Zone specific forums

[Backwardsvg]

Not sure if this would be useful to everyone but sometimes I read a thread and realize it’s incredible information only to find out it’s for a different growing zone. Would it be worth while to have a forum section by zones? Then if you search in there you know all information and tips would be specific to that zone?

example how there is the section for
Pines
Juniper
Maples etc

it would be zones
3
4
5

 

[Michael P]

It might be more helpful to have forums for different regions of the country that have similar climates. For example, my zone 8 climate is VERY different than a zone 8 climate in Oregon.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Ya for sure, just something that can give pertinent info to a similar area so you know you’re not reading info for Texas and you’re in Canada etc

 

[Srt8madness]

That's why you put your zone and location in your profile. You can see I'm in Texas and I can see you're in 5b.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Yes but there is no way to have a complied area or really search by what’s in your profile. You can find it and do a bunch of searching for sure and the profile part is nice. I just thought it could be cool to have something like this so you can zero in on a trove of info for your region/ zone whatever you decide

 

[Paradox]

This forum is already HUGE. We don't need more sections to have to search through. Adding zone sections on top of the ones we already have will needlessly make the forum more complicated.

There isn't much difference between zone 6 and 7 or 7 and 8 that needs vastly different information. Between 3 and 8, sure but use your brain.

Just put your location and zone in your profile and always think about what you're reading keeping that in mind.

 

[Backwardsvg]

Didn’t know this would be so controversial! I thought this was the place to put new ideas that may be helpful for the site! I love the site and know it’s incredibly huge and helpful I just was brainstorming sone ideas. it doesn’t need to be adopted just threw out an idea that may be extremely helpful for other newbies like me!

 

[leatherback]

I think it would not be helpfull at all.

Zones say something about the peak minimum winter temperature. This is what the zones where designed for: Where will which plant survive winter. It does not mean anything for summer temps, precipitation, humidity etc. IF you wanted to, use the Koppen system, which is more focussed on climate rather than winter coldness.

 

[Backwardsvg]

For sure, I am not set on region, zone etc I just thought of that first. It seems like koppen could be a better system, one I am not even aware of yet.

just would be a cool function to even be able to search by the zone or whatever in the name so you can have a database of the same zone, region, Koppen etc

 

[Backwardsvg]

I think it would not be helpfull at all.

Zones say something about the peak minimum winter temperature. This is what the zones where designed for: Where will which plant survive winter. It does not mean anything for summer temps, precipitation, humidity etc. IF you wanted to, use the Koppen system, which is more focussed on climate rather than winter coldness.

Love the Koppen idea, just looked it up seems like I am DFA possibly? Thanks for the info!

 

[Lorax7]

I almost never read the forums in any other way than:

1. Look at what shows up under New Posts
2. Use the search function on the site to find information about a particular topic.
3. Use the Your Threads link when I’m looking for one of my progression threads so I can add an update.

So, there’s no point in adding forums as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think my usage is atypical. Really, about the only time I go through the forum categories is when I’m posting a new thread just to put it in the right one in case someone else uses the forum categories.

 

[SC1989]

Not to mention micro climates, elevation may lead to more intense UV exposure... etc

 

[leatherback]

I don’t think my usage is atypical

I do the same indeed.

 

[Paradox]

I almost never read the forums in any other way than:

1. Look at what shows up under New Posts
2. Use the search function on the site to find information about a particular topic.
3. Use the Your Threads link when I’m looking for one of my progression threads so I can add an update.

So, there’s no point in adding forums as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think my usage is atypical. Really, about the only time I go through the forum categories is when I’m posting a new thread just to put it in the right one in case someone else uses the forum categories.

I do the same for the most part

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

It’s a good idea, yet I’m sure this would work so good for a couple reasons

USDA Plant Hardiness zones are for approximate climate suitability for plants in the soil, not in pots. Also, the actual hardiness of plants in pots, imho varies somewhat with the type of pot used. For example a net pot vs a nursery plant vs a thin walled plot vs a thick pots.

Secondly the USDA PH zones are changing as the climate is changing. I believe I recently read USDA has its hands full trying to create algorithms to model multiple locations a new zonal map to reflect climate changes at this time.

The most recent online map is posted in 2012, yet it’s data is from the 30-year period 1976-2005. So 17 year old data.

The reality is that this map is way off is based upon the data that nineteen of the hottest years have occurred since 2000, with the exception of 1998, which was helped by a very strong El Niño. In fact, the year 2020 tied with 2016 for the hottest year on record since record-keeping began in 1880 (source: NASA/GISS).

It seems even a new USDA map wouldn’t be accurate as per the past methodology. It would have to be more dynamic, changing at a much quicker rate to be helpful.

Thus the forums once set up, would have to change as the changes were made.

btw: The Koppen system was modified by Trewartha climate classification system. Better, yet still not dynamic.

cheers
DSD Sends

 

[berzerkules]

I'd be all alone in my personal zone 2 subforum.

Instead of adding zone forums having to add your zone as a tag to new threads could work. Then you could search by zone.

It would be an extra step on every new thread and old threads would be unaffected though. The majority of users probably wouldn't search threads by zone so there isn't much motivation to make changes only a few people would use.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Probably the biggest challenge would be that you might list a specific zone where you live, but your post may be relevant to quite a broad area OUTSIDE of your zone. For example, I live in zone 7B or 8A depending on the year we are having. I grow some trees where zone 7 is the COLDEST you would want to keep them... and other trees where zone 7 is the WARMEST you would want to keep them.

However, if you really feel the need for this functionality, it already exists in these forums. Simply tag threads with the zone that you think it applies to. So if I tag my threads Zone 7, Zone 8, people doing a search for either term in advanced search "search tags" would see those results. And don't forget, you can tag threads that you didn't create.

 

[Srt8madness]

Sounds like a good project for the OP

 

[Backwardsvg]

Ya that is a great idea with putting it in the tags! I will start doing that. I can see there are many variables and differences that doesn’t make this that great of an idea! Thanks for all the responses though interesting to read through and have picked up some good info!

 

[HorseloverFat]

Personally, that seems like a large effort for MORE potentially confusing situations JUST LIKE you stated that STARTED the hypothetical.

I, once again here, PERSONALLY, can TELL if the information is relevant to my growing conditions based on SPECIFIC specie...

If it GROWS in CONTAINERS in MY climate... and is ALSO being discussed, I would then assume the information is "for me".

...THIS is way more important than most "zones"

Like.. If I see techniques for partially defoliating Acer Palmatums... I'd FIGURE that it doesn't really PERTAIN to my climate, because I can't grow palmatums in containers.

Now if I saw information on partially defoliating Acer Tatarican Ssp.Ginnala... I'd then estimate that I could use this information, knowing that these trees GROW... in containers... by me.