Knowing the Seasons or Zones

‚”For everything there is a season…,” isn’t’ just prose, but a fact when dealing with plants of all types. There are plants that do well only after a hard dormant winter, some that thrive in cooler climates, and others that need long, hot, arid summer growing seasons.

Understanding the growing season and knowing which plants can survive and even bloom during the last snowfall of the season is important, as is learning how to maximize the growing season. The North American geography is divided into eleven primary growth zones, which includes Canada. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes information and guidelines on these eleven growth zones that are meant to educate and advise the gardener. Know the zones to grow the best plants.

Hardiness Zones

The suggested planting times on USDA charts are based upon general climate and frost patterns. These mapped areas are known as Hardiness zones and are important data for the gardener. Specific USDA geographic charts show plant season details to a more localized area within each zone. State and County extension agencies are also great sources on specific planting times for your area. Don’t overlook Garden and Horticulture groups; they enjoy sharing beneficial plant data with fellow gardeners too.

If the gardener is new to an area, the USDA Hardiness guidelines are very useful as he or she doesn’t have the prior knowledge of the local planting season. If the gardener isn’t advised when the first or last frost is expected to strike, it is a certainty that plants will die. After planting in an area for a couple of years, the gardener will know the seasonal patterns, however, the charts will still be helpful planting indicators.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac is published by Yankee Publishing and is another excellent source of information for the gardener, not just the farmer. This publication has been a bible of sorts for the farmer since 1792. What makes this a valuable guide for today’s gardener is the focus on weather and rainfall projections and planting guides that are remarkably accurate. Regardless of what source the gardener chooses, the importance of timing in planting can’t be under estimated.

Knowing the growing season of plants isn’t just for outdoor plants and farmers. Even indoor plants have certain growing season expectations. An indoor plant requires the same cycle of growth and dormancy as outdoor plants. Herbs are popular indoor plants and using the example of Thyme, the plant will experience growth spurts and slower growth periods, depending on the climate cycle. The intensity of the sun and the length of sunlight for indoor plants can affect their growth, just as it affects outdoor plantings.

The Farmer’s Almanac’s references the amount of expected daily sunlight, which is useful in ensuring that both indoor and outdoor plants have enough sun. Thyme, while a good indoor herb is actually a good beginning plant for an outdoor garden too. The Thyme plant has many uses, it is a decorative and fragrant plant, and is easy to grow. Another big plus of Thyme is that this plant is a perennial evergreen plant related to the mint genus and is very hardy and easy to keep alive!

Now that the gardener has planned the garden area, knows the climate or zones, the next step is learning about the best soil for his plants. See the article titled Garden Soil or ‚”From the Ground Up.”