Today is Groundhog's Day and I can only think of the movie that starred Bill Murray. In the movie, his character relives February 2nd over and over and over. Well, many times are weather in and around February 2nd is the same each year. Cold, snow, clouds with maybe a quick peak of sunlight.
Not in 2012......
This entire winter has almost bordered on the unbelievable. The winter snowfall total up to the end of January was just over 25". We were on track at point to break the record for the same winter time period in 1941-1942 (just under 18"). So what about the plants?
Well....saw a Fragrant Viburnum trying to bloom in mid January when it was 55 degrees. Buds on Maples and Roses started to swell. It's hard to say whether the recent colder (35 degrees) weather will be a hinder. The longer we stay above 40 degrees, the more likely for plants to start thinking spring. But it's still possible for cold snaps and heavy snows, which could cause damage.
All though snow is a great insulator for plant roots, we have been blessed that we have not had long periods of below 0 windchills. Frigid windchills and no snow has been very detrimental to plants in a few of the past February's. On the flip side, the rain has been beneficial for the plants.
So, as Bill Murray's character relived the same day over and over, this year we have experienced a reprieve from the cold. It will be interesting to see how our landscape plants react this spring. And if Punxsutawney Phil is right that we have another 6 weeks of winter, many of us like THIS winter so far.
Showing posts with label Winter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Winter. Show all posts
02 February 2012
08 February 2010
Snow is not really a nasty four letter word.....
Whew!
That's what most of us are saying regarding the major snowstorm that went through the Mid-Atlantic states, completely staying south of Western New York.
Phrases like "Hate that white stuff", "So happy I didn't have to shovel", "Let somebody else deal with that mess", were tossed all about the past couple of days. Granted, I am very happy we didn't receive 2-3' of snow also, but......what are your plants thinking?
"BRRR, its cold, where's my blanket, I'm freezing" might exactly be what your beautiful perennials and shrubs are thinking (ok, plants don't think, but imagine if they did). Snow, when it naturally falls and is left undisturbed, is the best winter protection your plants can have!
What? Is this writer nuts? Well, that could be a topic for another day, but on this topic I'm perfectly grounded. Snow is nature's insulation blanket on plants and their root systems. When we have bare ground and those cold temperatures, and more importantly those sub-zero wind chills, many plants become stressed. Without the snow blanket, the soil surface is exposed to all those cold, drying winds. And even with mulch, the roots of your plants are more exposed to damage. Shrub stems and branches are equally vulnerable to the winds. Come Spring, the winters where we have prolonged open ground and snow cover bring the most visable die back, and even fatality, with plants vs. the winters of "the good ole days" when we had a snow blanket the entire winter season.
So, while I'm not wishing a storm of 30" of snow all at once, a good 6-12" snow, 3 or 4 times, with no thaw in between, is exactly what was on your landscape plants' Christmas wish list. I guess now that wish is on their Valentine's Day wish list.
That's what most of us are saying regarding the major snowstorm that went through the Mid-Atlantic states, completely staying south of Western New York.
Phrases like "Hate that white stuff", "So happy I didn't have to shovel", "Let somebody else deal with that mess", were tossed all about the past couple of days. Granted, I am very happy we didn't receive 2-3' of snow also, but......what are your plants thinking?
"BRRR, its cold, where's my blanket, I'm freezing" might exactly be what your beautiful perennials and shrubs are thinking (ok, plants don't think, but imagine if they did). Snow, when it naturally falls and is left undisturbed, is the best winter protection your plants can have!
What? Is this writer nuts? Well, that could be a topic for another day, but on this topic I'm perfectly grounded. Snow is nature's insulation blanket on plants and their root systems. When we have bare ground and those cold temperatures, and more importantly those sub-zero wind chills, many plants become stressed. Without the snow blanket, the soil surface is exposed to all those cold, drying winds. And even with mulch, the roots of your plants are more exposed to damage. Shrub stems and branches are equally vulnerable to the winds. Come Spring, the winters where we have prolonged open ground and snow cover bring the most visable die back, and even fatality, with plants vs. the winters of "the good ole days" when we had a snow blanket the entire winter season.
So, while I'm not wishing a storm of 30" of snow all at once, a good 6-12" snow, 3 or 4 times, with no thaw in between, is exactly what was on your landscape plants' Christmas wish list. I guess now that wish is on their Valentine's Day wish list.
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