How to Be Successful in Gardening Zone 8

We’re in the Deep South in U.S. gardening zone 8. One thing I really appreciate about hardiness zone 8 is our long growing season. I pretty much have a garden year-round. No gardening zone is without challenges so be sure to check the end of this post for helpful articles for your gardening zone.

The long season affords us a lot of room for trial and error. We can usually replant a crop or redo something which failed the first time. One incident that springs to mind is the flooding spring rains of 2014. We lost our first tomato planting, 30 plants, due to the heavy rains.

Because of the long growing season, we were able to replant and enjoy a wonderful harvest. On the downside of gardening in hardiness zone 8, the long season also gives the grass, weeds, and insects time to keep trying new attack methods.

Where is Hardiness Zone 8?

Zone 8 is a part of 20 states which seemed shocking to me. Most of the states which have zone 8 in them are in the deep south, but they range from coast to coast.

Because topography and climate influence the gardening zone of a particular area, almost every state has at least two gardening zones.

The Southern States:

• Mississippi (my state)
• Texas
• Oklahoma
• Louisiana
• Arkansas
• New Mexico
• Alabama
• Georgia
• Tennessee

The Southeastern Coastal States:

• Florida
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Virginia
• Maryland
• Washington, D.C. is also included in zone 8

The Western States:

• Washington
• Oregon
• California
• Nevada
• Utah
• Arizona

Understanding Hardiness Zones in the U.S.

There are 13 hardiness zones in the U.S. The hardiness zone map was revised in 2012 because technology has allowed for more accurate temperature records and weather mapping which makes gardening zone assignments more accurate.

The zones are divided by winter temperature ranges and weather patterns. The temperature ranges of any given gardening zone are only averages of the most extreme winter your area can anticipate, so they’re guidelines, not rules.

I suggest keeping weather and temperature records for yourself because micro-climates are not considered in gardening zone assignments.

The hardiness zones are separated according to a 10-degree temperature difference. For instance, gardening zone 7 is 10 degrees cooler than zone 8 on average, gardening zone 6 is 10 degrees cooler than zone 7 on average….

The Difference Between Gardening Zone 8a and 8b

Each gardening zone is divided into two subset zones, a and b. I’m technically in gardening zone 8a while my friends just 15 miles away are in gardening zone 8b.

Whereas the gardening zones have a 10-degree difference in average temperatures, the subsets represent a 5-degree average temperature difference within that zone.

So my friends in gardening zone 8b can expect to be 5 degrees cooler than me in winter.

Tips for Success in Gardening Zone 8

Zone 8 has its own challenges unique to each state it is located in. We typically have extremely hot and dry weather here in Zone 8 from July until early September. To offset the effects of this, most of our garden is deep-mulched. This aids in moisture retention, adds nutrition to the soil by decomposition and feeding of the microbial life, and keeps weeds down.

2. Have a “go-to” person or book. My grandparents taught me everything I know about gardening. I also learn a lot from visiting with local old-timers. They even love to share seeds with me which have been in their family for generations. Also, I would be lost without The Encyclopedia of Country Living.

3. Keeping a garden journal is important. You can use any notebook or something like The Gardening Notebook. Record your garden layout, what and where you plant, what you ordered, and from whom.

Record what your family liked and didn’t like, what produced best, things like that. This will help you with crop rotation and keep you from ordering something you didn’t like, something that didn’t perform well, or from a company you didn’t like doing business with.

4. Daily garden visits are a must. Some days may take 10 – 15 minutes. On other days, you may spend an hour or more, depending on your garden size.

A daily visit will help avoid unwanted surprises. Use the time to remove weeds, check for signs of bugs or disease, check for ripe fruit, just generally take care of whatever you see needs to be done.

5. Avoid wasting time, energy, money, and produce by planting according to your family’s needs. A long growing season can overwhelm your pantry if you over plant.

Remember, “It’s better to be proud of a small garden than to be frustrated by a big one!” Trust me, you can only give away so many zucchinis, cucumbers, and peas.

6. Plant your rows or raised beds oriented north and south to take full advantage of the abundance of sunlight. Vegetables need at least 6 hours of full sun every day, they prefer 8.

Here in gardening zone 8, getting enough sun is not the problem. Protection from the sun is something we have to consider.

Some vegetables appreciate partial shade so know their sun requirements. I put tender plants in raised beds located where they receive shade in the afternoon.

7. Know your soil. A soil test kit can be purchased from a garden center, your local cooperative extension office, and even online. Vegetables love loose, loamy, well-drained soil.

Not everyone tests their soil, we haven’t. If you do test your soil, enrich it according to the results of your soil test.

8. Improve your soil. We improve our soil with compost, mulch, crop rotation, and cover crops. We also add manure from the farm animals.

Note: Fresh chicken and horse manure will burn your tender plants, so compost it or let it age for a couple of months before spreading it directly on the soil around them.

If you have cows, you can add their manure directly to your garden without the risk of burning it.

If you buy manure, ask about any pesticides and herbicides it may contain, especially if you are an organic gardener like we are.

If you buy manure, ask about any pesticides and herbicides it may contain, especially if you are an organic gardener like we are. 

9. Vegetables need a lot of water, at least 1 inch a week. There are many systems and techniques for accomplishing this. We use soaker hoses and catching rainwater for times we don’t have enough rain.

10. Plant heat-tolerant edible flowers to attract beneficial insects, deter unwanted insects and even some wildlife. We plant marigolds, zinnias, sunflowers, and nasturtium in and around our garden.

11. Know your local frost dates.  Remember the date in the almanac is approximate, keep your eye on your local weather. Temperatures and weather patterns are one of the most important things to record in your gardening journal.

Plant too soon and you lose the crop, plant too late and you lose the harvest, don’t be frightened by this, nature is designed to give us clear warning and prep time.

Here in gardening zone 8a, our predicted first frost date is November 15^th.

Our predicted last frost date is March 15th. We always have a cold snap just before Easter so keep your eyes on the local weather. There’s usually at least one freezing night within 3 days of Easter.

12. Basic gardening tools you will need: a hoe, garden rake, leaf rake, shovel, hand shovel, potato or hayfork, shears, good gardening gloves, string, water hose or system, spray bottles for natural pest repellants and fungicides, and baskets or buckets for harvesting.

13. Find a seed company you trust. Most gardeners start looking through their seed catalogs in January, maybe February, because the gardening bug is starting to bud. 

Order early. With our economic times and the breakdown in the food supply, many seeds are on backorder due to higher demand. Your local farm supply can also help with your gardening needs.  

14. Saving your seeds is easy and cuts your gardening costs. It’s important to find seed companies who have heirloom seeds and not Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) seeds.

By law, GMO seeds belong to the corporation that developed it, so it’s illegal to save seeds from those plants.  

If we do have to order something, we like Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Territorial Seeds, and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Final Thoughts

I know it’s easy to be overwhelmed with information about gardening zone 8 or any homestead task. None of us know it all, it’s a journey. Just look at the tasks for today, one step at a time. Keep your goals in view while remaining flexible to achieve the goals you and your family set.

As my grandfather taught me, “The basics are the same for everyone, but we all have our own way of gardening.” Don’t be afraid to try and fail, learn and implement the lessons in your next garden. You may want to start growing Asparagus as it is one of the most carefree plants and most expensive to buy.

For Those Who Don’t Live in U.S. Gardening Zone 8

Don’t despair, I wouldn’t forget you. Here is a list of articles designed especially for you! Happy Gardening!

Zone 3
Joybilee Farm in Canada
The Northern Homestead in Canada

Zone 4
Homespun Seasonal Living in Montana

Zone 5
Grow a Good Life in Maine
The Homestead Lady in Utah

Zone 6
Learning and Yearning in Pennsylvania

Zone 7
Little Sprouts Learning in Oklahoma
Pierce Ponderosa in Georgia

Zone 9
SchneiderPeeps in Texas