ZONE 9 Forum (maybe other Zones too....)

Dear Dave’s Garden
I would like to start a FORUM for ZONE 9. I’m in Los Angeles, actually the San Fernando Valley which is slightly inland (1/3 coastal influence). Ours is considered a “Mediterranean climate” and there are 5 places in the world that have this kind of climate and plants can be “imported” from and adapt easily. Speaking with Dave from Dave’s Garden – if 5 or so gardeners would like to have this forum he will start it. Would you help?

P.S. I am both the coordinator of our local community garden (flowers and vegetables) and I also garden in our condo community which has an excessive amount of huge planters that are filled with flowers and landscape plants.

Also -- speaking perhaps for other zones -- I think a forum for other Zones would be appropriate (if others speak up for their Zone) -- that way folks can talk to each other knowing that they share similar climates......

Thanks for considering it.
Jennifer Reed
Jrinthegarden
jenhar@earthlink.net

Mediterranean is a more specific climate and occurs across several USDA zones. Perhaps a Mediterranean style gardening forum would be more the thing?

Hi Jennifer;

Yes, I'd love to be part of the forum. I live in Eagle Rock, not far from you, and I'd love to swap info with people who share the same blistering summers....... ;-)

JR, according to the latest USDA Map you are in Zone 10.

Wait...does this mean I am 11 now too, Ulrich?

Yes, it does. But they got the SF Bay area included also. I find that hard to believe. Maybe someone up there will tell us if they ever get any frost or not.
http://davesgarden.com/zone/show/left_coast

The map in that link has me 'poinsettia' (zone 10) and zone 11 is peppermint. And peppermint isn't anywhere on that map? Am I missing something? Thanks.

No, you are quite right. We have lived here for the past 44 years and have not had any freezing once in all that time. But maybe they have an incident on record from the eighties, eighteeneighties that is, and I don't want to be accused of splitting hairs again. (~:

Sorry- it is me splitting hairs LOL!

The link that you posted above for me shows you and I in zone 10 and the color of our area is poinsettia.

Which map shows us in 11?

Thanks~

Edited to add apologies- not trying to hijack the thread. Sorry!

This message was edited Jun 23, 2004 11:41 PM

I would be interested in a zone 9 forum...I live in SJ in the bay area...but not close enough to it to be zone 10...we do get an occasional frost...maybe in the 20's over-night!
Margie

Regarding that new map, I live in Los Angeles again now, but I lived in the SF Bay area for 15 years, up in Marin county, (which they have as 9 and 10!) Maybe whoever created that map can explain why I could never grow bouganvillea up there because it died in the winter, or why my beautiful, huge jade plant (transported from L.A.) froze to death one winter when it SNOWED! ;-)

I think the thing to do is to go by the temperature range and not by the areas they show on their map. And most importantly whether it ever freezes where you are or not.

Adding note to JR: Your e-mail settings do not allow you to receive replies from the likes of me.




This message was edited Jun 24, 2004 1:35 PM

Is there a zone map that shows what the USDA zone is by zip code? I'm moving to the coast of OR in a couple weeks and I can't tell if I will be in the Z8 or Z9 area.

raven, there is somewhere on the internet - but I'm not al-together sure how accurate it is.

http://www.arborday.org/TreeInfo/ZoneLookup.cfm?CFID=1094014&CFTOKEN=37678014

That's a real neat feature, but it can't quite make up its mind; it says I'm in 'Zones 10-11'.

Thanks so much Karrie, I'll go look it up!

Mine here in SJ...says 8-9 also.

Shows me in 10 for that link. And as far as my temps- I only know what they are each day. I am terrible about keeping track of how cold it is for how long. Day to day...that is me!

BUT back to the subject- I am interested in a 9 forum and a 10 forum (but I am in denial about joining an 11 forum ; p )

I share a lot of plants with my best friend in Eagle Rock, zone 9. I vote for a zone 9 forum!

But what's the point of a zone 9 forum when it's exclusive to a certain climate or am I reading this wrong?

For what it's worth, I think a "Mediterranean gardening" forum would be a better option than "Zone 9" (which includes a pretty good swath of the southern US - very different climate than the West Coast.) As Jennifer mentioned in her first post, there are other areas of the world sharing that particular climate, which would make the forum more inclusive and globally-appealing. Others who have (or have created) a Mediterranean micro-climate in their garden could also participate ;o)

It seems to me (being a biased zone 9, of course) that the purpose of a zone 9 forum would be exactly that it IS exclusive to that climate. For myself, I need all the help I can get regarding gardening in this zone...it would be great if I could participate in a forum dedicated to it. Or "mediterranean zone 9" maybe....we are definitely in a variety of micro-climates here in L.A., it changes from block to block....(the zip-code based zone map has me in 8,9 and 10, which is true....)

Margu

I live in zone 9 and I am in southern England, from what I hear, it's very a different climate to yours. All the USDA zones mean is the average minimum winter temperature, it doesn't look at any other climatic aspect.

If there were a zone 9 forum you'd have many people joining in from very different climates, some growing tropical, others alpine and cooler weather plants, whereas a mediterranean forum would be suitable for those people with a similar climate to yours or interest in plants that grow in those regions. Mediterranean plants can cope in a wide variety of winter temperatures so the zone 9 moniker would be pretty obsolete.

This message was edited Jun 25, 2004 3:47 PM

margu, your zone 9 and my zone 9 are two different things . . . There are many things that thrive in your area that curl up and die (screaming) here. We cannot assume that because it grows for me, it will grow for you - or vice versa. And I think that was the point of the original post.

Terry is right, zone 9 is too broad a term for what JRinthegarden is wanting.

I'd like a forum just for us southern zones 9-11. I think we really do have a unique set of gardening circumstances to deal with. It's frustrating to try to grow things that really don't stand a chance here, but all the info says 'zone 9'.

I doubt there's enough interest, tho.

Cheri'

Cheri, oooh oooh, I know! We could call it LA Gardening. Which could stand for Louisiana, Lower Alabama, or Los Angeles, depending on your individual interpretation. Of course, that might just confuse people even more *grin* ;o)

All joking aside, a "Deep South" gardening forum might be applicable and do-able, if Dave's willing. In the past we've shied away from regional forums because a lot of people felt the DG community would be reduced or even lost altogether if people stayed in smaller, clique-ish forums instead of congregating in the more general ones like "Garden Talk", "Vegetables", "Tropicals" etc.

Terry that's something I agree with. Although we have a european forum, it's rare we talk much about gardening in there and it's probably now undersubscribed. I have learned much from reading how people in other regions garden and how plants that do well for me grow elsewhere too.

Just some thoughts that have come to mind as I've followed this thread:

I've been a Zone 9b gardener for awhile, but really think I'm a 10a or 10b gardener. We just happen to live in one of those mini-microclimates where I can grow things that gardening friends 1 1/2 miles away can't. We're up high and they are at a lower elevation where the winter cold and wet settles.

I am in total Zone Denial and grow many things that push the limits, some with little care and others that need some extra winter attention.

I think the humidity levels (practically none here) have a lot to do with how things will grow here, but perhaps not in a Southern 9-10 climate where the air is saturated with moisture.

Spreading the active membership thinner would be my main concern for a Zone specific forum. There is only so much one can absorb and time to spend, I know it has taken me some months to find the forums that most interest me and cover topics that I can apply to my gardening experience. I think a "California" forum would be interesting to pursue and I'd probably spend a lot of time there, but then I wouldn't benefit from the experiences of gardeners across the country like I do now when I visit some more general forums.

I do understand the "shared experience" concept first proposed in this thread, but find that most of what I've learned in the last 9 months or so on DG has been from gardeners in other locales. A "Mediterranean" or "Deep South" forum might work for different sub-sets of DG members, but I would guess that I would lose touch with some of the current southern gardeners that I enjoy reading about just because I wouldn't visit a "Deep South" forum.

O, I don't think we'd stay in that forum alone . . . how boring would that be? LOL!

It would be good to share info with each other that is actually relevant to our problems. Lots of times I get (and give, I'm sure) bad advice due to climate differences. "It needs full sun, at least 6 hours" - Here, that plant might do better in filtered sun, or afternoon filtered sun, anyway. On the other hand, it might be a lost cause, due to the humidity or whatever.

As it is, I 'hang out' mostly in the Daylily forum, but I visit Perennials, Bulbs, Tropicals, Garden Talk, Plant Trading, Coop and now, Foliage every day. Other forums quite often. I just don't always have something to add. I like to see what others are up to, drool over plants I can't grow, connive to grow plants I shouldn't . . . you know how it is. I don't think regional (or climate based) forums would segregate us that much. If there were a LA gardening forum, I'd still hang out in Daylilies . . . (hello, my name is Cheri', and I'm an addict)

Cheri'

I just found this thread, and why would you want to split us up into zones - most of us are in zonal denial of one sort or another.
I haven't been here long but find that already just checking the forums I have found is taking longer and longer.
Don't, please, dont make it harder. one happy DGer - Blooms

It isn't a matter of splitting us into zones to me!!

I find the zones an interesting thing because we all have zone envy and tend to push our own zone boundaries. For example, I have a healthy trade going back and forth with gapeahen who is zone 8b. It is eternally fascinating to me that we can grow the same things and love the same things! Would I subscribe to a forum with her zone? Prolly. Would I expect a whole lotta insider, crazy posting to keep up with? No.

I think that a particular zone forum would not be about Mediterranean Gardening. It would be about "Hey, this worked for me. Have you tried this?" When I am on a veg forum, I only have frogsrus in my zone participating. Everyone else has a completely different idea of gardening while frogs and I actually have two full growing seasons.

We live in a world, exemplified by so many DG members, where travel and moving for work or other reasons takes us out of the zones we grew up with. So to have a zone forum where we can ask a quick question or see a brilliant example for where we are now is only going to make us better and more curious gardeners.

That is my bit on the soapbox and I am not subscribing to zone 4 forum no matter what!!! : )

"That is my bit on the soapbox and I am not subscribing to zone 4 forum no matter what!!! : )"

That is exactly the reason that zone forums won't work. I live in a zone 4 area, and if we had zone forums, this place would be mightly lonely for me. Most of the population of this site is from the higher zone areas, so basically, you have most of the site already. Why exclude us that live in the colder zones? We really don't post that much anyway. Our growing season is very short and getting shorter all the time.

Because I would see you in other forums, Joan. LOL! I mean no awfulness to zone 4!!

How do you treat damping off or mildew or ants or mites. What does your deck look like? How do you propagate a brug or a violet? Is there a great container that you love to plant things in that we all could do? Do you have a need for morning glory seeds? (I have them!) Do you have pets or wildlife you love or even, what do you watch on TV late at night? We are gardeners. DG is our common ground.

Many forums and there still are not too many because no one says we have to watch them all.

I have a feeling that the zones could bring out lurkers who subscribe to DG and don't say anything. There is so much and I love it all and yet there are very few subscribers who actually say anything from your zone. Wouldn't you like to hear from them or possibly even meet them?

Okay, never say never, I will subscribe to zone 4 forum. (and everyone there will scoff me because I live in 10 but I don't care!!)
: )

If we get zone forums, could we have one for people like me too?

Call it the "O-zone"...

;)

Hi
My name is Bill Scalzo and I would also be interested in a forum for Zone 9 ( or 10 ). I also live in the San Fernando Valley, CA.

Here is what would be my first question to my fellow Los Angeles zone 9, mediterranean, maybe zone 10 who knows: Do you guys dare to plant stuff here in the middle of summer? Like fairly large plants in gallon pots? I haven't had much luck in the scorching heat, but I never get all my planting done while it's still cool enough. I want to plant a row of privet (among other things) but I probably won't get around to it until it's purgatory around here. Dare I?

margu, Dwarf Oleander is more colorful.
You can plant anything in the heat as long as you keep the roots from drying during the process. Use plenty of water and soak the dug holes very well.

Thanks Ulrich; I planted some dwarf oleander last year (and one of them died in the heat, guess I didn't give it enough water) but it is growing very slowly. I wanted something that will fill in a little faster!