I live in Columbus and consider myself a 6.

As you can see by my listing I am not sure either--I have successfully grown a number of zone 6 plants, but it does regularly get to temps of -10 to -15F or lower (every 2-4 winters)and I do lose some of those plants then.

I would consider myself a zone 5 for winter hardiness but follow planting dates for more like zone 6 for summer veggies and stuff.

Kate, southeastern Indiana

raee - I'm taking your idea of zone 5-6 for garden web!
Columbus must just be on the border of the zone chart
very crazy

I think the USDA considers us 6a.

My general rule of thumb is I buy plants that are hardy to zone 6, but start seeds that are hardy in zone 5.

That said, there can be a lot of variation based on microclimates, especially in the city. I've seen a lot of tender plants come back as perennials in places like German Village and to a lesser degree Victorian Village, where there's a lot of brickwork.

And at my work garden on the Fort Hayes campus, we've had agapanthus coming up for four years now, and that's a zone 8 plant!

I meant to reverse that!

I buy plants that are guarenteed hardy here, good to zone 5.

But I take more risk with seeds that I'm starting, and hope the more tender plants like zone 6 or above will above will gain some strenght by growing up here.

I've read about doing that, too, Alison.

If I could only remember to start seeds!

I understand completely, I don't know mine either, I am just out side C'bus in Pataskala and it gets a little colder here but depending on the site it's different.

I'm another 5/6 here too. In looking at all of the maps that show the colors of the different zones, I am right on the border of both of them. I plant a lot of zone 6 stuff, and then try to mulch well, giving them some winter protection. I also think it makes a big difference if an 'iffy' plant is planted early in the year or later in the year (fall). The more established it is the first season, the better its chances are of surviving at least the first winter.

Sue

You are in zone 6. Al Gore would say that you are in zone 7.

Zone 7 is coming soon!

http://www.plantmaps.com/usda_hardiness_zone_map.php

Here's a link with a map that I found extremely useful. It's interactive, meaning you can zoom in to see those borderlines. I live in the southeastern part of Ohio in a 6B section surrounded by 6A. Not too much of a difference but it's still pretty cool to know. You would be a zone 5B. As to whether you can grow that or not, I've not a clue. There should only be a small variance in temperatures, like -5 to -10 degrees.

Sarah

sarah that site is very COOL!
it says columbus city limits is 5b

okay i think this site is wrong
haha
it says rochester, ny is zone 6a (my parents live here)
they are behind almost a month seasonally from me
their daffodils are just coming up and my tulips have already faded
that doesn't make any sense

I'm in Northwest Ohio and always thought I was in zone 5 until I put my zip in the zone finder on this site and it said zone 6 so I'm another 5-6 er!

Yeah I thought it was cool too. Now just hopefully it's right! Or semi-close we can hope =)

Sarah

I am literally (literally) exactly on the line between 5b and 6a. First year living in the area, but what kterlep says seems to be dead on from what I've observed and been told. It seems to get down to the minimum 5b temps but warms up earlier. It is like we get the extreme end of either spectrum. Kind of drives you nuts when you aren't from around here.

ces797--The reason Rochester is in 6a is because depending on where in Rochester you are, it doesn't get as cold in the winter. The zones only really indicate minimums. If you were to look at a map of frost free dates it would look very different there than here.

The zone tells you nothing about how quickly vegetation develops in spring, only how cold it gets in a typical winter. Proximity to a large lake or the ocean will prevent extreme cold in winter (higher zone), but it typically delays the onset of warmth in spring (delayed blooming). That is why the zones crawl up the east coast. According to the USDA, I am in zone 7 here in coastal Massachusetts (but I play it conservatively). Even the coast of Maine is Zone 6, but it is probably one of the last places (along with the upper Great Lakes)to leaf out in spring.

believe it or not, Columbus metro AVERAGES as a zone 7 as of the last 11 years. 'average' meaning outlier stats like a blizzard in april gets factored into the overall temps.

Just for a note, arborday lists us down here in Portsmouth as zone 7. We haven't seen below zero where I live by the river since 01, and only single digits half of those winters. I have a Slash Pine (pinus elliotii) that I put in the ground as a seedling 4 years ago, and it's growing great (5ft). Most sites list it hardy to zone 8! ??? I've also had success with Arp Rosemary, hardy Camellia, large Crape Myrtles, and of course, Loblolly Pines.

Wow, that is interesting,andymc! I've lived here in Columbus since 1992, and we have had several years with cold temps as I mentioned above, but also a few mild and warm early--like in 1998 (I think it was) when my roses leafed out in the third week of February. Glads survive in the ground here for me, but I don't think they are supposed to.

It does seem, in the weather forecasts, that there is a real dividing line just south of Circleville between your weather and ours.