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I wanted to make a video that highlights a more important way of looking at growing climates when it comes to growing annual vegetables. Rather than focusing on extreme minimum winter temperatures,, where not many annuals will be in the ground anyway, it is far more important to know the growing window you have
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#growingzones #vegetablegardening #selfsufficiency
to celebrate the North American edition of The self-sufficiency Garden which launches today I thought I’d make a video about why growing zones and hardiness zones are overrated when it comes to growing vegetables you see when it comes to growing vegetables there something that is far more important to helping you when it comes to understanding hardiness So within this Garden we average a yield of 10 portions of food per square foot of growing space and in this space which is the equivalent of half a tennis court we produced just under 1,300 pound of food last year firstly self-sufficiency isn’t an All or Nothing approach it can be as simple as just growing all of the time that you possibly need time is in the herb or alternatively you could be completely self-sufficient in all of your food but for a period of time for example during the summer months but regardless of your own self-sufficiency goals nothing is more powerful than knowing exactly where the food that you’re eating has come from plus it tastes pretty good as well now let’s discuss growing zones which yes you did hear correctly I do think they are overrated when it comes to growing vegetables even in the coldest climates let me explain why for producing as much food as possible in a given space the planting is going to be very annual dominant because annuals they’re quick to mature and often you can get two crops within the same growing season and because you’re growing annuals which mature either before the first Frost or for the hardier crops they nice and mature before winter properly sets in we can throw away the idea of Gro zones and hardiness zones because really hardiness zones are created for perennials granted there are a few annuals which in some cases you can over winter but the majority of the growing is during the season there’s a saying make hay when the sun shines and when we apply that to a garden context you want to make hay when it’s the growing season you want to grow all of the produce Harvest as much of it as possible within the window for growing and the most important thing to know far more important than what your hardiness zone is is that growing window and your growing window is defined by your last average frost date and your first average frost date knowing these two points of a year is far more use for planning out your vegetable garden because it gives you that window in which you can successfully grow tender crops so if I was growing tomatoes or squash outside the end of the season comes when you have that first Frost and it’s going to knock those off so I want to have that window to make sure that I know what the timings are to grow that crop here even though hardiness rating I’m in zone 8 my main frost free growing window is between miday and mid to late October which matches the exact same groin window as many zone 5 locations over in America and in terms of the groin opportunity it gives me roughly a f month growing season so there’s there’s seven months where it’s not really suitable for tender crops outside but there are five months where it is hardiness is about understanding the kind of the the most extreme minimum winter temperature and for the most part I really don’t care what the extreme minimum winter temperature is if I’m growing lots of things like cucumbers and tomatoes cuz they’re going to be long gone anyway and with that saying of make hay when the sun shines that’s when all of the abundance comes in that’s when all of the productivity comes in and it’s far more debilitating to the productivity of a garden by having frosts than thinking about the minimum winter temperature because most of the growing happens during those frost free months if you know your last average frost date and your first average frost date it gives you a general growing window it gives you a general guide to help with timings of growing your particular crops now of course it can change a little bit so around the 2 weeks either side of your average last frost date do keep a close eye just to make sure there aren’t any nasty surprises what it does mean even if you’re in a very cold climate is that if you have any kind of undercover growing space like a poly tunnel or a hoop bed or something you can start off your more Hardy outdoor crops like onions kale leaks F beans and peas you can start those off in modules unheated undercover around 8 to 10 weeks before your last average frost dat so you can get them nicely developed so when it is time to transplant transplanting nicely develop seedlings and in a sense you’ve extended the grain season because on average every layer of protection extends your grain season e at either end at either book ends by four to 6 weeks so in the coldest of Cl name it that have a short growing space suddenly that one layer of protection can increase a 3 month frostfree growing window outside to a 5 to six month frost-free growing window undercover now tender crops can also be started under cover before your last average frost date this is what I do for growing tomatoes and peppers I start them off in on heat mats with grow light so you can start them off in a propagator and then what I ended up doing once the seedlings were nicely developed I puted them on I place them in a poly tunnel and then I put a hoop bed inside the poly tunnel over them so on the coldest of nights I could keep them extra protected and should there be extreme temperature drops I’d easily be able to throw over a blanket just to keep them nice and safe so I honestly think that hardiness zones can feel a little bit restrictive if you don’t actually know about the frost dates because when you know about the frost dates you kind of know exactly what you’re working with in the Foundation to success of understanding and planning a productive vegetable garden in a temperate climate is knowing your frost date so if you’re wanting to grow as much food as possible and to see how we’ve done it here in this garden with a f month growing window seeing all of the productivity that you can get from it and how to fully celebrate the food when it comes into the kitchen make sure you get your copy of the self-sufficiency garden that I’ve written with my good friend Sam whilst you’re waiting for your book to arrive watch this video here which details and outlines the steps to becoming self-sufficient so that can kind of wet your appetite until the book arrives
49 Comments
I think frost dates are overrated too! The climate and therefore the seasons are changing so much. I think we'll be far more reliant on adopting covered gardening methods going forward, just to get in a viable growing season!
I'm also in zone 5, but in Canada, and our extreme cold is below -30°C. It's hilarious that according to the zone map, we're in the same zone, but while you're pulling winter carrots and leeks I've got rock solid frozen soil under a foot of snow and ice.
❤ Thanks for info. Excited as your book arrives today. I can grow throughout the year but want to do so more intensionally. My zone has changed from 8 to 9 over the years but gardening window is roughly the same. We do get years with very strange weather
I never knew growing zones where for annuals ? It s about your summer nothing to do with how they handle frost ….
I could not care less about time zones and all the things people say I cannot do.
My garden is located on the slope of a mountain in the Andes at 3,000masl. I grow things that people say should be impossible… and outside! I try growing things that I like. I have yet to build a better greenhouse for cucumbers, eggplant and watermelon, but I grow tomatoes, peppers, lemongrass, passion fruit and a bunch of things some people say are crazy. I save my own seed and those new plants get stronger every time theyvare planted and saved, specially if they came from volunteer plants.
My method is basic and simple. No gadgets. I try and sometimes fail and try again.
Keep growing people!
USDA Zones apply to annual average low temperatures, not frost dates. This is for planting perennials.
My zone is 11 or even 12 i live in the Caribbean so i have a long growing season but with the heat cant grow certain plants
Always amusing to remember that Atlanta & Southern Georgia in the States and then Scotland and the Northern UK are both 8a/8b.
I pre-ordered and it will be here today 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 So excited!!!
My book is out for delivery now! I know what I'll be doing tonight!
Feeling refreshed 😮
If you grew 1300 lbs of food in 1 year, but a person eats an average of 1900 lbs a year, how do you claim to have fed a family of 4 with only your garden? Sorry if I have things mixed up, just curious where I'm going wrong with the numbers
My book arrived about an hour ago. Thank you so much for creating this!
I got notified that my book has shipped and is on its way. I cant wait!!
Yes, I realised that when watching you. Our frost dates are very similar even though I am 5b/6a, so you videos have helped me learn how to garden in this zone. Looking forward to your book!
Protip: Use a spreadsheet. Plop in your last and first frost dates, then use that to calculate when to time sowings, based on how much time it needs before planting out. Experiment and update the spreadsheet as you learn what works in your microclimate.
My book is coming today. Hoping my 3a zone garden can extend. I use to start seeds in the house but they got so leggy even with a light.. I got a veg trug with a cover and it helps a bit in the spring. The plants get too tall for it to work well in the fall but it does give me 4 extra weeks.
Oh well done. Taking into account different parts of the world 🌎 ❤
You're correct, zones are for perennials and fruit tree selection and for planning winter protection for early/late planting or degree of protection for overwintering. That said, I do pay attention when it's mentioned because it helps me adapt to my garden as a general guide but summer conditions are far more helpful. US Z6 in Oregon and Kansas are wildly different from my Ohio garden in the summer and that's where it counts.
Microclimates matter. My garden has on average 30 more frost-free days than my friend across the street. I'm sheltered from North and West winds, it's up against the house on the North side, the beds are surrounded by concrete pavers and it's on high ground with a slope to allow cold air to drain so there's no frost pocket. Every year she gets nailed by the last/first frost and mine doesn't blink. We have to hit hard freeze temps before I get a frost. I got lucky with site selection but if you have the option, a hundred feet can make a difference. My lower garden (berries/fruit trees/asparagus) suffers as hers does.
This is exactly why when I started gardening (6a Massachusetts) I was SO confused by your videos! I thought I couldn't grow the same crops as you because you're zone 8. Our frost dates are exactly the same. I now just follow you. 🙂 Thank you Huw! Hello from MA!
Excellent video! What about areas that don’t get frost most years but still have 4 seasons? I feel like lower temps, even if they aren’t frosty, affect the ability for annual veg to grow well. But I am wondering if I can grow enough vegg to be self sustainable year round, even over winter. My garden definitely slows down and gets overrun with mildew in the winter. Hope my question makes sense 🙂
Hello from Florida, USA 😊. My pre-ordered book just arrived and I'm so excited to get started! It looks amazing at first glance!
What I am having trouble with for the last couple of years is that in my growing zone the last frost date is mid-late March. However, the constant rain in the Pacific Northwest in spring, and chilly 40 degree Fahrenheit nights until mid to late May, it seems like I am waiting too long and then Don't always have enough time to harvest for some things. If I start at end of March nothing happens until early May and sometimes seeds are washed away or mold, and starts just wither because of the cold and wet. I have a very small area for growing with metal beds and I love them, just can't figure out the actual best practices for my area. I have ordered your book but am afraid it's just going to say the same thing all the others do about the last frost date. I need to know about what temps to sow what plants. Arghhhh. Always a challenge with gardening. But I love it just the same.
Great information! I use my hoophouse and covers to harvest greens, beets, radishes and carrots earlier and later in season than if planted outside. Don't be afraid to experiment , You may fail or may succeed. Remember that seeds packages are not expensive. So go for it.
my book is out for delivery right now. I pre ordered last year.
I'm so excited. Your book arrived today!
My pre-ordered copy of “The Self-Sufficiency Garden” arrived today! Thank you, Huw and Sam… I can’t wait to dive in!
Huw, have you ever looked into Sonic Bloom or electroculture? might be worth an experiment!
I'm in the hills of southern Oregon and we're already having a solid week of 80°F/26°C, so if I leave the greenhouse door closed until 9:30 am, it's up to 90°F/32°C.
Our last frost date is next week, and last week we had a night of 34°F/1°C!
I'm losing my mind trying to decide when to plant warm weather crops 😂
Do you still work with the heat bed? And would you still recommend that?
Growing window in Qld australia…..autumn (March) to the second month in summer(Jan) too hot and humid to grow anything.
Welp, I just bought the book.
I am in Barbados in the caribbean , we are averaging 82F , someone needs to come out with a book for hotter climates of the world, we dont have seasons, just continuous sun, we have rainy season or dry season, years ago it use to get cooler around December into January February now it is hot all year around.
I do not agree. We had some years with the first frost in the beginning of October and then spring temperatures until christmas. The range is too wide to be safe, sorry.
Just got my copy delivered today!
finally received your new book in the states. after a brief scan, I'm so excited to go through it with my highlighter. thanks for all your hard work.
🐝thanks for the great video🌻
Huw! I just got my book today here in Wisconsin USA!
My pre-ordered copy just landed on my doorstep! 😁 Off to my greenhouse I go to sit and have a read 🥰
I got my book today!!! Yeah!!
Just got your book in the mail… (I had pre ordered it here in Canada from Amazon). It’s a lovely book! I can’t wait to read it. The lay out is great and I really do love the mat finish in the cover.
Once you know what your average frost dates used to be, get on a good weather forecast and see if you can push your season a few more weeks. I've done this for the past three years and it gives me about two to three weeks head start to what growing dates used to be decades ago. Climate change already has expanded my growing season about four weeks from what it supposedly is. Depending on the source I am located somewhere between USDA zone 7a and 8a. My frost dates are supposed to be as you mentioned them Huw, but by now I can safely plant out in latest April and keep tender plants comfortably outside until early to mid November. Cheers
My book came while I was watching this video! Eeeeek! Thank you for writing everything out SO CLEARLY. it really helps my literal brain to have precise instructions.
Best wishes on the North American launch 🙂
I live in Tennessee, USA and have been checking my mailbox all day for the book! 😍
We are 5b and I will say it's been pretty accurate for what I can typically grow and not grow.
Every year I'll try some watermelon, and every 4-5 years it's warm enough to get a few, but most years, nothing.
This year in the Laurentians of Québec, our average last frost day is June 1. Our actual last frost day was weeks ago. Very weird spring. The cows are calving females like crazy (18-2 so far), and they're all incredibly docile while tagging. The wretched Canada Geese that have infested fields here were fewer than usual, and the residents have all but vanished. So anyway, this year I'm both late and early no matter when I plant …
Just got my copy of the book! A quick thumb-through has been ready to dive-in. 😊
I received my copy of the book today.
Thank you.
We shall move on much more enlightened…