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view1ny

which zone map is most reliable?

view1ny NY 6-7
10 years ago

According to national gardening association zone finder my zip of 11210 is zone 6b.

USDA plant hardiness map says my zone is 7b.

GardenWeb zone finder says I'm in zone 6.

I list my zone as 6b/7a because I always got varying responses from different web sites. I was never told I was zone 7b before. I like the idea, but can't believe that it's accurate. Any ideas?

Comments (14)

  • jacqueline9CA
    10 years ago

    The USDA updated their zone map recently, and a lot of places showed up in warmer zones. My guess would be that the other two you mentioned are based on the old USDA map.

    Jackie

  • Evenie
    10 years ago

    Zoning gets a little wonky in cities where you have extreme microclimates and heat-island effects. New Orleans varies considerably by neighborhood, and I'm sure the same is true for New York. I am 9b, but I have a few things in the ground in good places (i.e southern exposure or close to the house) that are not reliable north of zone 10. Densely populated neighborhoods tend to be a little warmer, especially if you are gardening in a courtyard. If you have wind tunneling caused by buildings or are roof gardening, things will dry out very quickly. Urban gardening requires a good bit of experimentation, and what works for your neighbor might not necessarily work for you. I think this kind of a neat because no two people ever have the same garden in a city.

  • hoovb zone 9 sunset 23
    10 years ago

    The most reliable of all is to get out there every day in your own garden and your own neighborhood to observe, observe, observe, take notes, compare. Gardening is like politics--it's ultimately local. The USDA maps are a guideline but not the ultimate authority--the gardener is.

  • view1ny NY 6-7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for your responses. My immediate neighbors aren't rose gardeners, but have a bit of grass in front with annuals for color. Occasionally I spot a rose bush planted long ago by a previous homeowner while the current owner has no clue what type of rose it is.

    A good first step, I think, would be to visit the Peggy Rockerfeller rose garden at the NY Botanical Gardens next spring to pay attention to which roses do well there. The website says that they have over 600 varieties. I might be surprised to see roses that I thought I could never grow here.

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    10 years ago

    Hmm--I've always wondered why my zone never changed when others' did. This time it seems my zone has changed -- from 6a to 6b.

    Guess I'll just stick with my GW rating of plain ol' all-encompassing 6. : )

    Kate

  • Evenie
    10 years ago

    Perhaps if you see something you really like, you might ask your neighbors for cuttings. You might unknowingly propagate a patented rose, but there are so many roses that would have been lost forever if neighbors hadn't shared over the years. Generally the best stuff you can get are the local "heirlooms" that have been passed around.

  • roseseek
    10 years ago

    Try this one to see if it might help. It's the USDA interactive zone map. There is a security window you must pass to get into it. You may find it interesting. Once you've passed the Captcha, enter your zip code in the window on top, submit then tap your curser on the map where you live and it will open a window to report what zone their map shows most appropriate for that location. Of course it's going to vary greatly due to micro climates and other factors, but it can help you figure out where they say you are a bit more precisely. Kim

    Here is a link that might be useful: USDA Interactive Zone Map

  • view1ny NY 6-7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Kim. I did find the interactive map useful. It shows my location as zone 7b. Who woulda thunk? I always thought of my location as one with freezing cold winters and that zone 7 was in a really warm place. I'm just delighted with this news.

    I wonder if I should try growing St. Patrick. I absolutely love that rose. Some of my catalogs describe it as 'cold tender' so in the past I got scared off.

  • dublinbay z6 (KS)
    10 years ago

    Yup--the interactive map shows me as 6b. Actually, I've often pretended it was anyway, so that works out rather nicely.

    Kate

  • view1ny NY 6-7
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Great. Kim, enjoy your new climate, LOL!

  • Poorbutroserich Susan Nashville
    10 years ago

    Thanks Kim.
    USDA Zone shows me as 7a but I assume I'm 7b being urban and gardening in a fenced yard with southern and western exposures. Home, garage, etc.
    I finally came across some reading last night in one of the Shoup books re: zones etc.
    If one is growing the roses he grows it might be a helpful tip:
    He covers his plants during a cold snap of 2 nights or more of expected lows of 10 degrees or lower. According to the USDA my average annual extreme minimum temp is 0-5 in 7a or 5-10 in 7b measured from 1976-2005. Wonder what the data would be for 1990-2012...
    I bought a nice thermometer but placed it in a too sunny spot. According to the thermometer it was 70 degrees near the wall of my brick house (we had snow last night). It's something to ponder when thinking about reflective heat and the true temperatures roses tolerate...
    Susan

  • jim1961 / Central Pennsylvania / Zone 6
    10 years ago

    That map you showed Kim looks like it has us in zone 6b...lol
    Some of the surrounding area around us is zone 6a...Wild & crazy map...

    (Tyrone Pa 16686)

    Years ago we got zone 5b temps but that has changed over the years it seems.

  • roseseek
    10 years ago

    Yes, hard scape, topography, buildings and plantings can make a world of difference. The frost the other night didn't affect my bougainvillea and hibiscus on the hill, but the neighbor in the "hole" below me has significant freeze damage to his established bougainvilleas visible from my back yard. Same "zone", almost the same gardening space, but the cold "pooled" for him where it simply flowed through here. Thankfully! Kim

  • Campanula UK Z8
    10 years ago

    Hmmm, I am with Hoovb here - zone ratings are just one tool in a whole box. Microclimates in a particular garden can make a huge difference on a small scale whereas things such as latitude, daylight length, altitude, topology, geology (soils types), positioning aspects (facing north?, east?) and rainfall are all part of a way of describing your particular horticultural requirements. Observation and experimentation are, ultimately, the only reliable predictors.