Winter AND Summer Zones & Change

[digitS']

In 1924, Wladimer Köppen came up with a climate classification idea. It's been modified a few times since and has always seemed like something to me, that could be beneficial to gardeners. It might also provide some guidance on international vacations ; what are people growing in areas with similar climates to our own backyards?

Hardiness Zones are a product of concerns for planting perennial plants. They relate in a very minimal way to annual gardens. Perhaps in guidance for guessing first and last frosts and for starting plants indoors to be set out. A weather service in many countries provides those averages for communities with more definition than the broad strokes of maps.

Revisions and modifications of the Köppen maps goes on just like with the hardiness maps. Similar broad strokes but international in scope and based on more than Winter extremes. If you would like to see a map of your state or province, the Wikipedia page for "Geography of ..." has a map for each, the US states provided by Oregon State University.

The most recent world map has been updated by the University of Vienna. They have even taken it beyond recent weather information and projected a map based on expected changes. I wish they had done this in a format other than a gif so that we could stop and start it to see changes during shorter time periods. Note that the anticipated changes are based on weather records from 1976 to 2010, 30 some years. LINK

What is of special significance to me is how much change occurred in those first years in western North America. Since my 1976 to 2010 gardens, and beyond, were subjected to those changes, I can attest to the fact that changes continued to the present . Also, I am where the climate classification (broad strokes) has changed (hardiness zone, as well). Shucks, I was complaining about being in an official "continental" zone rather than a "Mediterranean" zone the last couple of years based on old Wikipedia information, not realizing that the map changed with new information in 2020 .

Steve

 

[digitS']

I wanted to put this Growing Degree Days source here to show us where we are in the season and for comparison with other locations.

Sygenta LINK

 

[Zeedman]

The USDA hardiness zones are most useful for nursery stock & long-lived perennials; but are of little relevance for growing seasons. The best climate info I've ever seen was the Sunset magazine's Western climate zones. Those took into account more than just winter low temperatures. GDD is much more important for annual vegetable gardeners.

 

[ducks4you]

I think this all takes some translation. I mean, HOW MANY vegetables do we grow that are native and perennial?
Yeah, tomatoes are North American native, really Central American native, NOT East Central Illinois Native.
I think of swimming in the Missouri River nearly Yankton, SD in June. Sure, the water is warm, but you walk/swim through cold pockets, just like weather systems, and we are So susceptible as gardeners to what the weather holds.
AND the predatory insect population.
AND native critters that like to eat what We like to eat.
AND, family who will say, "I Like the green beans that you pressure canned, but I like Better the ones that you blanched and froze."
(Any port in a storm--they all thoroughly enjoyed the jar of beans we ate with dinner last night.)
Corn (Maize) is Also North American native.
"Corn" is a term that the Romans used to describe what I think was wheat from Egypt.
You would think that it is easy peasy lemon squeezy to grow...but it isn't.
I have had good maize harvests AND corn with Smut that Nobody, not even chickens would eat!
If your seedlings or small plants get sick, they really don't ever recover.
And, some bugs are really an indication of a healthy crop, like tomato hornworms. Every time I find some I have a good crop that year.
This year my tomato harvest was great! I planted in July, so late that DH was convinced we would get nothing.
Many locals planted in time and had a Bad harvest, the Whole Season! Their tomato plants didn't recover.
I had dessert plate sized fruit, first time EVER. Failures local were Weather related...
I like what @Zeedman was writing about re: naturalization of Purple Malva in vegetable beds.
Similarly, without trying, I have been naturalizing turnips in my beds.
What does it mean for Normal in your growing zone?
Certainly, 30 inches of rain, which was heavy rains in W NC, W GA and E TN and Then Hurrican Helene is Not normal for their growing zone.
Sure can't plan for something like that.
So, we Have to combine
1) knowledge of growing zone, 1st/last frost dates
2) plant where the soil drains
3) ability to irrigate
4) companion planting, not really from somebody's chart, more like flowers With vegetables to attract pollinating insects and Try to snuff out fast growing weeds
5) And, my favorite...cardboard


A bottle of vodka to drown our sorrows when we have gardening failures.