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The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is an essential tool for all landscapers and gardeners, whether professionals or weekend do-it-yourselfers. This simple and free tool will help ensure you select only the correct plants, shrubs, or trees for your region. If you do not follow this guide you risk the health of your plant, and ultimately your time and money.

The Map was designed to show the average annual minimum temperature range throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. There are 11 different zones that describe the minimum temperature that can be expected. The zones were divided based on a 10 degree Fahrenheit difference in the average annual minimum temperature.

It is important to understand the zones in order to select a plant that will survive the winter in your region. This is called the plant’s winter hardiness. The winter hardiness of the plant is one of the most crucial factors for the survival and environmental adaptation of the plant. A plant’s hardiness indicates the lowest temperature the plant can sustain and still survive.

Most plants purchased at commercial stores will have their hardiness level indicated on their tag. Determine the Hardiness Zone of the area in which the plant will be located, and make sure the plant’s hardiness falls within the correct zone.

Zone 1 contains areas that see an average minimum temperature below (-) 50 degree Fahrenheit. Example locations include Fairbanks, Alaska and Northwest Territories in Canada.

Zone 2 contains areas that see an average minimum temperature of (-) 50 to (-) 40 degrees. Example locations include Prudhoe Bay, Alaska and Pinecreek , Minnesota.

Zone 3 ranges between (-) 40 and (-) 30 degrees. Examples are International Falls, Minnesota and Sidney, Montana.

Zone 4 ranges between (-) 30 and (-) 20 degrees. Examples are Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota and Northwood, Iowa.

Zone 5 ranges between (-) 20 and (-) 10 degrees. Examples are Des Moines, Iowa and Mansfield, Pennsylvania.

Zone 6 ranges between (-) 10 and 0 degrees. Examples are St. Louis, Missouri, and Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

Zone 7 ranges between 0 and 10 degrees. Examples are South Boston, Virginia and Little Rock Arkansas.

Zone 8 ranges between 10 and 20 degrees. Examples are Dallas, Texas and Gainesville, Florida.

Zone 9 ranges between 20 and 30 degrees. Examples are Houston, Texas and Fort Pierce, Florida.

Zone 10 ranges between 30 and 40 degrees. Examples are Victorville, California and Miami, Florida.

Zone 11 is for annual minimum temperatures above 40 degrees. Examples include Honolulu, Hawaii and Mazatlan, Mexico.

Author Matt Adler is the creator of http://www.laffodils.com, a free website for landscape and gardening advice. See further description of  Plant Hardiness Zones, as well as Maps.

Organic Garden Articles

Having your very own home garden does not only translate to sweating under the intense heat of the sun toiling, weeding and growing flowers and plants but would also mean spending your hard earned cash on home garden tools that may not at all come that cheap. But then again, there is a way around these costs. There always is, if you are imaginative and innovative enough. You may not even have to look and search that far. Your kitchen or perhaps your waste basket may hold the very solution to your garden tools expense predicament. No need to mop and think long and hard on how. Here are a few creative tips.

Yogurt containers usually go straight to the trash as soon as we scoop out that last spoon of yummy yogurt. But hold up, there might be more to these plastic tubs than meets the eye. These yogurt containers can be great sanctuaries for your seedlings protecting them from those nosy good for nothing night-crawling cutworms. Working as a shield, sink these tubs into your soil enclosing the seedlings in. You can strip off the yogurt shield as soon as the seeds are able to grow sturdy stems.

These small plastic pots can also be used as cute flower pots. Just make sure to punch in a few holes in them to allow the soil to breathe and also to release excess water. Moreover, if you are looking for something to help you scoop up your soil or fertilizers, these yogurt containers may be your best bet.

If the yogurt container can make do as a small scoop, the plastic milk jug may be employed as its bigger version. This jug has a lot of flexible uses for your home garden. Mixing and sprinkling liquid fertilizer to your home grown plants is easy and trouble-free with the use of a milk jug. Simply put the fertilizer ingredients in, shake to blend, poke some holes on the top and you are set to shower your plants with nutrients. If frosty and chilly seasons have caused you to lose your baby seedlings and underdeveloped plants, the plastic milk jug may pose to be a solution to your problem. By covering your plants with the jug (make sure to remove the bottom of course) heat is stored and retained for the plants. What is more, you have the option to adjust the warmth of your plastic mini conservatory by opening or closing the cap.

If you think your egg cartons can offer no help in your home garden, think again! These containers are known to be perfect for growing seedlings. Using the Styrofoam ones are more preferred and it is important that you wash and clean them well before use so that you can prevent any bacterial contamination. Punch a hole on the base of each cell to allow for drainage.

It is essential that your home garden plants get at least an inch of water in a week. While figuring the volume of water your plants get may seem like a difficult endeavor, it is actually not. You may use those straight-sided tuna cans in collecting or measuring if your home garden is getting enough rain or sprinkler water.

James Brown writes about Flower Garden Nursery

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