chill hour chart?

12 years ago

I'm wondering if anybody can give me a link for a chart that shows the chill hours for the United States. This would be for all of the United States, not just one specific state.

Looked on the internet via an image search couldn't find one. I also looked in the search box of the forum, typing in 'chill chart'. Only thing I found was questions about growing fruit trees, specifically stone fruits, and growing some cool weather flowers (peonies).

The only requirements I have for it are these.....

NOTE:I'm not trying to be rude, demanding or bossy with the requirements I request of the chill hour map. My apologies if I come off that way, as this isn't my intent.

*You can zoom in with it so its' easier to read. Also you can move the cursor various ways on the map (up, down, right, left, etc.)

*It's in color to indicate the different chill hours.

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Comments (4)

applenut_gw
12 years ago
There's a good reason you haven't found a map. Because chilling hours has to do with altitude and topography as well as latitude, it would be tough to come up with one, and if they did it would be very inaccurate as there are too many microclimates. It's hard enough for them to come up with the USDA zone map. I've had our area listed at 400 chill hours, but when I check the weather station nearby, most years we get about 250. I've given up planting on chill hours anyway and just plant what I want; most of the time it works out fine.
User
12 years ago
As applenut said any attempt at such a map would take untold millions to come up with and in the end be inaccurate anyway.

Example.....I am in Citrus county Florida which is midway down Florida and we are 17 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. I can grow bananas here and citrus and most other subtropical fruits. We do get a frost or 3 a year and some years a freeze. I have a friend that lives 5 miles away as the crow flies and he can't grow citrus or bananas unprotected. Why? I live on a lake and have dozens of lakes to my north which buffer the cold air. My friend has cattle pastures around him and he is at least 10 degrees colder than I am. Micro climates are sometimes quite small but make all the difference. Trying to factor in all the hills, valleys, wind patterns bodies of water ect ect on a map of this entire nation would be a daunting task.
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hanburyhouse
12 years ago
A long time ago, University of Maryland put out a chilling hours map. I have a copy of it on my blog and I put it in the link below.

However, like Applenut said, the chilling at a specific location has to do with more factors than any map accounts for. Even a few miles away, might have more or less chilling. I don't use the map for anything other than a general guide when see what other parts of the county average. I prefer to use the local pomology weather station totals to give me an idea on our chilling each year. I only check, so come spring, I know if it will be a good or bad year, rather than be disappointed later on.

Contact your local cooperative extension and see if there is a nearby weather station that tracks chilling totals.

Although nurseries claim the area I am in is rated around 400 hours, I don't have many plants anymore that need more than 250 chilling units, and that is because in some years 250 is all we get.

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to chill hours map
mrsg47
12 years ago
Hi, I agree with Applenut and Bamboo Rabbit, I live in RI, and we have more micro climates in this state than squirrels. It is almost impossible to take anything but an average of chill hours here. Good luck! Mrs. G

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chill hour chart?

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applenut_gw

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