This Month in the Garden (January 2010)...

Heavy, wet snow that accumulates on tree limbs creates problems for gardeners.  The weight can snap branches and snow shedding off the upper branches of large evergreens can bury smaller understory trees and shrubs, overloading them and breaking their trunks close to the ground.

Light, fluffy snow, however, is an excellent insulator for garden plants.  As little as a foot of snow cover can lower the temperature of the soil beneath it by 10º F, providing about a zone of protection.

Because of the insulating power of snow, areas receiving consistent heavy snow in Michigan and southern Ontario, Canada have warmer winter temperatures than the Lake Michigan shore of Wisconsin.  This enables them to safely grow plants from zone 6a and even zone 7.

Port Washington, in U.S. Hardiness Zone 5b, can experience extended periods with temperatures well below -10º F and heavy winter snow.  The past several years, though, winter rain and the loss of the snow cover in February has caused damage to plants and shrubs.  We’ve also had long periods without rain in July, August and September recently that have also created problems for local gardeners although the summer temperatures have remained cool.

This Month in the Garden Archive:

November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009