Snow, as any New Englander knows, is a great facilitator to sports and play. It’s the stuff that gives us snow angels, snowmen, sledding, skiing, and snowshoeing. Or, if you prefer, snow is the inducer of deep hibernation and resting for the season to come.
Whatever way you look at it, snow falling is a beautiful sight and one that we northerners adore (all the more if timed right). I am not tethered to weather reports though. I prefer to be open to surprises, and I detest being disappointed when the predictions fall short. As a result, I’m often the last to know about an impending storm; so be it if it’s against my Girl Scout code. It seems silly when people panic over snow predictions. Case in point – the supermarket frenzy. I went to get a balloon for my granddaughter after school the other day to find absolutely mayhem … I went to a different store, which had lines galore, and was relieved that the florist shop allowed me to pay for my few items in one go. Though it shouldn’t surprise me that a week in advance people were reacting to the news of a snowstorm.
Actually, I’m rebelling against an upbringing where the weather report determined everything. Suffice it to say that snow is part of the New England experience that must be endured and hopefully enjoyed.
Beyond the pleasures and visual appeal the snow brings, there are real benefits for our plants. By insulating the ground, snow inhibits vast changes in the soil temperature and also maintains soil moisture. Great fluctuations – freezing and thawing – can hurt roots and even fall-planted bulbs, causing them to expand and contract or to essentially press the start switch in their growth cycle. Too many ups and downs in temperature can be calamitous. So, the snow serves to balance the temperature like natural mulch blanketing the bare ground, preventing frost heaves. Mind you, lots of plants need cold to happen in order to go forward and bloom, so maintaining cold beneath the ground is essential and snow helps.
Another common Yankee belief is that snow provides nutritional benefits for plants. Often called the “poor man’s fertilizer,” snow deposits nitrogen into the soil. When the ground thaws, this nitrogen becomes available for plant uptake. Research suggests that between 2 and 12 pounds of nitrogen per acre are deposited each year through precipitation, including both snow and rain. Much of this nitrogen comes from the atmosphere, while the remainder is produced through nitrogen fixation caused by lightning – an essential natural process that supports agriculture. While not a replacement for traditional fertilizer, this natural process provides a “free” boost that supports early spring growth.
Hopefully these benefits will prove themselves as we turn our eyes to spring and our flowers. My procrastination seems to have worked in my favor regarding bulbs. Each year I seem to take longer to plant them (partly intentional to outsmart the thieving squirrels)… well in past years this has gone swimmingly (sorry for the mixed metaphor), but I did wait until the ground was freezing over – a tad risky and, though the results were good, my numb fingers paid the price. In past years, I waited even longer in hopes that snow would gently seal the bulbs in. Snow has that aura – it’s protective, comforting and peaceful, whether you’re a bulb, a human, or Punxsutawney Phil.
Pretty soon (February 2) we will know the dictate of the famous groundhog. I’m betting (hoping) on six more weeks of winter and more hibernation time. It doesn’t seem like we’ve really had a proper winter yet, so I’m inclined to stay bundled up a bit longer. Meanwhile I’ll check my Farmer’s Almanac.
“He seemed a part of the mute melancholy landscape, an incarnation of its frozen woe, with all that was warm and sentient in him fast bound below the surface…” – from Etham Frome by Edith Wharton
The Seaside Gardener
By Laura McLean