Planting zones or hardiness zones are a geographically defined area that specifies the category of the plant that will be able to survive in that area. This includes its ability to withstand minimum and maximum temperature. Developed by Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum from Massachusetts, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the year 1960 and revised in 1965, the planting zones help decide what crops and plants can be grown in the specified area, so that they do not wither away because of the unfavorable climatic conditions. A plant in Hardy zone or plant zone 1 is less resilient to the ones in plant zone 2. Most of the warmer zones (8, 9, 10 and 11) are in the southernmost part of United States and the relatively colder zones move towards the northern territory. There are zones where in it is difficult to choose the type of crop or plantation to go with as they experience severe climates throughout the year. The planting zones are 6 degrees apart from each other. For example, zone 1 is in the temperature range of 51 degree Celsius and zone 2 is of the range -45-degree Celsius zone 3 is 6 degrees warmer and so on.

While plant zones and heat zones are extremely helpful, they do not cover everything you need to know about plantation. There are many other weather and climatic effects that can determine how well a plant will grow, this includes humidity, rainfall and wind. The growing zone maps that were compiled were based on average temperatures, hence they don’t account for unusual weather patterns, and sudden climatic changes such as temperatures hitting -10 degrees Celsius on a Halloween night with no previous frosts or wintry climate for that matter. The hardiness zone maps are neither an assurance that the winter temperatures will never be colder than what is stated on the map. Other factors that cannot be included on a large national map are the effects of soil and soil fertility. Also, the health of your plants in general cannot be predicted alone through a growing zone map. Planting Zone maps also don’t tell us about micro-climates. Micro-climates are nothing but small areas with different weather. A good example of a micro-climate is a mountain. The largest micro-climate would be the whole mountain. Micro-climate of a mountain have different weather based on its elevation, but smaller micro-climates are the north and south sides of the mountain.

Having plants in your home can gently enhance the mood of your space. It is not just aesthetically pleasing to the eyes, but has plenty of benefits for human health. If you’re thinking why you should include plants in your home, don’t think hard! Here are a few reasons why they should be nestled along with your furniture and decorations. Reduces Stress Do you remember being on a nature trek or driving through road canopied by woods on both sides? Memorize how peaceful and refreshing you felt. The point is having a plant in your vicinity can change your vibe and emit positivity. Even when we happen to be in our homes, we are constantly harrowed by responsibilities and work. House plants can make the ambience tranquil and your mind relaxed. Cleans the air Plants assist in purifying the air by absorbing toxins like formaldehyde which can be found in your furniture and fabrics, as well as in cigarettes. Plants improve the bad air standards indoors and lowers carbon dioxide levels. They are known to help sustain a better room temperature by increasing humidity levels at a healthy range. Lowering illness levels Due to their ability to absorb toxic matter and release oxygen, plants lower the risk of illnesses in homes.

When it comes to prune azaleas, the first thing you should know is what type of azaleas you have as that plays an important role in the pruning of your plant. Different type of azaleas will need different kind of pruning. Before we move on to how to care for azaleas and when to prune azaleas, here are some facts about azaleas that could interest you They are also known as ‘Royalty of the Garden’ They are either momentary or evergreen (long lasting) They grow up to 2.5 meters i.e., 8.2 feet The leaves of this plant are highly poisonous and the plant has been used as a death threat if given to someone in a black vase People celebrate the blooming season of Azaleas in places like Japan, Korea and United States Plants of azaleas that are found in Asia are evergreen and the ones found in America are generally momentary Pruning of Azaleas They is timing is everything. This is also true when we prune the plants and trees. In the case of azaleas, time is one of the most important factor to consider for their growth and health. The best time to prune an azaleas plant is few weeks after their blooming season is over.