What zone am I?

flgatorguy87 · May 19, 2015

Hey gang,

Long time lurker and had an easy question for all of you. I live just North of Nashville Tennessee. What zone am I? I have found conflicting information for 6b, 7a, or 7b. Does this really make much difference?

I am growing....

Brandywine
Black Krim
Sweet Ozark Orange
Omars Lebanese
Tigerella
Hillbilly
Isis Candy Cherry
Minibel Bush
Aunt Rubees German Green
Dugans White
Cherokee Purple
Tasmanian Blush Yellow

Gardeneer · May 19, 2015

When it comes to summer gardening, USDA Cold Hardiness zone numbers have no significance. It can be use to find out when your LFD and FFD are. Whatever happend in between those two dates has a verly low co relation with zone numbers. For example : NW WA state is in zone 8, so is Atlanta, GA. But the two have entirely different summer growing season
But in general, lower zone numbers may indicate shorter season. But that is not a given fact.

Gardeneer

wormgirl · May 19, 2015

Here you can find your zone by zip code:
http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

Gardeneer makes a good point, the USDA zones are more about how cold it gets for perennials. Not about how warm it gets for tomatoes.

Congratulations on Delurking. Have you introduced yourself in the Town Hall yet? Once you do, you'll be able to see pictures. Nice grow list!

Worth1 · May 19, 2015

Your question has already been answered to some degree but I will add something to it.
As was said by one person where they live is about the same as where I live as far a zone maps go.

But we have something called the jet stream that effects us also.

On the far north western part of the US the climate is wet and cold or cool much of the time and cloudy.
This is in part due to the pacific currant coming up from the south.
This is what also makes parts of Southern Alaska much wetter and warmer than the rest of the state.
The same 8B zone I live in is much different it can be hot sunny and arid or hot sunny and humid.
Back to the jet stream, if it wasn't for the jet stream dipping down I would live in a total different climate than I do now.

As for the Seattle area I have many friends that live all over Washington State Oregon and so forth.
They garden but they dont post here.
Some live east of the Cascade range where it is drier than it is where I live.
I also go through Washington state (Seattle) twice a month.

That last frost date is an average you cant count on much of the time.
The best thing you can do is take that average and start seeds early and grow them till they are of a good size something like 12 to 18 inches tall but stocky and plant them out after you think it wont frost again.
What I mean by stocky is a nice healthy plant not one that is reaching for poor lighting in your house.
In other words an an 18 inch spindly plant does not equate to an 18 inch healthy plant that has had sufficient light.

Now you can tell me to go get lost.

Worth

wormgirl · May 19, 2015

Worth makes the point perfectly. Gardeneer and I are both in Washington State, Worth is in Texas, and we are all in Zone 8! Hilarous!

Definitely go over to the Town Hall forum and you will get many, many nice greetings!

jmsieglaff · May 19, 2015

I think this map link is useful (although hard to read because they want you to buy it).

http://www.ahs.org/gardening-resourc.../heat-zone-map

At least someone has a readable legend on the web that makes the above map more useful:
http://www.gardeningplaces.com/heatzonemap/zones1.jpg

So Worth is in heat zone 9 (120-150 days with highs 86+)
Seattle area is heat zone 3 (guessing by the map (or 7-14 days with highs 86+).

So their minimum winter temperatures are similar but summers are extremely different.

wormgirl · May 19, 2015

Looks to me like Seattle/Tacoma area (right on the coast, so cooler) is Heat Zone 2. Excellent! And the number of days sounds about right. It HARDLY ever gets into the 90s here, at most a few days a year. (And we're all like, "WHEW ITS HOTTTT!" cause we are not used to it.) In fact, although businesses have air conditioning here, it's extremely rare for anyone to have it in their home! It's simply not needed!

Oh yes - topic! - it looks to me like flgatorguy, you are in Heat Zone 7. Probably a wonderful region for growing tomatos?!?!

Worth1 · May 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by wormgirl

Looks to me like Seattle/Tacoma area (right on the coast, so cooler) is Heat Zone 2. Excellent! And the number of days sounds about right. It HARDLY ever gets into the 90s here, at most a few days a year. (And we're all like, "WHEW ITS HOTTTT!" cause we are not used to it.) In fact, although businesses have air conditioning here, it's extremely rare for anyone to have it in their home! It's simply not needed!

Balderdash.

I have been to Seattle when it was hot in the 80's and stepped off the plane in Portland outside during a 90F heat wave.

If I lived there, there is no way I would go without AC I like to keep the place at around 66 at night with a fan on me.

One of my friends lives on Whideby Island and he has AC he said it was for that one time also.
There airport is one of the most uncomfortable places I have ever been it is always hot sticky and humid inside.

Worth

Gardeneer · May 19, 2015

JMS ....
The best indicator for summer gardening is : HEAT ZONE.
Seattle area Heat Zone is ONE, which means we get from ZERO to TWO days when temps get higher than 85F ( 86F +) in average, in a season.

wormgirl · May 19, 2015

Worth - yes, lower 80s is common for August here. But remember the heat zone map is showing days above 86 per year. it's rare that we get to the higher 80s (but not impossible!)

Portland is an average of 5 degrees warmer than where I am. Gardeneer is even farther north than I.

Worth1 · May 19, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by wormgirl

Worth - yes, lower 80s is common for August here. But remember the heat zone map is showing days above 86 per year. it's rare that we get to the higher 80s (but not impossible!)

Portland is an average of 5 degrees warmer than where I am. Gardeneer is even farther north than I.

I was raised up with no AC and very little heat my windows had ice on them every day during the winter and we would drive up on the near by mountain and sleep at night when it was really hot.
One time I got in trouble because I forgot to turn off the AC in the car when I used it.
And that was me paying for the gas.

My dad wouldn't let me use the AC in the car so I had to sneak to do it.
I told myself if I ever got away from home I would never have to put up with it again.
The airport is just stuffy because they dont have the HVAC set up right.
Not enough air transfer.

If you want to see horrible go where I work on the north Slope of Alaska.
When it gets to 75F all of your clothes stick to you.

Yes the heat is much different than the last frost date.

Worth

May 19, 2015	#1
flgatorguy87 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Pleasant View, TN Posts: 66	What zone am I? Hey gang, Long time lurker and had an easy question for all of you. I live just North of Nashville Tennessee. What zone am I? I have found conflicting information for 6b, 7a, or 7b. Does this really make much difference? I am growing.... Brandywine Black Krim Sweet Ozark Orange Omars Lebanese Tigerella Hillbilly Isis Candy Cherry Minibel Bush Aunt Rubees German Green Dugans White Cherokee Purple Tasmanian Blush Yellow

May 19, 2015	#3
wormgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 245	Here you can find your zone by zip code: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ Gardeneer makes a good point, the USDA zones are more about how cold it gets for perennials. Not about how warm it gets for tomatoes. Congratulations on Delurking. Have you introduced yourself in the Town Hall yet? Once you do, you'll be able to see pictures. Nice grow list! Last edited by wormgirl; May 19, 2015 at 04:40 AM.

May 19, 2015	#7
wormgirl Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Tacoma, WA Posts: 245	Looks to me like Seattle/Tacoma area (right on the coast, so cooler) is Heat Zone 2. Excellent! And the number of days sounds about right. It HARDLY ever gets into the 90s here, at most a few days a year. (And we're all like, "WHEW ITS HOTTTT!" cause we are not used to it.) In fact, although businesses have air conditioning here, it's extremely rare for anyone to have it in their home! It's simply not needed! Oh yes - topic! - it looks to me like flgatorguy, you are in Heat Zone 7. Probably a wonderful region for growing tomatos?!?! Last edited by wormgirl; May 19, 2015 at 12:58 PM.

May 19, 2015	#2
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,919	When it comes to summer gardening, USDA Cold Hardiness zone numbers have no significance. It can be use to find out when your LFD and FFD are. Whatever happend in between those two dates has a verly low co relation with zone numbers. For example : NW WA state is in zone 8, so is Atlanta, GA. But the two have entirely different summer growing season But in general, lower zone numbers may indicate shorter season. But that is not a given fact. Gardeneer

May 19, 2015	#4
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Your question has already been answered to some degree but I will add something to it. As was said by one person where they live is about the same as where I live as far a zone maps go. But we have something called the jet stream that effects us also. On the far north western part of the US the climate is wet and cold or cool much of the time and cloudy. This is in part due to the pacific currant coming up from the south. This is what also makes parts of Southern Alaska much wetter and warmer than the rest of the state. The same 8B zone I live in is much different it can be hot sunny and arid or hot sunny and humid. Back to the jet stream, if it wasn't for the jet stream dipping down I would live in a total different climate than I do now. As for the Seattle area I have many friends that live all over Washington State Oregon and so forth. They garden but they dont post here. Some live east of the Cascade range where it is drier than it is where I live. I also go through Washington state (Seattle) twice a month. That last frost date is an average you cant count on much of the time. The best thing you can do is take that average and start seeds early and grow them till they are of a good size something like 12 to 18 inches tall but stocky and plant them out after you think it wont frost again. What I mean by stocky is a nice healthy plant not one that is reaching for poor lighting in your house. In other words an an 18 inch spindly plant does not equate to an 18 inch healthy plant that has had sufficient light. Now you can tell me to go get lost. Worth

May 19, 2015	#6
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	I think this map link is useful (although hard to read because they want you to buy it). http://www.ahs.org/gardening-resourc.../heat-zone-map At least someone has a readable legend on the web that makes the above map more useful: http://www.gardeningplaces.com/heatzonemap/zones1.jpg So Worth is in heat zone 9 (120-150 days with highs 86+) Seattle area is heat zone 3 (guessing by the map (or 7-14 days with highs 86+). So their minimum winter temperatures are similar but summers are extremely different.