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Each gardening location has unique environmental factors that affect the growing season. Even when faced with a short growing season, a lot can be harvested with some experimentation and careful planning. These vegetable gardening tips will challenge you to grow an abundance of food in colder climates.
The most common methods to determining your growing zone in the US and Canada are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map and Canada’s Plant Hardiness Maps. These maps divide regions based on average minimum temperatures. You will find Plant Hardiness Zone Maps referenced in all the gardening books and on the back of seed packages. Grow a Good Life is located in Maine, Zone 5b: -15˚F to -10˚F.
Although the Plant Hardiness Zone Maps are a great reference to estimate the minimum temperature a plant can survive, this is only part of what affects your growing season.
Zone 5 stretches from Maine to Missouri to Utah and even to Colorado. However, the local climates among these locations are all different. Each location has unique environmental factors that also affect the growing season. These factors include soil, number of frost-free days, rainfall amounts, summer heat levels, soil moisture, humidity, and day length.
Environmental Factors that Affect the Growing Season in Maine, Zone 5:Soil: The soil pH in Maine tends to be acidic, which can affect the nutrients that are available to your plants. It is helpful to have a soil test done to determine if your soil benefits from specific amendments to neutralize pH and add Read more on growagoodlife.com