Overview
A hardiness zone is a guide to how cold your coldest winter nights get. The game looks yours up from your ZIP code (for example Zone 6a), and shows it in the header pill and on the Your farm card. If a lookup fails, the game uses 6a until you choose.
Playable zones
- The game's outdoor lavender range runs from Zone 4a to 11b. Zones 4 and 11 are fringe zones with fewer cultivars to choose from.
- The core range, with the broadest choice of cultivars, is Zone 5a to 10b.
- If your real zone is outside the range, the game keeps your real zone on record and offers Simulate [zone], the nearest playable planning zone. Weather still follows your real location.
Planning zone vs. real zone
On the plot report you can open Plan for a different zone? and pick any zone from 3a to 10b. This is handy if you are moving or want to test a warmer or colder site. Your farm then plans with that zone, while the weather stays real for your town. When the planning zone differs from your real one, frost dates come from the planning zone's table instead of your measured dates.
Cultivar zone fit
| Your zone vs. the cultivar's range | What the game does |
|---|---|
| Inside the range | Expected perennial. Inspect shows Zone fit: Well suited. |
| One zone outside | Treated as an annual or container trial. Inspect shows Climate challenge. |
| Two or more zones outside | Not suitable outdoors; planting is blocked, even with Plant anyway. |
What a poor fit costs
- Weekly growth is slowed to 72% of normal.
- Frost and freeze damage is 20% heavier.
- Winter dormancy stress is 5 health heavier per cold week.
Tips
- Filter the cultivar catalog by Any zone fit to see what suits you.
- The game only uses the number of your zone for fit (6a and 6b both count as 6).
See also
Written from the game itself. Spot something out of date? and our farm team will check it.
