Help me understand a few things

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

I'm new to gardening & searching these forums has helped me a lot. There are still a couple of things I didn't get answer's to or am plain confused. Perhaps you guys can help me understand.

Say a perennial is hardy to Zone 3. Does that mean that it'll be an evergreen perennial in a zone 7?
What does plant hardiness mean? If label says hardy to -20 to -10 F, does that mean the plant will survive 10F without any human intervention?
To ensure they survive, do I have to cut the perennials to the ground before winter?
Per USDA, hardiness for my zip is 8a, but the profile editor for this sub pulled up my zone as 7, are there different types of hardiness zones?
Cold hardy is one thing. What about heat tolerance? Besides sun exposure needs I don't see anything on plant labels that say, hardy to 100F or something. Is it not needed?
Why shouldn't you fertilize when a plant is in stress like drought or disease?

Thx in advance for your help.

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

Jean
9 years ago
1. Not necessarily.

2. Sort of. For instance, nature can help by providing snow cover.

3. No. Some are valued for their winter appearance. Still others, especially those that start growing late, may be more likely to be damaged if cut back too early.

4. Multiple classification systems exist. Perhaps most common are USDA and Sunset. Still more "zones" are defined by individual books.

5. American Hort Society has a "Heat zone" map.

6. Fertilizer pushes new leafy growth, which makes gardeners smile. But when a woody is stressed, and not in the normal season to actively grow, the fertilizer "forces" the plant to use some of its reserves for that new growth. Thus it has fewer resources to survive the stress.

Sounds like you may be a new gardener.

If so, or even if not, becoming familiar with your county's Extension Service office is a worthy goal to help you grow plants in your region.

To locate that office, use this interactive map:

http://npic.orst.edu/pest/countyext.htm
Related Professionals
Richmond Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Cambridge Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Macon Landscape Contractors · Phoenix Landscape Contractors · Sterling Landscape Contractors · El Dorado General Contractors · Indianapolis General Contractors · Elizabethtown General Contractors · Dayton General Contractors · York General Contractors · Brainerd General Contractors · Duluth General Contractors · Omaha General Contractors · Erie General Contractors · Scranton General Contractors