Your Garden Can Benefit
The freeze and thaw cycles of winter can be hard on plants, especially those planted within the past growing season. A quick drop in temperature can cause frost heave, where the moisture in the soil expands, shifting plants and damaging roots.
Snow cover can be beneficial for our gardens. It provides insulation and minimizes soil temperature fluctuations, reducing frost heave. This white, fluffy blanket also protects soil and plants from winter’s harsh, drying winds and glaring sun. When spring arrives, the melting snow provides soil with the moisture and nutrients essential for emerging plants.
What you can do now
Leave snow that falls around trees and shrubs, but keep in mind that rabbits may use the snow as a ladder to reach upper branches for a nibble. Make sure tree guards or fencing installed around trunks reaches higher than the snow to protect against browsing bunnies. For branch tips, consider purchasing and applying a natural animal repellent, like Bobbex.
Place loose, powdery snow gently into the garden and around trees and shrubs. Avoid dumping heavy, wet snow and snow contaminated with de-icing salts onto plants.
If you don’t have any snow, cover bare soil with mulch, such as wood chips or leaves, and gently tamp the roots back into the soil for any plants that have been “heaved” out of the ground.