USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
provides data on average annual minimum temperatures. The USDA
updated it this year using more recent weather data collected
during the 30-year period from 1976 to 2005 and newer satellite
imagining techniques. Check to see if your gardening zone may
have been bumped up or down by inputting your zip code. Realize
that cold hardiness is just one plant characteristic and that
many other elements, such as sun, soil type, wind, and overall
plant health, influence whether a plant will do well in your
yard. Clever Gardening Technique Root Ugly Cacti Pads to Expand
Your Collection Some prickly pear cacti pads may look sunburned,
have a chunk chewed out by a hungry critter, or just look a
little worse for wear. Cacti pads will produce roots regardless
of orientation. Lay the ugly pad flat on loosened soil and it
will still send roots into the ground, and eventually produce
new upright pads. Do this in filtered light, or provide
temporary protection from full