Snow and the Garden

In parts of South Carolina and much of the Southeast snow is expected over the next couple of days. Different from ice, the snow presents less of an issue for our tender greens that may be growing and actually provides a benefit to the garden. Much like the ice, both snow and ice provide moisture back into the ground which is needed for our plants. Here are some benefits of the cold ice and snow for our gardens:

1. When ice freezes everything solid it actually helps to break up compacted soil as it thaws. This opens up air pockets that allow roots to breathe better in the spring.

2. The freezing helps to rid us of pests that can be a problem in the garden this year. The freeze can kill off a number of pests who cannot survive the very low temperatures. While we will still have pests, we won't have as many!

3. Because we often have such mild winter temperatures, many of our plants do not go into a dormancy that is necessary for their growing cycles. Allowing plants to go dormant helps them to rest and helps them to grow better once they wake up.

4. Similarly, there are seeds that need a period of stratification or cold in order to emerge well, such as lavender. Allowing these seeds to be planted directly outside and experience a period of freezing allows them to germinate better.

5. The cold, particularly snow level weather, chemically changes the starches into sugars in collards, kales, and other greens, leading to sweeter better tasting veggies!

Last year's snow in my garden made for delicious cabbages!