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Janet Macunovich

What about those new hardiness zones, huh?

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Just wondering what you're thinking about the USDA's latest version of the hardiness zone map. A Free Press reporter called here and asked me about it.. made it sound like people are pretty concerned that they're rated warmer than previously.

 

Are you concerned?

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I am certainly concerned because of the confusion this causes in the horticulture industry as a whole. There are countless publications (books, catalogs, online information) that are now outdated, for all practical purposes. And what of all of the already-printed plant tags out there? Will the plant tag companies have to discard millions of tags, and go through the cost of reprinting them? How will we gardeners refer to hardiness zones - we'll have to use tems like "old zone 5 or new zone 5"!

 

I am happy that the new map puts extra emphasis on the A and B designations, and takes into consideration more topography and microclimate issues. This can be a help, but the confusion that will be created by everyone now having to adjust their thinking to a new zone will cause some problems. My particular location is now zone 6A instead of 5B. Not a big difference in temperature, buthaving to say 6 instead of 5 will certainly be an adjustment. It just SOUNDS a lot warmer!

 

I know that the new map was drawn using data from a much longer time frame than the old 1990 map, and that is good. But we all know how variable mother nature can be! In southeast/central Michigan, we are are now definitely experiencing a zone 6 winter, but remember last year when our winter was morel like a zone 4!

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I am almost certain but haven't dug through our files yet to find proof, that the USDA tried to bring this map out in 2001 and there was such a furor they withdrew it. Now, more years of data, they feel more sure, I guess.

Not that I doubt the numbers, but shoot they've only been tracking weather in the U.S. since 1915 -- and for decades that wasn't a really deep body of info since there were not that many weather stations. Now there are more stations, so we have more detail...

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My maple trees are dropping their reddish brown "flowers". They don't usually do this until spring. The squirrels can't be doing that much romping through the tree. I definately think it is being tricked.

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