USDA hardiness zones
The specified climatic zoning of territories is an artificial division of places for growing plants, based on the ability of plants to survive in winter conditions. This division is based on a long-term study of winter temperatures.
The assignment of a plant to a particular zone is based on knowledge of the variety's requirements for growth and development conditions. However, even in the same zone, climatic conditions are not the same. It is well known that the south side of the house is always warmer, and in a place protected from the winds (for example, a courtyard or urban development), even the largest "sissies" can grow. Therefore, the given zoning of plant varieties is rather conditional.
Via correct placement plants (in a warm and calm place), as well as the use of covering materials (spunbond, foliage, spruce branches, hilling, etc.) and “laying” shoots to the ground for the winter, you can increase the climatic zone of your site by 1-2 units. It also helps to improve the soil regime (for example, the introduction of clay on sandy soils, the introduction organic fertilizers, covering the soil with manure, mulching with sawdust, peat, etc.). Then, for example, in the conditions of the third climatic zone, it is possible to grow varieties belonging to the fourth or fifth zone without any problems. In addition, special events such as trunk whitewashing fruit trees in November, shading evergreens with covering material in February or from autumn will help to avoid frost and sunburn in conditions of sudden temperature changes and weather changes.
Table of frost resistance zones:
| Zone | From | Before |
| 0 | ||
| 1 | -45.6 °C | -53.9 °C |
| 2 | -40°C | -45.6 °C |
| 3 | -34.4°C | -40°C |
| 4 | -28.9 °C | -34.4°C |
| 5 | -23.3°C | -28.9 °C |
| 6 | -17.8 °C | -23.3°C |
| 7 | -12.2°C | -17.8 °C |
| 8 | -6.7 °C | -12.2°C |
| 9 | -1.1°C | -6.7 °C |
| 10 | -1.1°C | +4.4 °C |
| 11 | +4.4 °C | +10°C |
| 12 | >+10°C |
PLANNING A GARDEN STYLE AND STYLING Yury Markovsky Landscape designer with 35 years of experience in the Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg In the past, gardens had a clear style, but now they are created based on their own ideas of beauty and comfort. Beauty is a subjective concept, comfort is rational, therefore our home gardens, as before, are divided into zones for various purposes and are most often examples of mixing styles. This trend is justified and reasonable, because it allows you to transform and modify the garden throughout its life. The modern country garden is on the way to becoming a style. Despite the glorious history of Russian home gardening, the gardens of our time cannot adopt their style, since they do not have the appropriate size or the presence of a garden that serves them. work force. Of course, even now, many rich estates have large gardens, but all of them either copy classic designs or are rethinking them in accordance with the tastes of the owners. For example, Japanese garden on Russian soil - this is an original interpretation of the oriental style. A pioneering phenomenon in the national garden design small steel country gardens. They develop very spontaneously. Before, in Soviet times, most of them were used for growing useful plants, but now their image has changed beyond recognition - fruit and horticultural crops gave way to decorative ones. It can be said with certainty that it is in these areas that a new style Russian gardening. Of course, this path is not easy, but, in literally words, strewn with roses, dahlias, peonies, phlox and clematis. With full right, such gardens can be called "bouquet" or "flower", since it is the flowers that are their basis and form the whole composition. The flower garden is good only in summer, and its mood is fickle: on a sunny day it is colorful and bright, on a cloudy day it is sad, and penetrated by morning mist it is romantic. Maintaining such a garden in perfect order is very difficult, but the result is worth it. Flower gardens do not have a strict layout. On the one hand, this is their artistic shortcoming, on the other hand, it is a huge advantage, since the absence of a static composition allows you to make any changes at any time without any damage, to swap components. So instead of a lawn, a reservoir, a flower bed, a rocky hill or a bench can appear completely painlessly for the garden and also disappear without causing any harm to the garden. The composition of plants is just as plastic and interchangeable - any of them can be "stuck" anywhere, and when they disappear, new ones can be planted without harm to the composition. So unique quality no garden has recognized styles! Extremely important feature Russian flower gardens can be considered the presence of a large number of small architectural forms: arbors, benches, "Japanese" and lighting lanterns, all kinds of vases and hanging flowerpots. Numerous sculptures made of ceramics, wood and plastic are especially popular. In terms of strict criteria classic design- this is absurd, but for the owners themselves, such gardens become a source of joy and endless creativity. Such a mixture of stylistically different components is somewhat fussy, but gives the garden an undeniable originality. "Bouquet" gardens are very democratic - they are most logical next to ordinary and even nondescript country houses. And although many country gardens are not really standards of fine taste, they are a kind of experimental gardens, the owners of which, through their work and mistakes, form a new style of the Russian garden. Any garden has its own character, which finds expression in the mood that is created when you visit it, and in the image that remains in your memories. Of course, the perception of each person is subjective and depends on many things - one's own mood, associations, weather, but if the garden causes irritation, this is not your garden. That is why everyone creates a garden for himself, but at the same time strives to make it comfortable for his close circle of relatives and like-minded people. However, in my opinion, there are no bad gardens - there are only neglected ones, and they carry the romantic aura of the past. A natural stream can become the basis of a garden composition, and its banks can become a refuge for moisture-loving and rare plants. Someone might object to me: "Are the cluttered six-hundred-meter gardens with a tear in polyethylene on rickety greenhouses and rusty barrels near the house really good?" Of course not. But these are not gardens at all - they have no soul, no creative ideas - they are just neglected summer cottages. I repeat once again - any garden created by the heart and loving hands. It's another matter whether others will be able to like the garden, but it doesn't matter. The main thing is that he should be interesting to those who live soul to soul with him. Bright colors of a well-groomed mixborder, spectacular paving and a neat facade create an image of a rich and generous front garden. Such a composition is cheerful, elegant and allows you to make any changes every year. The modest facade of the house can be easily draped with grapes and decorated with vases with ampelous flowers, but the most spectacular addition will be a composition of various plants in containers. Expensive vases are not necessary for her - with skillful planting, well-groomed plants will hide them without a trace. Serious problems with the formation of the nature of the garden may arise from those who entrusted its construction to outsiders - designers. No doubt, there are many talented people, but for personal garden more important than not professional design, but the kindred of souls. I doubt very much that an outsider will be able to understand your taste and character after a hat acquaintance. I am absolutely convinced that only those who need a representative garden, necessary to demonstrate the level of the position of its owners in the corresponding society, need design work. Such gardens are expensive and beautiful, but uncomfortable, like someone else's clothes. Strict lines, conciseness of the solution and complex original compositions can make the garden impeccable, which leaves no room for improvisation and requires careful, but boring and time-consuming maintenance. A well thought out composition colors and a fancy paving ornament, they talk about work professional designers, which does not prevent the owners from experimenting with the selection of plants in prefabricated flower beds and decorating the facade of the house and terraces with bright ampelous plants. A bright joyful garden is formed on a site open to the sun. However, this idyllic picture is not so perfect - the "flower" garden is extremely time-consuming, because most of its inhabitants require constant care. Natural garden or nature garden? It is impossible to establish the line between them - this is the "aerobatics" of the work of a landscape designer. A romantic mood involuntarily arises under the canopy of large trees, not only forest firs, pines and birches, but also old garden apple trees, oaks and maples. Only the style is different: in the "wild" areas a "fairytale forest" is formed, and in the cultivated areas - a "romantic garden". Associations may be different, but the mood of light sadness and quiet joy in such gardens is unchanged. At the first stages of creation, such gardens require a sense of style and moderation, but with age they begin to take on a life of their own and do not require any attention or serious care from you. On the one hand, this is good, but on the other, it's a shame, because now your child has grown up and can do without you.
Russia is a country that occupies a huge area. Many peoples and ethnic groups live on its territory. But, in addition to this, it is also subdivided into various climatic zones. Depending on this, various flora and fauna settle in different parts of the country. What are the climatic zones of Russia, according to what criteria is the division and what are the features of these zones - read about all this in the presented article.
Total number of climate zones
Initially, you need to understand how many climatic zones exist in general. So, in nature there are four of them (the countdown comes from the equator line):
- Tropical.
- Subtropical.
- Moderate.
- Polar
Generally speaking, the division into climatic zones occurs in accordance with the average temperature of the surface heating by the sun's rays. At the same time, it should be noted that such zoning took place on the basis of long-term observations and conclusions drawn from analytical data.
About the climatic zones of Russia
What are the climatic zones of Russia? The territory of the country is very large, which allowed it to be located in three of them. So, if we talk about belts, then there are three of them on the territory of Russia - moderate, arctic and subarctic. However, the natural and climatic zones of Russia are divided into meridians, of which there are 4 on the territory of the state, related to the 20th, 40th, 60th and 80th meridians. That is, there are four climatic zones, the fifth is called special.
Table of climatic zones
There are 4 climatic zones in Russia. The table is presented for easier perception of information:
| Climate zone | Territories | Peculiarities |
| 1st zone | South of the country (Astrakhan region, Krasnodar region, Stavropol Territory, Rostov Region, Republics of Dagestan, Ingushetia, etc.) | Warm regions of the country, winter temperature is around -9.5 °С, in summer it can rise to +30 °С (the maximum recorded in the last century is +45.5 °С) |
| 2nd zone | This is Primorsky Krai, as well as regions located in the west and north-west of the country | The zone is very similar to the 1st. Here also the average winter temperature is around -10 °С, summer - about +25...+30 °С |
| 3rd zone | Regions of Siberia and the Far East that are not included in the 4th zone | The winter temperature is much colder, on average it reaches -20...-18 °C. In summer temperature indicators fluctuate in the range of +16...+20 °С. Windiness is low, wind speed rarely exceeds 4 m/s |
| 4th zone | Northern Siberia, Far East, Yakutia | These areas are below the Arctic Circle. Winter temperature is around -41 °С, summer temperature is close to 0 °С. Windiness - no more than 1.5 m / s |
| special zone | Here are located the territories that are beyond the Arctic Circle, as well as Chukotka | The winter temperature here is around -25 ° C, the wind speed in winter can reach 6.5 m / s |
Considering the climatic zones of Russia, it should be noted that most of the country is located in the arctic and subarctic zones. Also, quite a lot of territories occupy a moderate zone. There are not so many subtropics, it is less than 5% of the entire territory of Russia.
arctic climate
Considering the climatic zones of Russia should begin with the Arctic climate. It is characteristic for a special, and also partially 4th zone. Mainly located here arctic deserts as well as the tundra. The soil almost does not warm up, the sun's rays just glide over the surface, which prevents the flora from growing and developing. The fauna is also scarce, the reason for everything is the lack of food. Winter takes up most of the time, which is about 10 months. Behind summer period the soil does not have time to warm up, since the heat in the region of 0-+3 ° C lasts no more than a couple of weeks. During the polar night, the temperature can drop to -60 °C. Precipitation is practically absent, it can only be in the form of snow.
subarctic climate
Widely distributed in Russia. So, it includes the 4th zone, as well as partially special and third. Winter is also long, cold, but less severe. Summer is short, but the average temperature is 5 degrees higher. Arctic cyclones cause strong winds, cloudiness, there are precipitations, but not heavy.
Temperate climate
The 3rd, as well as the 2nd climatic zone of Russia belong to a temperate climate. Covers most of the country. The seasons here are pronounced, there are spring, summer, autumn and winter. Temperatures can range from +30°C in summer to -30°C in winter. For convenience, scientists divide this zone of Russia into 4 more:
- Moderate continental. Summer is hot, winter is cold. natural areas can replace each other from the steppes to the taiga. Atlantic air masses prevail.
- Continental. The temperature fluctuates from -25 °С in winter to +25 °С in summer. A large amount of precipitation. The zone is formed mainly by western air masses.
- Sharply continental. Partly cloudy, little precipitation. In summer, the soil warms up well, in winter it freezes deeply.
- Maritime as well as monsoonal climates. Strong winds are characteristic, which are called monsoons. Precipitation is heavy and there may be flooding. Summer is not hot, the average air temperature is +15...+20 °С. Winters are very cold, the air temperature can drop to -40 °C. In coastal areas, winter and summer are smoother.
subtropical climate
1 climatic zone of Russia partially covers a small area of the country in the region Caucasus mountains. Summer here is long, but not hot. In winter, the temperature does not fall below 0 °C. Due to the proximity of the mountains, there is quite a lot of precipitation, they are plentiful.
There are no tropics and the equatorial zone on the territory of Russia.
Road-climatic zones
Few people know, but there are also road-climatic zones in Russia. They are divided according to the features of the construction of roads for a certain territory (depending on temperatures, precipitation and other climatic indicators). In this section, you can find 5 zones.
| Zone | Peculiarity |
| 1 | These are cold tundras, permafrost zone. The road goes through the following settlements: De-Kastri - Birobidzhan - Kansk - Nes - Monchegorsk |
| 2 | This zone is characterized by forests, where the soil is very abundantly moistened. Tomsk-Ustinov-Tula |
| 3 | Forest-steppe, soils are also very moist. Turan - Omsk - Kuibyshev - Belgorod - Chisinau |
| 4 | The soils are not so wet. The road passes through the cities of Volgograd - Buynaksk - Julfa |
| 5 | These are desert roads, arid soils, which are also characterized by high salinity. |
The benefits of division into climatic zones
Why single out the climatic zones of Russia? Table 1 and Table 2 indicate that there are many of them. All this is for convenience. Thus, this division is important for many areas of activity and knowledge. Most often, such zoning is important:
- For tourism business, resort planning.
- During the construction of buildings, roads (including railways), designing communications.
- When assessing the possibility of living in the area of people.
- When planning the extraction of minerals, natural resources.
- When organizing the management Agriculture, farming.
Well, speaking in general, knowledge of climatic zones helps many people improve their lives in various parts of the country. This knowledge helps many to optimize and master this or that territory for living. For example, cold areas are expensive, in a temperate climate it is best to breed livestock and grow useful vegetation.
The main factor determining the choice of new perennials for a garden, it is a climate. It is especially important to know whether this species will overwinter in a given region or not. In nurseries, a frost hardiness zone is usually indicated for each plant. From it you can find out how low temperatures a plant can withstand and decide whether it is worth buying.
What are hardiness zones?
Initially, the definition of climatic zones for frost resistance was developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the needs of agriculture. 13 climate zones have been identified based on the minimum winter temperatures by region. Then the system was refined and improved. The data is summarized in the following table:
| Zone | from | before | |
| 0 | a | < –53,9 °C | |
| b | -53.9°C | -51.1°C | |
| 1 | a | -51.1°C | -48.3°C |
| b | -48.3°C | -45.6°C | |
| 2 | a | -45.6°C | -42.8°C |
| b | -42.8°C | -40.0°C | |
| 3 | a | -40.0°C | -37.2°C |
| b | -37.2°C | -34.4°C | |
| 4 | a | -34.4°C | -31.7°C |
| b | -31.7°C | -28.9°C | |
| 5 | a | -28.9°C | -26.1°C |
| b | -26.1°C | -23.3°C | |
| 6 | a | -23.3°C | -20.6°C |
| b | -20.6°C | -17.8°C | |
| 7 | a | -17.8°C | -15.0°C |
| b | -15.0°C | -12.2°C | |
| 8 | a | -12.2°C | -9.4°C |
| b | -9.4°C | -6.7°C | |
| 9 | a | -6.7°C | -3.9°C |
| b | -3.9°C | -1.1°C | |
| 10 | a | -1.1°C | 1.7°C |
| b | 1.7°C | 4.4°C | |
| 11 | a | 4.4°C | 7.2°C |
| b | 7.2°C | 10.0°C | |
| 12 | a | 10.0°C | 12.8°C |
| b | > 12.8°C | ||
All zones in the US and Canada have been marked on the maps, taking into account the zones mountain climate and coastal areas. Later, frost resistance zones were also determined for Europe.
For Russia, they are indicated approximately and are not a recommendation for growing certain types of plants. However, every gardener must know which climatic zone of frost resistance his region belongs to, so as not to be disappointed in the spring.
More detailed map winter hardiness zones for the European part of Russia:
for China:
for Ukraine:
for Belarus:
Factors that determine the zone of frost resistance
The specific minimum winter temperatures in the region depend on the geographical latitude, on the relief, on proximity to the ocean and air humidity.
Geographic latitude determines the amount of solar radiation that the earth's surface receives. In the southern regions, it is larger, so the climate is hotter there. But this is not at all the determining factor. By geographical latitude London is located to the north of Kyiv, but in Kyiv there are often twenty-degree frosts in winter and it belongs to the 5th zone, and in the south of England the grass turns green in winter. The south of England is classified as hardiness zone 9 due to its proximity to Atlantic Ocean And warm current Gulfstream. In Kyiv, the climate is close to continental, with dry summers and frosty winters.
The southern coast of Crimea belongs to zone 7, and the steppe Crimea to zone 6. The mountains protect the coast from northern winds, so palm trees, cypresses, wisteria and magnolias grow on the coast, and in other parts of the peninsula they freeze in winter.
The frost resistance zones of Europe are distributed rather than from north to south, but from west to east - this is how the Atlantic affects the climate. IN Eastern Europe winters are noticeably harsher than in Western.
Local conditions affecting the winter hardiness of plants
Is it always local conditions correspond to the climatic zone in terms of frost resistance? This question can be answered by many garden plant nursery owners. Surely they will confirm that even within their region, some varieties acclimatize perfectly and develop normally in certain areas, while in neighboring ones, literally at a distance of 50 km, there are serious problems with wintering.
This is due to the terrain, the height of the snow cover in winter, and the proximity of large water bodies. For example, Quebec in Canada is in zone 4, but plants grown there are designed for zones 5 or 6. The peculiarity of Quebec is that the height of the snow cover is always high there and there are no large temperature fluctuations. Snow serves reliable protection for plants.
Another example is the small village of Waksmund in the Polish Carpathians, where temperatures often drop to -35°C in winter, where the record for the lowest winter temperatures for the region is -49°C. It is located near Krakow, where the average winter temperature is -5.5°C, and the minimum record was recorded in 1929 and it is only -32°C. The fact is that it is in the area of \u200b\u200bthis village that cold and heavy air masses from the mountains descend down the slopes, creating such a paradox.
Climatic zone and plant features
When choosing new plants for your garden, you should take into account not only the winter hardiness zone, but also the characteristics of these species. Very often, perennials for the 4th frost resistance zone do not withstand the milder winters of the 5th or 6th zone. Why is this happening?
When making a decision before buying, it is useful to carefully study the properties of the plant and recommendations for care. An example is the features of growing some ( , ). They often do not tolerate winter, but this is not due to frost. The reason is prolonged thaws. These groundcovers do not like excess moisture in cold soil. If the winter is frosty without thaws, everything is fine; if frosts alternate with thaws, they will not overwinter. The problem can be solved by planting them on slopes where water does not linger.
1. Extreme frost kills plants.
In fact, it is not the frost itself that causes suffering to plants, but the ice crystals formed under its influence in the tissues, which can damage living cells. The defrosting mode is also important. If a hardened plant is cooled under conditions that do not rapidly form ice, and then thaws very slowly, it can withstand even very deep freezing. Almost 50 years ago, Russian scientists in the laboratory managed to successfully freeze blackcurrant shoots to -253 ° C (!), And in the future, the “experimental” developed absolutely normally and bloomed safely! Success was not hindered by the fact that the experimental varieties - Laxton and Leah fertile were by no means standards of winter hardiness.
2. Winter hardiness is the temperature in degrees that a given plant can withstand without loss.
For example, in a particular area, one winter there was a frost of -38 ° C, and the apple trees growing there were not affected, which means that the winter hardiness of these apple tree varieties is -38 ° C.
Winter hardiness is not just the ability of plants to withstand low temperatures (by the way, there is a special term - “frost resistance”). The concept of winter hardiness is much broader and means the ability to endure all the variety of winter hardships - that is, not only bitter frosts, but also thaws, and sudden temperature changes from warm to cold, and so on.
3. The plant is monolithic in terms of frost resistance - all its parts either withstand or do not withstand the same temperature.
In the same plant, different parts react to frost in different ways. In fruit trees, the “weakest link” is the roots: depending on the crop and rootstock, they usually cannot withstand temperatures below -9 -10°. Fruit buds are always more tender than growth buds, and wood freezes more often than bark.
4. Winter hardiness depends only on the plant itself.
Although the ability to overcome winter problems is indeed in the genes of each tree or shrub, a lot depends on its current state of health and on the conditions prevailing in a particular year. A strong, well-groomed plant always shows its maximum winter hardiness. If it weakens as a result past illness, too bountiful harvest, poor nutrition or other difficulties, its winter hardiness can be significantly reduced.
5. The frost resistance of a particular tree or shrub is the same throughout the winter.
In autumn, each plant undergoes a so-called hardening, during which its frost resistance increases. When a tree or shrub falls into deep dormancy, winter hardiness continues to grow. It reaches its peak by the end of deep dormancy (at middle lane for most plants, this happens around the end of December). Then the resistance to frost steadily decreases. It falls gradually and steadily regardless of the weather, and is also sharply lost during each thaw. Moreover, the longer and warmer the thaw, the more frost resistance falls. However, this process is partially reversible, and stability can increase again, especially in cases where thaws are replaced by frosts not abruptly, but gradually. That is why the same apple tree can withstand a severe cold of -35° in early December, but then suffer at -28° in early March. And in mid-May, its blooming leaves may turn black after freezing at -6 ° C.
6. The lower parts of the trunks of fruit trees are the most “frozen”. After the endured winter, it is in these places that there are areas of dead bark.
The usual cause of damage is not frost, but March temperature drops. The daytime sun heats the areas of the bark, which locally lose their temper and begin to function as in spring. But at night, the temperature drops, and the hurried parts of the trunk can be damaged. With this feature, the recommendation, incomprehensible to many, to whitewash the trunks at the end of winter, and not in the spring, is connected.
7. All the time from the end of leaf fall to the beginning of bud break garden plants are sleeping.
At this time, nothing changes in them, but if you transfer their branches to heat, they will “wake up” and begin to bloom.
Immediately after leaf fall, the plants enter a state of deep dormancy. They need it, and until it ends, no heat can "awaken" them from sleep. Then deep peace passes into forced peace. That is, the plants no longer need it, it's just a way to survive further cold weather. At this stage, the buds can begin to bloom at any time, as soon as it gets warmer. Outwardly, both states look exactly the same. The plant at rest only looks “lifeless”, but at the same time it imperceptibly continues to develop (in particular, future inflorescences continue to form inside the buds).
8. During spring frosts the buds freeze the most. Ties are more stable.
In continuation of the decrease in frost resistance, which begins in the middle of winter, in the spring the plant continues to lose resistance to cold. Therefore, the ovaries are always more tender than the flowers, and the flowers are more damaged by frost than the buds. For the same reason, unfolded leaves freeze more than recently bursting buds.
9. Climate zones, according to which the cold resistance of plants is indicated by foreign sources, is empty information for a Russian summer resident.
Although the division of plants according to their suitability for different climatic zones was proposed by the United States Agricultural Department (USDA), in Russia it can also be guided by - after all, our territory also captures several climatic zones. Zones are allocated based on the maximum low temperatures registered in these territories. At the same time, zone 1 is the coldest (there are frosts below -45 °), and zone 10 is the warmest (below -1 ... + 4 ° the thermometer does not fall). Let's say for central Russia usually recommend plants intended for the 5th zone and below.
10. Belonging to one or another number of the climatic zone - comprehensive information on the winter hardiness of the plant.
A suitable “number” is not yet a guarantee of a future happy life tree or shrub in a particular area. Why? Firstly, winter difficulties are not limited to frost alone. Secondly, in each area, the condition of plants depends on many nuances: microclimate, moisture supply, soil, daylight hours - all this is not reflected in the zone number, although it is of great importance. Some kind of weather “record” or “anti-record” can also confuse the cards. Converse examples are also possible: some relatively tender plants like roses or grapes still successfully winter in cold zones under special shelters. Therefore, one can rely on the band principle only approximately.