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The Beginner's Herb Garden: An Herb Society of America GuideCultivation & PropagationClimateThe United States is divided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) into various climatic zones. A state may be entirely in one zone or in several zones. These zones indicate the average minimum temperatures in each region and thus relate to the winter hardiness of plants. The length of the growing season is defined by the last frost in the spring and the first one in the fall. It is important to recognize the characteristics of your zone and select herb plants accordingly. Zones should be used as a guideline, but should not be regarded as absolute. Small "microclimates" can exist in protected locations, such as the south side of a house, and extra care can be given to winter protection, which may allow you to grow some plants outside of your zone. Also, the USDA hardiness zones only refer to minimum temperatures, not maximum. A plant perfectly hardy to -10° F may languish in 90° F summer heat and humidity. The American Horticultural Society heat-zone map gives the average of the number of days over 86° F. Microclimates can exist within these zones as well, with shady spots providing cooler temperatures and sunny spots providing warmer temperatures. See the Resources for Beginners section for links to the Hardiness
Zone and Heat Zone maps. |
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