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Vegetable Gardening

what growing zone is this area?! confused! please help!

kawaiineko_gardener

11 years ago

I would like to relocate to southern MI eventually.

I did a search for gardening zone in Holland, MI. One site says 5, the other says 6b. Which zone is Holland ACTUALLY in. I'm confused because I thought it was far enough south it would be 6b.

Now I'm not sure which zone it really is, because I different sites giving me different info.

Two of the three give zone 6b; one is a seed company, the other is the USDA zone map. The third source which gave the zone location as 5, is another seed company, Park seed.

Could really use clarification with this.

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Comments (6)

pnbrown
11 years ago
You'll need to talk to gardeners on the ground there.
digdirt2
11 years ago
Michigan plantmaps.com says Holland proper is 5b-6a depending on where in the area you live because of the lake. Just as with any other part of the country, especially those near large bodies of water, there are all kinds of micro-climates in the Holland area that range from 5a to 6b. So until you actually live there there is no way to answer your question.

Ask the folks on the Great Lakes Gardening forum here. Lots of Holland residents on that forum.

Dave
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rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
Here's a link to the local Ottawa County MSU Extension office.

Here is a link that might be useful: click here for information
naturegirl_2007 5B SW Michigan
11 years ago
I grew up in Holland, MI. Lake Michigan, which is about 90 miles wide at this point and shocks many visitors who find that it is fresh water and not a salty ocean, affects the weather a lot. Because of the lake, Holland gets much more snow than areas 30 miles inland. It also stays cooler longer in the spring making it a good area for fruit growers who need to avoid late frosts that ruin flowers and fruit set. It stays above freezing in the fall longer due to the lake's retained heat, also. Summer temps are usually 5 degrees or so cooler than my location about 30 miles inland. The zone maps have changed over the years and aren't always clear for EXACT locations, BUT they really only show what perennials will survive the winter lows they are based on. This does not affect most of the veggies grown in the area since they are grown as annuals. You will want to look at frost dates and length of growing season for good ideas on how most veggies will grown there.

In my opinion, the lake and the snow make it a wonderful place to live. But about half the people I talk with are already complaining about the cold weather and the snow to come. I think they should live elsewhere if they dislike the weather that is a sure thing each and every winter.
glib
11 years ago
It is Zone 6 within 10 miles of the lake, but the type of Zone 6 that will disappoint you if you are into warm weather crops. But with a longer growing season than most Zone 6 for cool weather crops.
albert_135 　 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
11 years ago
I've links to about a dozen zone maps at Zone Maps by State. Even though the title of the thread is heat zone maps there are freeze/frost maps and some others further down in the thread.

Australia and perhaps some others too, further down the thread.

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