What’s Your Zone?
Is it a gardening zone or a growing zone? Am I zone 6a or 6b? Does it matter? After years and years of not trusting my memory and having to confirm, I am finally able to remember, with confidence, that I am in Plant Hardiness Zone 6b. It’s not something most of us think about regularly, and can become a “cloudy” area for beginners, as well as seasoned gardeners. The good news is that it’s one of the quickest and simplest gardening tasks you can complete!
Before we talk about how to identify your zone, let’s talk about what it is. You likely refer to it as your “gardening zone,” “planting zone,” or simply “zone.” However, if you happen to refer to it as your “USDA Plant Hardiness Zone,” then you’ve got the proper term down. The Garden Zone Map is produced by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service, and is the standard for identifying which plants are likely to thrive in a location. The map is based on the average minimum winter temperature, and divided up into 10-degree Fahrenheit (F) zones. Taking zone 6b as an example, average minimum temperatures in the winter range from -5 to 0 °F (-20.6 to -17.8 °C).
This is one of many Plant Hardiness Zone Maps available on the USDA website.
If you want a goof-proof way to confirm your zone, there are excellent tools on the USDA website, including a map where you can type your ZIP code in the search box in the upper-left of the map. The map will auto-zoom to your location, along with a note indicating your zone.
