812]

Saw a trick to help keep warmth to some plants or trees was to have older xmas string lights wrapped under a covered plant or tree and or also a water barrel that was warmed by the sun next to a tree covered etc. Just thought I'd pass it on , I really enjoy both of yours and your husband's videos. Keep up the great work and have a great year.😊

[@septembercindy]

Love ❤️ you too Jess

[@lizatrue7543]

🌻🍄🥕THANK YOU for covering this, Jess. I'm an admin for a very large (over 120K members) gardening group on a popular social media site and people are constantly talking about zones. Like you, I'm more concerned about first and last frost dates by zip code, so I'm forever teaching new gardeners in the group about this more important aspect of veggie gardening. Anyway, I appreciate that you covered this topic today because it really matters. Much love to you and your sweet family!

[@adz5bneweng589]

So, so true. Hardiness zone is ONLY a reflection of the average low and high temp for an area. It is not an indicator for drought, wind, elevation, snowfall severity, soil conditions, spring temp fluctuations, etc. As a professional ornamental gardener in Massachusetts, I plant long-lived and/or expensive perennials/shrubs/trees for 1 full zone colder than the hardiness map indicates for a specific region...especially if it blooms on old wood.

[@plot10homestead58]

Our winters have definitely been warmer, with random dips that are 'historically low'. Those random lows don't affect the averages across years in a significant way, so we saw a half step increase in our zone, from 7a to 7b. That change on the map won't change a thing in my garden, but it is reflective of the temperature records in my area across time.

[@rachelgalus]

This has been my experience. Generally warmer winter with a really bad few days each month. Nebraska previously 5b now 6a.

[@Chet_Thornbushel]

Another consideration with zones is the other end where some plants require a certain amount of cold hours during their dormancy. Trees and shrubs usually are the ones that have these dormancy requirements so it can be a costly mistake if you don’t realize that your region doesn’t get cold enough. I know there are lots of trees and shrubs that I can grow up here in freezing eastern Washington that would ultimately die in more southern areas because they need to be able to go fully dormant in winter in order to recharge and set their buds and all that good stuff.

[@smokiemistystar]

Thank you for sharing this helpful information!

[@fadedrose100]

Excellent advice.

[@lisabakos9291]

We went from 4b to 5a.(northern MI). We erred on the side of caution and planted our fruit trees and shrubs down to zone 4 this year.

[@Wildevis]

Common sense and experience always come out tops and being adventurous, trying something new is always fun

[@alissashipley1146]

Here in PA we are now 7B. In 2012, the last time they updated the map, we suddenly had zone 7 shrubs shipping into our garden centers. Problem with that idea is that our AVERAGE temperature stays above 0 degrees... it is still real common that we have one or two weeks that dip below 0... even into the negative teens. Those zone 7 shrubs don't stand a chance.

[@chachadodds5860]

I'm in the Four Corners area of NM, and at a high desert elevation of just under 5500ft. We can get below zero on occasion, and we are in severe drought, so rain and snow are minimal. We were designated Zone 7b, kind of on the line between 7a and 7b because of our elevation, but this past year I noticed we are having more chilly weather. This last spring was exceptionally chilly. So much so, that the cool weather veggie seeds I direct sowed were stunted and never did produce much. So it wasn't a surprise to me that our zone was changed to 7a. Moving forward, I'll have to sow as many of my spring crops as possible, indoors to transplant out later. We have severely hot summers that come on quickly, so our springtime growing season is short. Now, where to find the space to sow indoors. 🤔

[@steveegbert7429]

Well done Jess! Too many folks continue to be in confusion about this and what you have presented here goes a long way towards clearing that up

[@sandraoconnor5700]

So very helpful, as you always are!!!❤❤❤Thanks for caring and sharing❤❤❤

[@candicecullengrowcooknourish]

Beautifully stated Jess. This is something I emphasize with new gardeners, focusing more on growing season rather than zone unless they are also growing perennials.

[@AmandainGeorgia]

Of course personal experience should be a factor of consideration. But maps are created from masses of data, and not from anecdotal evidence. The map is about trends over years and years, based on data from all areas. It’s not a predictive model. It’s a summation of recent aggregate history. Use it as one tool in the box.

[@isabellaneuberger]

Seeing this at the perfect time moving from North Carolina to Ohio 😮

[@kburkes4245]

Thanks for articulating common sense! I am more concerned about longer periods of heat and drought than the average cold temps.

[@reginageorge6303]

So glad to hear the voice of reason. After the last few frigid winters, I felt that this zone map could lead to some major losses.

[@myurbangarden7695]

I went from 8b to 9 . The discussion is now are plants that were considered annuals in our zone now perennials? Does it change the "start date" . Experience is the best teacher, but these last few years has shown that crop protection is essential

[@danakenoyer106]

Excellent information Jess. I too listen to Ryan Hall. Personal experience is a great value!

[@Miguel195211]

The zone hardiness is extremely important for perennials. I always look into this when I buy especially expensive perennials. I am in southeast NC and zone 8b.

[@CS-bn4un]

Spot on and to the point. Thx, Hess. And YES to Ryan Hall Y’all! About the only weather I follow for all occurrences, and he’s usually ahead of the rest BUT humble.

[@LB-vl3qn]

Jess, I agree with your analysis one hundred percent. Great explanation of a widely misunderstood topic. ~ Lisa

[@jackcsaffell5641]

Hi Ms. Jessica. I live in extreme Northern California in Humboldt County. We are in the Eel Valley (the Eel is a river) which makes a lot of "river fog." I grow many apple trees (Fuji, Honeycrisp) a cherry tree, some plums and two kinds of citrus, an improved Meyer lemon and a Bearss lime tree. (yes it is spelled with two ss.) Both of these trees are planted under my roof eaves, giving them some protection from the frost. They are planted where they can receive all day direct sun. I expect them to get frost damage which I prune away in the spring. I am blessed with two batches of both lemons and limes annually which I then (because I can't use them all) try to find loving homes to also enjoy them. Both citrus get scale in which I use horticultural oil when the temps are low to smother the scale. One can usually tell if they have scale when ants are present on the citrus tree. Interestingly enough ants farm the scale for their honeydew which the secrete. God bless your family.

[@lovelyrainflowerfarm]

Yep 👍 Don’t panic. The revised map tells me my area’s new lows are 0-5 degrees F. That’s not a surprise. I’ve been seeing that for the past few years and keeping records. The updated map just adjusts the average lows to keep up with the weather from the most recent years. But if you’ve been growing thru any of the last few years, you‘ve already experienced this.

[@daniellegarrett841]

My area is in a split zone. My home got downgraded from 7a to 6b. But, about 2 streets over from me is still 7a. I don't plan on making any changes, because I live in a downtown area & the property that I live on also has the benefit of getting reflected heat & light from the buildings around us, that also protect our property from the winds. The sun also shifts slightly to different areas of my property between Summer & Winter. I'm also planning on experimenting with trying to grow certain greens to see if I can make it work. I haven't been successful yet, but it won't stop me from trying with what I have.

[@MickF04]

The map change is disconnected from our reality of the past four years, especially since the February 2021 storm here in Central Texas. Prior to the 2012 map change, this area was 8a. Since 2012, it's been 8b, although real close to 8a. A lot of Zone 7 plants did not survive February 2021, and those that did took a long time to recover. Even those plants that partly recovered were damaged again in the low temps and even lower wind chills since (on December 23, 2022, the low was 11F, with the prior day's low at 14F). Funny thing, they've moved the 9a zone to within a mile of us that extends all the way to the Texas gulf coast (where it is 9b). Other than for perennials and annuals that I plant each year, everything else we have is hardy to at least Zone 6.

[@mayhmmaydn]

New to this state and my "zone" wasnt matching up. Good to know it wasnt just me!

[@amyfreedomluvr5277]

Thanks, Jess! Love your common sense!

[@b.rileyjowett6925]

I’m in zone 5b (supposedly now 6a) and I’ve had things that are only hardy to zone 7 survive in my garden for several years before one particularly cold and unsnowy winter killed or really severely damaged them all. I think it’s really important to watch your weather and experiment a little. I’m in zone 6 however that’s just the average, most winters here only get as low as zone 7 until every so often we get a year that’s more like zone 4 or 5.

[@drekfletch]

Snow is a great insulator. I've heard stories from people in northern Canada saying they overwinter lavendar very well, because the snow covers it so it doesn't freeze.

[@michj7185]

Thank you for addressing this Jess! I have always been in zone 3b in Northern NY, even though most maps show me in 4b… we tend to be right on the edge and I lean toward the colder zone when planting. Maps are good guidelines but not set in stone.

[@anneshirley3786]

Our winters in Maryland are definitely warmer. Last winter, we also had our first winter with zero snow in my memory. It was sad..

[@lcostantino7931]

THANKS

[@louiseswart1315]

The best thing to do is to find the oldest farmer in your direct area who have been keeping daily records of min/max temperatures, wind direction and strength and rainfall for decades and of the soil improvements needed in the area. They are a treasure trove of information when you are new to your area and can't afford to make mistakes.

[@gardengatesopen]

Exactly Jess, I don't pay much attention to the zones either, except to maybe tell someone in a conversation where I'm growing. The thing is, apparently, I'm now in zone 8b. But I'm in Texas, and we've had Arctic storms here every year the past 3 years which had temperatures that would EASILY be designated to zone 6a! And I grow a lot of perennials. Both food perennials, and decorative perennials. So if I'm going to "garden by zones" I'm going to need plants that can survive zone 6a Winters, and at least zone 9 Summers! I feel like those zone designations don't really have anything to do with where I live.

[@aprildenkman1817]

Yes!!! I've been thinking the exact thing every time I see someone talking about this!!

[@bukuroshja_shqiptare]

Quite an egg song/symphony going on lol! Can't wait to start gardening again.. What will next year's weather be like tho?! 😳 It was a little wacky this year!😂

[@deecooper1567]

Thanks Jess 💖👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@Lilbit371]

I much prefer Weatherman plus. However watching both Mark and Ryan gives the best decision making info.

[@Sky-Child]

Been gardening all my life and never knew what my zone was. I looked it up a few years ago and I think it was a 3, which is utterlt depressing. But I can grow lots of nice food and herbs by planting natives and greenhosuing anything that prefers the warm. I made microclimates for Mediterranean herbs too - lots of gravel and old bricks underneath to absorb the heat and give it back out

[@CarolynOfria-hn3ty]

Great advice for new gardeners. I live on a hill, and generally speaking, I am colder and have higher winds than my zone. Wind chill is a big factor in choosing perennials. I generally choose plants rated a zone lower.

[@smokiemistystar]

Thank you for sharing. I was wondering if wind chill affects plants.

[@toconnor3606]

I Agree…winters have felt colder!! I’m in central FL 9b… over last decade freezes we’re rare, last 3 years we have had freezes back to back! Not sure why they feel need to reassign zones, now were 10a 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

[@ramonajolley1966]

I really agree with you, Jess!! I am in zone 7b. I will check to see if our zone has changed, but I'll continue gardening as usual. Thank you!! Take care!

[@donnanorris4733]

I am borderline 5b/6a now. My county splits between the 2 zones. I'm going with 5b just to be safe. Live in NE Indiana.

[@drekfletch]

Here in NH, we've been having mild winters. Three winters ago my town's winter lows were the same as average Kentucky lows; blew my mind. First time I've seen my grandmother's forsythia bloom all the way to the top.

[@heidigib01]

Thankyou for explaining this.

[@LoneTraveler-nc6rf]

The zone map is merely a guideline, a piece of information.

[@ThreeBarrowFarm]

We have cold and hot zones here in Australia. I tend not to follow them too closely because what happens on my land seems to be different from what happens just down the street from me on another persons property. Some of the flower plants that were frost sensitive at the start are now thriving all year round, and our last and first frost dates seem to change from year to year. I take notes for my food gardens and I think this is a more reliable source now, but at the start it helped to understand the zone I was in and go from there. Thank you Jess for another wonderful vlog! See you next time, Amy.

[@smokiemistystar]

Thank you for sharing this helpful information.

[@pamelalittlechild2923]

I am in the UK and our zone maps are formulated by the Royal Horticultural society, so specific to us but along the same lines as the US, but I tend to follow Charles Dowding with starting dates for seeds, as I always have in the past put everything in much later than I needed to

[@irmafernandez2887]

Thank you for guiding me to the new map. I agree, the map does not guide what I grow in my garden. Living in the same city for 35 years, I know the weather pattern in my area well. Each year the garden will surprise me on what grew well and what didn't.

[@anneburdette6037]

GREAT information, thank you Jess !!!

[@melissasekely5107]

I’m in a Montana group because we were going to move there and this lady’s zone went up from 3 to 5a, that’s a lot! Mine didn’t change at all.

[@wjm1319]

I think the past few winters have had much colder *days* , but the overall average for the winters have been higher. We had that really cold snap here last year in Nov...but had several short-sleeve days in Dec-Jan. Personally, I think as climate change makes the weather more unstable, the zone map overall is going to become less useful. Because while the *average* low temps might trend warmer, those random much-colder-than-usual snaps will kill your more tender plants in a single night. My suggestion: Stock up on frost covers and other freeze protections for any important perennials. Some years you may not need them. Other years you might need them for a night. Or many nights.

[@BarefootInAppalachia]

I had to come back to this video today as I am planning for the upcoming garden season. I was originally zone 6b and was bumped to 7a. I can't imagine following the 7a guidelines for perennials in my area, as we could barely follow the zone 6 at my specific property. You are so right when you say we have to know our own garden!

[@paintnamer6403]

I live so close to 5a, 5b and 6a because of lake effect from Lake Erie.

[@ChaosMakersHobbyHouse]

If your looking for citrus, take a look at the Owari satsuma mandarin! It’s hearty to 20°F. I’m growing one in the Lowcountry zone 8b

[@katiebrodeen4241]

Thank you! I'm zone 8b and get snow. Was wondering if there's any chance I could have a citrus tree. I'll be looking for that and see if I can make it work. 😁🌱❤️

[@ChaosMakersHobbyHouse]

@@katiebrodeen4241 of course! I got mine from fast growing trees but have seen them in a few online nurseries.

[@fuubar21]

I live in Ohio and never knew that peppers are considered a perennial until a few years ago. really just depends on what you want to get out of it. But you are completely spot on that it really doesn't matter when it comes to annuals. Thank you for the clarification! Hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving!

[@gigisgarden8044]

I was surprised we went up a zone and not down one as well.

[@bvm2jc]

Great advice Jess, always err on the side of your experience, not the generalized AI charts. And if you are new to gardening, ask the locals for their experience and advice, make new friends!

[@lynhyslop6933]

I think where people get confused is because some seed packets have or used to have the hardiness zones on the back of the seed packet.

[@leahharbison4932]

Bless you Jess ! Dec. gets colder for a cold Jan. and Feb.

[@MommasHappySchoolRoom]

Thanks so much Jess for this video! As a complete newbie this info has helped me a lot! Laid it out in a way I understand. Many Blessings this winter😊

[@LoriSeaborg]

That Christmas freeze last year was such a freak weather event that even here on the Gulf Coast, I lost my lemon tree, after having it for 20 years. That weather event was like a rare blizzard or hurricane - I bet you’d have luck with citrus again until a rare event happens again.

[@butterflybounty]

I had no idea they were changing until I saw it on Facebook. I went from 5b to 5a so not much of a change especially when I already plant for a cooler zone

[@bukuroshja_shqiptare]

Hey me too 🙃

[@kimberliebuffington910]

I plant my trees and perennials based on my average coldest Temps have been historically. 0 to -29 is our normal cold Temps...I plant to 10 degrees colder than my normal. 🙌 ❤