Climate Zone 6

Climate Zone 6: Why we focus on the Heartland

When we say “Climate Zone 6” we are referring to the USDA’s hardiness zone that covers much of the center of the United States.

Zone 6 stretches from coast to coast, from Washington to Texas, and Texas to New Hampshire.  It is a big zone, covering areas that typically see low temperatures around minus 5 to minus10-degree Fahrenheit during the coldest winter days, and can exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer with heat indexes above 110 degrees on the hottest and muggiest days.

To see the most current map, you can go to: 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map | USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map or https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

In Kansas City, we can see a lot of wind.  We can expect to see 80 mile per hour wind gusts at least once a year, and that is pretty common for zone 6 west of Pennsylvania.  Kansas, Colorado, northern Missouri, Central Illinois, and Central Indiana can all commonly see 80 miles per hour at least once a year, and the occasional 100 mile per hour storm gust is not out of the question.

We get a lot of sunshine in the heartland, which we want to take advantage of as much as we can.  But because we aren’t generally cloudy, we choose materials that help with heat and cold while providing enough light.  We get a lot of light in June, July, and August.  We want to use that light for growing and not burning or cooking our plants.

Because a lot of people struggle with the same things that we struggle with, not just in Kansas City but all across the USA, we focus on solutions that work with the challenges and opportunities we face.  We know we need a stronger frame and more structure than in less windy climates.  We know we need a thicker greenhouse covering for the wind, heat, and cold so, for example, we do things like specify 5mm Solexx instead of 3.5mm. 

Whether you are in zone 6, or maybe even zone 5 or zone 7, we hope you’ll find our experiences and insights useful.  See you on social media!