zones?
 

This is the first year that I tried to grow anything! The only experience I have with soil is planting my flowers in spring and digging to China when I was 5. I read about someone talking about zones and the right time to plant their seeds. How do I know what zone I am in? (upstate NY) and when to actually plant?

Audra

[url]http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html?[/url]

This site will help you find your zone

Wild "zone 9" Life

[url]http://www.tomatoville.com/viewtopic.php?t=171[/url]

Some planting zone maps are a bit different but most are pretty close. Here is one for you to start with.
[url]http://www.plant-power.com/zone_maps.htm[/url]

I think you are in zone 5. This seed company has a link to good close-up zone maps for each state. They have zone maps for Canada and Europe too.
[url]http://seedrack.com/indexw.html[/url]

Hail, fellow upstate NYer
 

I am as far west as you can be in NY... over near Chautauqua lake, and maybe my limited gardening experience will be of some help to you.

I will be starting my tomato seeds a couple of days before the new moon at the end of March, maybe Sunday, the 26th. That gives me about 6 to 8 weeks of growth indoors before planting them out. Whether I plant them out after 6 weeks, or wait till Memorial day, depends on how the weather looks.

Our last frost date is usually in the middle of may, but I like to plant out at the full moon. This involves some juggling, as that is when the last spring frost frequently comes. So, you do have to take a few chances with this.

There isn't much point in starting sooner, but I know just how you feel. I am so tired of waiting for the DAY to plant this year's summer feast! I will probably satisfy my itch to get started by planting some lettuces and other early spring treats.

But, the tomatoes and peppers are going to just have to wait.

Hi Audra!

Zones are important to know for shrubs and perennials, but for tomatoes, your last frost date is a better indicator of when to plant out. [url]http://www.victoryseeds.com/frost/[/url]

It's tricky to judge, though, due to microclimates and such. The average last frost date around here is May 5, but we can easily have frost up to the middle of May. So I try to wait for two weeks after the last actual frost to plant out, or the first week of June, which ever comes first (usually the first week of June :wink: )

I'm in zone 6 and I know that many other zone 6 people will be able to plant out long before I do.