What to Plant Now

Hey, What about Canada, and Mexico. The other half of North America.

I live on the Big Island of Hawaii. On this side we are considered a rain forest. What do I plant and when? Having no luck with tomatoes or strawberries or zucchini or any squash products. Please let me know what I am doing wrong.

Hi i live in India, Asia. i would like to know about the right time to grow vegetables in my garden.

Aloha, I have been reading your Magazine for many years..But I too am so often frustrated ...hello... we are part of America too. Not just the growing season but you do not include us in much of anything. So I read allot from Australia gardening and Sunset Mag. You have a good program for trying to get us to subscribe. Hawaii really needs a gardening Magazine. Many new farmers-gardeners... Expand! Hire a Hawaiian and we will grow with you! Mahalo, Jeannie

Iwas just wondering why none of you folks ever thought of calling your ag. extension agency in your town. It is free and full of the best info you can get....try it.

this chart if useless.. it has NC coastal and NC mountains as the same region -- 3500 elevation difference and 3 month difference in last frost date... MENews - if you are going to advertise a chart, at lease make it work clicking though the newsletter link...

this chart if useless.. it has NC coastal and NC mountains as the same region -- 3500 elevation difference and 3 month difference in last frost date... MENews - if you are going to advertise a chart, at lease make it work clicking though the newsletter link...

this chart if useless.. it has NC coastal and NC mountains as the same region -- 3500 elevation difference and 3 month difference in last frost date... MENews - if you are going to advertise a chart, at lease make it work clicking though the newsletter link...

I live in Alaska, and just to let everybody know, we get a GREAT growing season. My little Eskimo village is inside the arctic circle, but it's not really hard to grow a garden. It's easy in fact. Since we're so far north, we get a bout three months where the sun doesn't go down at all. That makes it really warm. If you're not sure what you can grow in Alaska, underground plants do really well. Potatoes, carrots, anything like that. Good luck!

Earthbox, nothing more than another patio planter box. Although I'm sure they will say it's a revolutionary new design in some minor way. And as far as Alaska and Hawaii? "joke alert" One has a one week summer, the other has a one week winter. It can't be all that hard to figure out.

I find it really frustrating that Alaska and Hawaii aren't shown on this map. I've been living in southeastern Alaska for three years and I'm gardening successfully. But it would be nice to obtain some helpful information about sustainable agriculture for the area.

To Lucinda: (and anyone in the West):

See the Sunset Garden guides. They understand that the USDA
climate zones, don't really match what's the reality of the West.
As is often said in the SF Bay area, "if you don't like the weather,
drive 5 miles".

And they cover Alaska and Hawaii well - two states with many, many
different and very drastic growing regions. I love how people
in Alaska can grow truly HUMUNGOUS veggies because of
their loooong summer days. And I love how climate zones
change as you go up the volcano on Hawaii.

what is an EARTHBOX... i searched earthbox and got zero
response... it sounds like something i could do ... since
dirt gardening never worked out for me....

What about Alaska and Hawaii...don't we count among the Statets?

My garden also feels left out. The Sacramento area of California is neither Southwest nor Pacific Northwest. The guide suggests cole crops, lettuce, spinach, and other greens, but it is way too late to plant those now. My broccoli already went to flower, and the first 90 degree plus day in May and leafy greens will bolt that day. We are at sea level, nights almost never get over 65 degrees even when it is 110 in the afternoon, there will probably be a couple of more rainy spells and then no more rain until late October or November, and maybe there are 5 nights less than 32 degrees. This doesn't fit the southwest or the pacific northwest. My tomatoes are blossoming, I am digging potatoes, I've been eating lettuce since February, and my main pea crop is almost ready to pick. Perhaps either the southwest or pacific northwest could have a sub zone for the central California Valley? Thanks! Lucinda

Okay,really Hawaii??!!
Your growing season would be all year long.Pick any twelve months.Alaskans however ,in my humble opinion,I would really get a green house.There's not much a map is going to do for you guys.
On the other hand,both Hawaii and Alaska are two of the most beutiful states in the union,they should be included just for the hell of it.

Peter Jones

I'm a lifelong Alaskan and never understood the exclusion of Hawaii and Alaska. Seriously though...why are Alaska and Hawaii generally excluded from these maps?

Alaska eh?

How hard can it be to figure it out with a, what, 6 day growing season?

Same week next year!

LOL!!!

Another Alaskan chiming in to be included in the maps!

Hi,
I'm Faye in NC and hope to learn as well as share what I know in this forum. I've had great results with the new upside down tomato planters as well as the "Earthbox".
I am a container gardener and my husband is a dirt gardener so we have a competitive thing going on. I pretty much beat him with the earliest vegetables in my Earthbox each year!

This will be a great service to me. Now if i can find out where the information is ?

How about some guidance for us living up in the far North? What is our climate most like in the lower 48? We get highs in the 70s in summer, a 4 month growing season between frosts, and minus 20-35 in the winter. We also have a Solstice maximum of 21 hours of daylight and 12-20 feet of topsoil over a lot of the Mat-Su Valley. How about including Alaska in your map of the US? We've been a part of it over 50 years.

While your at it, it would be nice to include the US Virgin Islands also. Thanks!.

Thank you all for your interest in the planting guide. Plans are in the works to include Alaska and Hawaii in the guide.

Aloha All,
I live in paradise as well and would like to be included.
Mahalo, Miss Bee

I'm with Grog from Alaska. Hawaii is the 50th State and it sure would be helpful if you'd include us in your data also.

Humph...Mr. Thyng....

I live in Alaska and I have a pretty darn good garden...and I live in Fairbanks. My folks and In-laws lived in Anchorage and they had great, productive gardens as well.

Like any good garden it takes time, work, talking to folks and experimenting.

For Alaskans and Northern gardeners...here is a brief start at some info.

ADN has a good garden blog. ( http://community.adn.com/blog/36232 )

The Alaska Outdoors Forum has an Alaska Gardening section that is very entertaining: ( http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php?f=73 )

Look up the Georgeoson Botanical Garden for a look at the years of research put into gardening and crop production in Alaska. ( http://www.uaf.edu/snras/gbg/ )

And yes Mother, we Alaskans really do appreciate it when you include Alaska in your data collection and analysis - many of us use you as a resource and it is frustrating to be left out. :)

If you live in Alaska and want to know about gardening there, go to The Title Wave Bookstore in Anchorage and check out their Alaskan gardening books. Also, check out the local co-operative extension service. I lived in Anchorage for 20 years. It is a tough gardening season. You get 3 months per year and the last month is often solid rain. The only thing that really does well there is raspberries. They really want to grow. Collards and other greens will also do well, but forget squash and melons. Forget tomatos unless you are willing to set up a greenhouse. Personally. . .forget Alaska, when it comes to gardening.

Hello, I live in Alaska also and I am new to gardening. I have been trying to find books or info on Alaska gardening it is very difficult.

This map is wonderful. I am sending it to all my gardening friends. This is like having your own personal gardening notebook right on your screen. No more looking up each plant to be sure you are planting it on time.
Thank you
Roseamrie
NJ

Please hurry on the info for Hawaii. Our spring has finally come and the weather is perfect for starting a garden. Thanks

This is great, however in Northwestern NC the climate is more similar to northern states (a mistake the Weather Channel makes as well), so in the Appalachian Mountains I am reluctant to plant go by the Southwestern Interior Zone. As a rule of thumb, we don't plant anything before Mother's Day. It just snowed here last night, 4-21-09!

Comment: Yes--we will be adding some links to planting info for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands as soon as we can locate them.

Cheryl Long Editor in Chief

This is wonderful!
Are there any plans to add PR and the USVI?

Thanks for this info! I printed it out and will be keeping it in my gardening notebook. Trying to get organized this year!

Jeanna

Great info and very clear - I hope a lot of people show their appreciation :)

Wonderful reference, I am never sure when to start planting especially this year!

Hi
I live in Alaska. Very importent to me to be included. Our seasons for growing are short.

Too bad I live in Hawaii. Any plans on including us anytime soon?