Give your Zone and Town! (Please ;o)

It won't kill you.
Nobody knows who the heck 'Xz_%duh' might be and there is no way to track you down. So what's the big secret?

I agree. Let us know where you are. It's more interesting that way.

Ulrich. Please oh please do not take this wrong. I went to your site and it said that your favorite website is mapquest. That will inspire confidence. Lol!

One of my favorites is the online mileage calculator just to see how far away folks are.

I got this (cheap) some time ago and love it:
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p___1990739247?d=z&id=1990739247

Is it more accurate than Mapquest? It has got to be. I will give it a look.

I edited the title, because my mama always made me follow my demands with a "please" (*grin*)

FWIW, I think ANYTHING's gotta be more accurate than Mapquest...

Mapquest used to be a lot better, with a choice of two sizes plus Aerial Photo views. For a crummy version of the latter you now have to go to http://imageatlas.globexplorer.com/ImageAtlas/view.do?group=ImageAtlas

LOL Terry, you are so nice. I was going to add "darnit" or "you lazy bums" but relented. My Momma told me "Don't be a sissy, give'em heck!"

LOL!!! Ahhhhh, you two! Made me chuckle!

A long time ago Dave gave some reasons for NOT making Zone and Town mandatory. Conditions have changed a lot since then and I wonder whether they still apply.

I'm on your side, Ulrich! I just had to chuckle because when I read your and Terry's posts I thought to myself, "Now this is exactly why DG is great. Two people with opposing styles can still have a great dialogue with humor!" Your two are terrific! :-)

May I add my PLEASE to the request for zone and town? It does make it so much more interesting. I love belonging to DG so much I would give you my street address, phone number, blood type, DNA type, place of birth, etc., etc., etc. Hope it never becomes necessary, but the offer stands!

I agree with all of you. How to get the user to give me this information, however, is another matter altogether. I will spend some time thinking about it.

It'd be nice to gently ask them for their zipcode (if they are in the US) and take care of it from there for them.

dave

There used to be a zone hardiness map on the internet that went by zipcodes. I can't find it anymore. Does anyone have the link to it?

I just want to 2nd Karrie's request. I would like to know for sure if I am in zone 5a or 5b.

I did a google search, after knowing I wasn't the only person wanting this. I came up with this - however, when I put in my zipcode it told me I was zone 6, not 5b. Is this from global warming or what's up with that?????

http://www.arborday.org/webtools/hortzones/registration.cfm

Thanx for the link Karrie. I just tried it and it says I am in zone 6. I know I'm in zone 5 I'm just not sure if it's a or b. I've read some of your posts and if you can't solve this no one can.

This message was edited Apr 25, 2004 3:05 PM

The 1990 map, which had a and b sub-zones: http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html?

Terry, I already have that one. What I have found with it, is that it isn't very specific. The one you just gave tells me I'm zone 5b. However, if I lived in the western part of my state, it would be very hard to tell, as the zones are very crowded. The zipcode feature is what I am after.

dwd - you just put a big smile on a face that needed it! :) After looking at the map that Terry shared, I think you are 5b. Isn't South Bend just south of Michigan? Been there years ago.

This message was edited Apr 25, 2004 12:15 PM

Karrie; You deserve a smile on your face. The conttribution you make to DG is great. It's what I joined two days ago to read. You and Hummer_nut and a few others. The reason I listed 5a as my zone is because the only other member from South Bend had it. I suspect your right tho. I am 5b. This is no big deal but your responsiveness is a big deal. Call me Dave.

Nice to meet you Dave. :)

karrie, I don't think I've seen a zip-code driven version of the 1990 map. (Not to say it doesn't exist, just that I'm not aware of it ;o)

It's been about 3 or 4 years since I saw it. The closest one I just found was the one I posted up there, from the arbor day society. However, since I do not believe I am zone 6 (I'm 5b) I don't feel it should be validated. Go to it and put in your zip and get back to me on what it tells you, and whether you think it gave you a correct answer or not. :)

While we are at it, might we ask folks who add a new plant to the PDB to pretty please fill in as many OPTIONS as possible? At least the most basic ones.

I definitely know where you're coming from on that Ulrich. It would be nice to know what type of sun, zones, watering, soil, etc. that a plant requires. Most of them have that, but I have looked up some and found very little info on them.

Mine says 8 no a shows. I never saw this area listed as anything besides plain 8 untill I used the usda thing. Ernie

As to filling out a plant's details. While it is ideal that the person who enters the plant is knowledgeable and confident enough to properly complete the details, that's not always the case.

I routinely find and correct plants whose zone range should be 3-8 or something similar, but someone has erroneously entered a single zone (their own, I guess.)

So, if you spot an entry that needs some details, dig into those books and online resources, and do what you can to help. It's kind of like seeing a shopping cart blocking a parking space - you can dog-cuss the lazy person who didn't bother to return it to the cart stall, as you walk past it and leave it for the "cart boys" to take care of, or you can do a good deed by pushing it into the store and using it yourself ;o)

Im sure anyone can tell the difference between a Tree and a Cactus.
I am one of those who 'erroniuosly' enter only my own Zone; how am I supposed to know how a plant does anywhere else?
Since we now can add our zipcode to any plant it would really be nice if Dave finds a way to tie the two together.

that would require a database that has that correct information, that none of us seems to be able to find yet.

I think the issue with the Zone discrepancy is because there is a proposed new Zone map. The draft was released in March 2003, but I'm not sure if it's now approved. Basically it really reduced the convolutions in the old map for most areas of the country. You can see the new map in the right hand DG Network box on any DG page.

I was a Zone 5b on the old 1990 map, but now a Zone 6 on the new map. Karrie and dwdruley might want to check the new map out as it's based on the latest weather data.

Here's a link to information on it:
http://www.emilycompost.com/2003_usda_hardiness_zone_map.htm

Here's a link to a ZIP CODE lookup feature for the new map (Dave: This might be the tool you need to get Zones entered for new members).
http://www.arborday.org/trees/whatzone.html

Brenda

Also, just because you enter your zip code and say that the plant grows well for you there, doesn't mean that it is HARDY there.

People say that brugmansias grow great in Iowa, so their enter their zipcode. Does that mean that the hardiness range should be adjusted to zone 5? Obviously, they are growing in containers and overwintering in the basement. So, you can't rely on zipcode reports to ascertain cold hardiness.

dave

Please allow a temporary departure from the thread topic

Someone wrote "...that would require a database that has that correct information, that none of us seems to be able to find yet..."

If by that you mean it's hard for the average person to enter details (such as hardiness) because there isn't a reliable database in existence then may I recommend the following sources:

Ornamental Plants
Missouri Botanical Gardens Plant Finder: http://ridgwaydb.mobot.org/kemperweb/plantfinder/Alpha.asp?start=A&end=F
USDA National PLANTS Database: http://plants.usda.gov/
Michigan State University Extension's list of plants:
http://www.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/masterzz.html
Horticopia's online info: http://www.horticopia.com/hortpix/

Cactus & Succulents
Desert Tropicals: http://www.desert-tropicals.com/

North American Native Plants
Floridata: http://www.floridata.com/
2bnTheWild.com: http://2bnthewild.com/
Connecticut Botanical Society: http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/galleryp.html
Kansas Wildflowers: http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/
Nearctica: http://www.nearctica.com/flowers/family.htm
Southern California Wildflowers: http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/
Aggie-Hort's Texas Wildflowers: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/wildseed/
Center for Aquatic & Invasive Plants: http://aquat1.ifas.ufl.edu/welcome.html

~~~~~~~~~~~
Two things to keep in mind:

1) I don't recommend plodding through these references one by one to find data; I use Google to search through all of them simulataneously. I can type in a search like

"[plant name] zones"
or
"[plant name] height"
or
"[plant name] description"

and usually specific entries from one or more of the above-named sites will pop up in the results. After I've reviewed several, plus some commercial sources of the plant, along with a few handy reference books, then I can pretty much determine what zone range, height, bloom time, etc. is commonly accepted for the plant.

2) This list of databases may lead one to wonder why we're bothering to build yet another one. It's a fair question, and one we asked ourselves before we started "growing" the PDB. Our goal is to combine the best features of all these sites, along with the personal, anecdotal experience of gardeners from around the world. All the sites I mentioned have excellent information. But none is truly comprehensive, nor do any of them permit user comments to be logged. (And quite frankly, most of them aren't kept updated - only a few have added anything new in the past several years.)

Ulrich

The whole cactus, tree or whatever other catagory thing tends to stem from the fact that we've added new catagories along the way at members requests, same with a couple of other options. It's not necessarily a case of members being lazy but the option wasn't there when the plant was entered.

If it's an empty catagory, someone who notices the fact can enter it, if it seems to be in the wrong catagory we appreciate being told so we can change it as appropriate as with all options. :)



As for zones, the UK certainly doesn't use anything like it, we tend to use hardy, half hardy and tender or something similar usually with a reference to whichever region of the UK we're in. However, we can find info on temperature ranges, minimum temps can be equated to the USDA zone listing. USDA zones mean practically nothing to us here we can't even predict a month for a first or last frost date. *G*

Oh Terry, that isn't what I meant. I meant a database like that zip code one, where you enter the zip code and it tells your your hardiness zone. I found that one from arborday inaccurate, as I know I am zone 5b and it listed me as 6. I meant their database, not the one here at Daves.

Ah ha. Well, that's where adding your ZIP code to the entries of plants that grow well in your zone will help out. I hope (expect???) to see LOTS of ZIP code reports from y'all in the coming months (grin)

yes, as long as we know for sure that the plant is "hardy" as Dave said earlier (like if it is a perennial, but only grows as a perennial in warmer climates, whether I plant it in the summer and bring it indoors or not, it wouldn't be considered hardy in my zipcode.)

So Terry you want the zip code reports to be only for cold hardiness?
I dont think I've messed that up yet though, since I mainly grow house plants- and the zipcode report on those can help for humidity levels and sun intensity I guess.

For perennials, that should be the main "litmus test". But for annuals, some of them will grow only in cooler season climates, so cold-hardiness isn't a factor - you just need to be able to positively answer the question "does this plant grow well for you?"

Ulrich -

If you can figure out my zone, I'd be happy to add it to my profile.

My Zip Code is 158-0083...


;)