USDA

About Those USDA Climate Zones The familiar United States Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map is based on the average annual minimum temperature for each zone. Needless to say, some years a zone will get a minimum temperature lower or higher than the average. Nevertheless, the average minimum temperature is a fairly good indicator for […]

If you’ve done some shopping (window or otherwise) for fruit or nut trees, you might have noticed the phrases “chill hours” or “chill zones” in the plant’s description. Though there’s some debate on the topic, it’s generally acknowledged that chill hours are the average number of hours plants are subjected to temperatures between 32 degrees […]

If you have ever purchased plants before, chances are you have come across something called the “plant hardiness zone” (or just “zone”) for a particular plant. These planting zones are determined by the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map which is utilized by all plant growers and sellers. The USDA Zone Map is the standard that […]