Snow and Your Garden

Whenever a snowstorm rolls through, at least a few gardeners (as evidenced by the many posts in local Facebook groups) worry about their plants dying from snow piled on top of them, as well as suffering from the low temps that usually accompany a snowstorm. It makes sense to consider how plants would be affected by snowfall - we think a lot about first and last frost dates and hard freezes here in southwest Ohio, after all. Most seasoned gardeners know that snow is just fine - and even beneficial -  for plants, but do you know why? Let’s talk about it.

Snow is often poetically described as blanketing the earth, and that’s a great way to think of it. Just like a down blanket, snow insulates the soil and the roots within it. How? Tiny air pockets! These air pockets keep warmer air in and don’t allow any heat to escape. And, snow helps keep colder air from reaching the soil.  So: warmer air in, colder air out. 

Another benefit of snow for our plants is its ability to capture nitrogen. Nitrogen in our atmosphere isn’t usable by plants, but in the soil, it is (thanks to microbes - but that’s another post!). Snow, like rain, can capture this nitrogen from the atmosphere and bring it down to earth as it falls. Since snow usually melts gradually, this nitrogen sticks around, and is available for plants as they start to grow more roots in the spring, helping trees and plants leaf out and grow big. 

Enjoy Ohio’s winter weather while you dream about your spring garden!