What new hardiness zone means for Ohio gardeners
The new map, with 13 zones, adds Zone 12 (50-60 degrees Fahrenheit band) and Zone 13 (60-70 degrees Fahrenheit). Each zone is a 10-degree Fahrenheit band, with each band divided into Fahrenheit zones A and B.
George Ball, chairman and CEO of W. Atlee Burpee & Co., says his company has been swamped with calls from customers asking how the new map will affect their gardens.
"The answer -- like a garden -- is very diverse," says Ball. "For seed customers, global warming results in slightly warmer and longer summers, which means -- since annuals literally feed on heat and light -- higher yields of vegetables and longer displays of flowers. In other words, good news. Certainly nothing to worry about."
Burpee has just launched a Frequently Asked Questions alert for home gardeners with questions about the revised USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map at tinyurl/com/burpeemap .