Snow: A Good Insulation

Snow covering the ground is a good insulator and protects your plants' roots from constantly freezing and thawing through the winter.

In temperate areas of the world (where winters can be cold and long), it is a good thing for your plants when it snows.

Snow is actually an excellent insulator. Surface ground temperatures underneath a thick blanket of snow will stay fairly constant around 32 degrees even if the outside air above the snow is much lower than that. This insulating effect helps protect underground roots from frigid temperatures and winter damage.

It will also help protect underground sprinkler lines from freezing and breaking for those who have installed sprinkler systems.

As an extra precaution for protecting sprinkler lines, though, it’s a good idea to blow out your sprinkler lines in the fall with an air compressor. In the spring, it saves you from having to fix breaks in your sprinkler lines from frozen water.

If the weather is turning cold and no snow is falling, you may want to cover your perennial flower beds and gardens with a layer of mulch to act as an insulation to protect your plants.