1. What is the growing season in the North Country? Since the growing season ranges from 120 to 180 days, hanging baskets, window boxes and large containers along with planting annuals do best in the North Country. Selected perennials and shrubs must be chosen carefully for your area. Please test your soil, analyze your specific climate conditions, and consult with your G
 arden Center before planting. The National Gardening Association (NGA) includes eastern upstate New York in its New England climate and growing season. The New England USDA
map to the right specifies a USDA Hardiness Zones 3-6 and AHS Plant Heat-Zones 2-5
for the New England zone area. NGA estimates that the last frost dates range from end of April along the coast to early June in the mountains. First frost dates tend to be from early September to the end of October. The frost free growing season ranges from 120 to 180 days. Memorial Day is the traditional planting day for annual and vegetable gardens in many areas. In fall the growing season can be extended into November and December, especially along the coast, but the short days don't provide the needed energy for new growth on annuals and vegetables. Perennials survive best in areas with cool summers and snow covered winters. Ice storms and heavy snows can cause limbs to break on trees and shrubs. This region typically has 4 distinct seasons, even though the gardening season varies from a balmy zone 6 on the Connecticut coast to a frigid zone 3 in northern New Hampshire and Maine. The limiting factor to gardening in the area is cold. Both rain and snowfall are evenly distributed throughout the seasons. Spring is usually short; summers are hot and humid along the coasts and cool in the mountains. Fall offers cool nights and vivid foliage colors on the deciduous trees. Winters are long and severe with heavy snow and sometimes, ice storms. Storms tend to come out of the West and South with the classic "Noreaster" being a strong, windy storm coming up the Atlantic coast dropping heavy amounts of rain or snow. Annual precipitation amounts vary from 30 to 40 inches a year inland to up to 50 inches a year in some the coastal states. For more information go to the NGA site: National Gardening Association 2. Where can I get my soil tested? The Cornell Nutrient Analysis Laboratory (CNAL) provides a wide-range of analyses for environmental and biological samples using state-of-the-art analytical equipment and techniques. General information is on their home website: Cornell CNAL Home Page In addition, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has information on soil test kits that you can build and contacts for conducting soil tests through their website: USDA NRCS Soil Testing Information
The USDA also has an interactive map for getting soil data by county in New York State. Visit them at: USDA Web Soils Survey Interactive Map 3. When does Spring begin? The Spring season can begin in early April or later in May depending on the winter conditions. The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has noted the effect on Climate Change in New York State:
Gardeners can begin to prepare their beds outside and plant seedlings inside before the Spring Season begins. |
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