WHAT ZONE
USDA hardiness zones are something that every homeowner should be aware of. The USDA hardiness zone maps breaks up North America into eleven different zones based on climates and landscapes. These zones are brilliant tools to understand what types of plants and grass that you can successfully plant on your property. The zones will inform you if the plants you are looking to add to your property can handle the temperatures, seasonal cycles, and rainfalls that historically occur in your area. When shopping for plants, tree, or anything that you are going to plant on your property, in most cases, you can find what zone that the planting can flourish in. It is always important to check these tags to avoid costly mistakes when gardening or planting. If you have any questions about what plants can grow in your zone, contact your landscaping professional for help!
HISTORY OF THE ZONE
The original zones were created in 1990, and like today depicted eleven different zones across the continent of North America. Each zone has a varying degree of average temperatures, that ranged to be about a 10-degree difference. In 2012 the USDA released an updated version of the zones. This new version of the map has a temperate that is roughly 5 degrees in difference from zone to zone. Along with that, there were more technologically advanced methods to charting the map.
WHAT ZONE ARE YOU?
The state of New Jersey has four different hardiness zones. These zone are zone 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b. Zone 6a is located in the northern half of the state; Morris County is home to the 6a zone. This zone has mostly cold weather grasses planted, and the average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from -10 to -5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 6b has small patches located in southern and central jersey, most notably located in Atlantic County. The average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from -5 to 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 7a is the largest and most common zone in the state of New Jersey. This ranges from Cumberland County to Monmouth County. The average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 7b the smallest zone in New Jersey and is really only located in Gloucester County. The average annual extreme minimum temperatures range from 0 to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.
WHAT CAN YOU PLANT
If you make your home in Morris County, NJ there is a vast array of plants that thrive in your climate! However, there are many other factors to take into consideration when selecting plants. Soil types, sun exposure, native pests, moisture, and other factors all are significant when choosing the right plants. If this seems a bit overwhelming, or too time-consuming, please feel free to contact a Pando Landscapes team member today!