Staff Answer
Jul 09, 2021 - 12:54 PM
Hi there!
Yes! If your zone matches the zone of a particular plant then you can grow that plant outside all winter.
However, when your zone only matches the plant's zone, rather than exceeds it, you need to be careful of microclimates. These are defined by Britannica as, "any climatic condition in a relatively small area". This could have to do with humidity, but the big issue is temperature.
For whatever reason, your particular property, although it's in a zone 6 area, may get colder than the surrounding areas for whatever reason. Perhaps you live in a draw where the hills around you block the sun. Usually, these differences are negligible and I wouldn't even bring them up if you were trying to grow a zone 5 or 4 plant, but in your particular case it could be a problem.
The USDA defines zone 6 as temperatures of -10°F, but no lower. Does it normally get around that temperature in the winter, or can it be -15°F or so? If so, you may need to consider growing different plants, or protecting your plants from these unusually low temperatures when they occur. I hope this helps!
Yes! If your zone matches the zone of a particular plant then you can grow that plant outside all winter.
However, when your zone only matches the plant's zone, rather than exceeds it, you need to be careful of microclimates. These are defined by Britannica as, "any climatic condition in a relatively small area". This could have to do with humidity, but the big issue is temperature.
For whatever reason, your particular property, although it's in a zone 6 area, may get colder than the surrounding areas for whatever reason. Perhaps you live in a draw where the hills around you block the sun. Usually, these differences are negligible and I wouldn't even bring them up if you were trying to grow a zone 5 or 4 plant, but in your particular case it could be a problem.
The USDA defines zone 6 as temperatures of -10°F, but no lower. Does it normally get around that temperature in the winter, or can it be -15°F or so? If so, you may need to consider growing different plants, or protecting your plants from these unusually low temperatures when they occur. I hope this helps!
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