Hardiness Zone information helps you determine which herbaceous perennials and woody trees, shrubs and vines will survive winters where you garden. The USDA hardiness zone map is based on average winter low temperatures. Cold temperatures are only one factor that affect plant hardiness. After several years of mild winters, regions may exhibit "zone creep", where plants seem to be fine that are not truly suited to even "normal" winters.

For Otsego County, the Hardiness Zones are 4b (minimum temperature range -25F to -20F) and 5a. (minimum temperature range -20F to -15F).

Growing degree-days (GDDs) are primarily used as time control measures for pests of woody plants. You can also use them to track and predict other events that are synchronized with the accumulation of warmth during the growing season, such as the blooming of some plants.

Growing degree-days are accumulated anytime the average temperature for the day is more than 50F. Growing degree-day measurements start March 1, and the GDDs for each day are added to the previous total. When the average temperature for the day is below 50F, it is ignored, it is not subtracted from the total.

Click here to use New York's Growing Degree Day Tracker. For Otsego County's growing degree-days, average the numbers found at Utica and Binghamton.