Have fun growing vegetables during Autumn and Winter months. Try different varieties either planting directly in the ground or even in planters grown inside.
What Vegetables To Plant and Where To Plant Them
Vegetables can be pretty much grown all year long in the
southern states as well as the west and southwest. The United States Department
of Agriculture separates agriculture zones by calling them “hardiness zones”
and labeling the by numbers.
There are 11 plant hardiness
zones as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in the
U.S. They are also known as growing or climate zones. In reality there is no
hard and fast rule that says that one species of plant will absolutely flourish
or fail outside of its hardiness zone. It’s always worth experiment with seeds
or live plants particularly with seasonal climate changes, or geographical
hurdles as like elevation, salty air, pollution etc. For instance, even though you’re in zone 8 in
Alabama, you may get a better plant than zone 8 in southern California in and
around Los Angeles metropolitan where pollution or evening trade winds may
affect the plants livelihood.
Information over the years have been collected from different regions throughout the US by farmers and agriculturalist to help understand growing seasons and how plant life is effected when grown in different regions. www.usda.gov
The USDA determined or categorized hardiness zones as a
simple guideline and not a true or foolproof means of planting seeds or live
plants. There’s no warranty or guarantee but, an educated guess that your
plants will grow according to the hardiness zone method.
For more information regarding hardiness zones and which
particular plants that may have a better chance at growing in your area, visit:
www.ams.usda.gov
then type in your zip code to find out which hardiness zone you live in.
Don’t be afraid to plant just about anything. You’ll be
surprised as to what will grow in your area whether it’s a tropical or desert
plant.
Southwestern U.S. Hardiness Zone Map
Use other hardiness zone plants to your advantage. For
instance, I grow cold climate zoned plants during my winter season. I grow
tomatoes starting from seeds that are
from Russia and Oregon. Since they do so well in the mild summers of Russia or
Oregon, they absolutely flourish during the winter months here in southern
California.
Plant hardiness zone seven
Zone seven, often referred to the, "middle ground of
gardening", weaves its way through Alaska's inland passage, Washington,
Oregon, California, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Delaware, New Jersey,
Long Island, and Cape Cod.
Minimum temperatures, the ones to worry about, are typically
in a range from 0 to 10º F with the first fall frosts usually expected towards
the end of October. You should be getting your ground ready for planting in
August/September for October planting of:
Aside from winter vegetables, consider planting or splitting
your rhubarb crowns in October.
Plant hardiness zone eight
Zone eight ranges from the rain forests of Washington eastwards along the western and southern borders of the U.S. and across to the
coast of North Carolina. Winters are mild and the growing season is prolonged;
minimum temperatures range from 10 - 20º F with the first fall frosts around
the middle of November. Prepare your ground in August/September for October
planting of:
Plant hardiness zone nine
Zone nine is comparatively small and includes central
Florida, the Gulf coast of Louisiana and Texas, a good deal of California, and
the southern Oregon coast. The growing season is long and the winters are mild;
minimum temperatures range from 20 - 30º F with the first fall frosts occurring
towards the end of November. Prepare your ground in late August/ early
September for October planting of:
Plant hardiness zone 10
Zone ten includes parts of California, Florida and Hawaii
and is essentially, sub-tropical; minimum temperatures range from 30 - 40º F.
Frosts are usually rare in zone ten but could occur from mid December to February. It's best to prepare
your ground in late August and during September for October planting of:
Plant hardiness zone 11
Zone 11 includes parts of Hawaii and the Florida Keys and is
a tropical zone with a year round growing season; the minimum temperature is
usually 40º F or above and the zone is described as, "free of
frost". Vegetables can be grown very successfully in zone 11 and with a
year round growing season the October planting deadline is not as vital.
Alabama (www.agi.state.al.us)
EPA (www.epa.gov)
Florida (www.doacs.state.fl.us)
FDA (www.fda.gov)
Georgia (http://agr.georgia.gov)
NRCS (www.nrcs.usda.gov)
Maryland (www.mda.state.md.us)
North Carolina (www.ncagr.gov)
South Carolina (www.state.sc.us/scda)
Texas (www.agr.state.tx.us)
USDA (www.ams.usda.gov)
Virginia (www.vdacs.virginia.gov)
