Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, SportsNew USDA Map May Help Spring Garden Planning

New USDA Map May Help Spring Garden Planning

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A newly updated map released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture might change the way some people in West Virginia plan their gardens this spring.

The so-called Plant Hardiness Zone Map is a breakdown of annual minimum temperature averages that occur over several decades. The map was last updated over 20 years ago, in 1990.

In the new update, several locations in West Virginia are now classified as "Zone 7a," which means gardeners may be able to raise new varieties of plants that require slightly warmer temperatures than were previously experienced.

However, Extension Agent David Richmond cautions that most of the changes in the new map will not make drastic changes to the way people plan their gardens.

"These are such slight shifts," said Richmond. "Things that may have no done well in the past may do a little bit better."

Anyone interested in viewing the updated map can find it on the USDA's website, http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Many of the changes reflected in the new map are posted more regularly, along with many useful agricultural tips, at WVU Extension Services Garden Calendar - http://anr.ext.wvu.edu/garden_calendar.