[uncle Will in In.]

The continental US and Canada is all included on planting zone maps which are numbered from north to south.. Curiosity makes me ask if the other countrys that are home to many of the posters here have something on the same order there. Also I wonder what the zones numbers are in your country? Sorry, but Texas is a state. Not a whole nuther country.

 

[henk]

Hi uncle Will in In.,

Temperature zones are hardly an issue over here My country is to small to have differed zones. I life in the Netherlands (west of Germany, north of France). Found this link with the zoning map of Europe: http://www.tulipworld.com/tulip.asp?contentloc=/info/bulbcare/climatezone.shtml

In general planting zoning is hardly used, climate is discussed in terms of costal climate, land climate, Mediterranean (sp?) ect. Over here we have a costal climate with 'cold' summers and 'warm' winters. The average winter temp is between 20-40 F the last few years, but its not very unusual to have a cold spell (artic winds from the north) going as low as –10 F. Almost anything hardy will grow. Summers are in the range of the 70’s F, with spells up to 95 F.

The soil type however is something every gardener/farmer over here will complain about. Its either very sandy (former sea/river dunes or ice age sediment), heavy clay (sea/river delta) or peat (acid/poor and a high water table).

Regards,

Henk

 

[culpeper]

Here in Australia we don't talk about climatic zones with numbers. If you live in the north, you're in the tropics, a bit further south and you're in the subtropics, further south again and you're in a temperate zone, down in Tasmania it's cool. I recently heard we are getting hotter and drier - each year, we drift about 5cm further north towards the equator.

The following site might give you a climatologist's view of it!

http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/environ/travel/map.shtml

 

[Don Armstrong]

That map culpeper gave you is about the key to Australia. A mix of heat (rather than temperature - cold hardly figues) and rainfall (mostly lack thereof) governs just about everything. From that map, incidentally, she's around Brisbane, and I'm further inland and south - about midway between Dubbo and Canberra, but still in the hot summer/cold winter area.

Here's a further three classifications/maps for Australia. The first equates to your zones, but as I said they don't really govern here.

http://www.anbg.gov.au/hort.research/zones.html

http://www.global-garden.com.au/ggplantguide.htm

http://www.savewater.com.au/default.asp?SectionId=194&SortTag=194

 

[uncle Will in In.]

Thank each of you for your replys. Spent a good bit of time looking at your maps. The lack of proper rainfall during the growing season can ruin the possibility of raising a good crop, even in areas with the proper temps. That's the problem here in most of our western states. Also a big issue in Australia I gather.
Henk, I assume dry summers isn't a problem in Holland. Sounds like your country could benifit by a huge soil swap. The 3 types you listed could make productive soil if you could find a way to mix them together. Glad to hear from other countries to compare the methods of living and growing things there.

 

[henk]

Henk, I assume dry summers isn't a problem in Holland. Sounds like your country could benifit by a huge soil swap. The 3 types you listed could make productive soil if you could find a way to mix them together. Glad to hear from other countries to compare the methods of living and growing things there.

No dry summers are almost never a problem, last years was a bit (hottest longest summer ever). Water is more of a problem most of the time, half of the country is below sea level, often the water table is just inches deep. My house is 6 yards below lea level or so Wouldn’t be the first time that in a wet fall al the potatoes rot away. In general the agriculture is very productive, we are the third exporting country in the world or so (in agro-food products). But most of it is industrial, intensive meat production, all year glass house production and the like.

http://museum.agropolis.fr/english/pages/expos/agriculteurs/dico/dictionnaire20.htm

Regards,

Henk