If you’re an avid gardener, you’ll
know that a good layer of snow serves as an excellent source of insulation for your
plants.
Deep snow, which I would classify us
as currently having, can maintain soil temps high enough to sustain microbial activities
and mineralization processes through-out the winter.
It seems as though our beloved
plants do a better job of getting ready for the brutal temps of winter than
most of us humans do. Plants get ready
for winter by undergoing a process called acclimation or hardening. Hardening
is triggered by various environmental cues like the day length, cooling
temperatures in the fall and in some cases moisture availability. Unless we’ve
experienced arctic temps in the early stages of acclimation, which I don’t
think we did, you can be confident that your plants have done their part in
preparing for the type of winter we are experiencing right now.
But John, what about the arctic wind
chills we have been experiencing? Since
plants do not generate their own heat, wind chill does not affect them (I
really wish I was a plant right now). But cold and dry winter winds can damage
plants by drying them out. This is particularly a problem for evergreens that
have leaves exposed to the wind during the winter.
Plants are generally able to
withstand these colder temperatures by regulating the water content inside and
around the plant’s cells. The water around the plant’s cells is usually the
first water to freeze because the water inside the plant’s cells has various
salts and other compounds dissolved in the liquid component of the cells. But,
once the water around the cells freezes and forms ice crystals it can damage
surrounding cells and draw out some of the water inside the cells which can
lead to larger ice crystal formation and damage to the cells themselves. The
various processes that plants use to withstand sub-freezing temperatures are
quite complex and can vary dramatically from one species of plant to another.
In summary, all scientific data that
I have read indicates that majority of our plants will pull through this brutal
winter. Of course this means if they are
cold hardy (Zone 4 or lower). I say 4 or
lower because it seems debatable whether our region is Zone 5 or not. Don’t be too surprised if you lose a couple
plants that are zone 5, but then again I’m sure you’ve lost some zone 5 plants
in much milder winters as well. On a
side note, let this winter be a reminder of why overwintering plants properly
is crucial. Read more about the process
of over-wintering as well as other 'need-to-know' plant care info at: http://bluemels.com/caring-for-perennials/4580854136
Personally, I think how this snow
melts come springtime will have more of an effect on the survival of our plants
than this winter will. A gradual melting
would be ideal. If it all melts at once,
similar to how it did a couple of years ago, plant roots will rot out In essence they’ll drown to death.
So sit back, relax and enjoy the
cozy warmth of your home. Dream of the upcoming
spring that is right around the corner. At
this point, I think your plants will be alright and there isn’t a whole lot of
need to worry.
