St. Louis region is warming up for gardeners

St. Louis area gardens are getting hotter.

A new map, released this week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, reveals that the entire city of St. Louis is a notch warmer than it used to be.

The department’s “Plant Hardiness Zone Map” is a critical guide for gardeners who rely on it to know what to plant, when and where. Under the old map, St. Louis was rated a “6a.” Under the new map, the city is now a “6b,” which signals to gardeners that their gardens can host warmer-weather plants.

“This is news for gardeners,” said Chip Tynan, a horticulturalist with the Kemper Center for Home Gardening at the Missouri Botanical Garden. “So far I haven’t heard the plants say anything about it.”

The color-coded zone map, familiar to anyone who has ever planted a store-bought seed or consulted a gardening book, has not been updated since 1990. It was unveiled this week at the National Arboretum.

For many gardeners, here and across the country, the map reflects a progressive warming trend. It also confirms what they’ve already learned from their gardens: Plants that would not have survived in their locations years ago are now tolerating them because average minimum temperatures are getting warmer over time.

“This is probably the map catching up with our experience,” said Kathie Hoyer, at Bowood Farms, a nursery in the Ce…………… continues on STLtoday.com

By Rebecca Jepsen
San Jose Mercury News correspondent

Do you ever wonder what’s really growing in your soil beside the things you planted there? You might find it shocking to learn that there are literally billions of microbes hard at work in every square inch of your garden and landscape.

Microbes are microscopic organisms that include bacteria, fungi, protozoa and plankton. They transform minerals and organic matter into soil that supports an abundance of life. They are so tiny that millions can fit into the eye of a needle.

They are in the air we breathe, the ground we walk on and even inside ourselves.

There are 10 billion bacteria in a single gram of soil. Bacteria are single-celled organisms that help break down and recycle decaying organic matter in our soil and convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into organic compounds that can be used by our growing plants. Actinobacteria are critical in decomposing organic matter and turning it into humus. They are responsible for the sweet “earthy” smell we associate with healthy soil.

Fungi are strandlike microorganisms that improve soil structure and help hold our soil together. Many fungi are parasitic and can cause disease to plants and animals. However, there are many beneficial…………… continues on San Jose Mercury News