Why is it important?
Knowing WHEN to plant
Want to grow your own food in 2022? Don't know where to start? Well, let me start with the basics. Ever heard of plant hardiness zone or have you ever seen the back of a seed packet and noticed the colorful map? That map is called a Plant Hardiness Zone Map. It indicates a start time to plant a seed or cutting, based off of your gardens location in the U.S., to get the optimal yield/the most bang for your buck and to ensure an actual harvest.
These zones DO and ARE changing. They are currently moving in a northly direction, at a pace of 13 miles per decade. What does this mean? It means that what ever grandma and grandpa were planting back in the 1990's during the month of May, you may not should plant in May during 2022, or ever again. Luckily you can find this map online here https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/pages/view-maps
It is updated frequently and is available for down load for FREE. Start your list of plants you want to grow for 2022, and check each of their hardiness zone. This will help you know when to plant it outdoors, or when to maybe start it indoors ahead of the last frost.
Start your list NOW! Go ahead and start making your list of plants you would like to grow in your garden for 2022. Once you've made your list, check each plants/seeds packaging for its Plant Hardiness Map (you can do this ahead of purchasing seeds). Then you are going to want to match it to your zone, and then label your list with the date of when it is to be planted. This better helps you organize when and where you will plant different seeds/cuttings. It also helps keep things a lot more organized so it doesn't feel overwhelming. Happy Planning!