Will snow kill my garden?

With snow forecast in the next few days many of us are now asking the question – will snow kill my garden? However – don’t panic! The snow will help to kill off pests, protect plants from wind and keep your garden watered until spring! It has been ferociously snowy of late in some parts of the U.K. and gently raining for weeks and in many places, the ground remains frozen. Although the good news is – we have hit peak winter! This means as it gets warmer, the weeks of wintry weather will get fewer and further between. 

How will snow affect my plants? 

Snow can break branches, especially evergreens and seemingly robust structures. However, as a rule, snow does very little harm to plants and can even act as insulation against icy winds. And, as it thaws it provides an important source of water for the spring growth of many plants. In fact, many bulbs rely almost entirely on melting snow for their water supply when growing in their natural habitat. If the snow has been generous, it will help to insulate the ground and plants from more frost! The good news is that UK hardy plants can manage cold, in the most extreme temperatures. Hardy plants such as Olive Trees, Palm trees, and Agave, can withstand snow and lingering cold extremely well.

Why do some plants survive winter and others not?

It seems that what determines a plant’s ability to survive cold are the levels of sugar and proteins in the cell sap. This is the watery fluid that is found within a plant cell. The higher the level of sugar and protein, the lower the temperature at which the cell sap freezes. The hardiest plants prepare for this process through the combination of hot days and cold nights in summer and autumn. However, the greatest damage done by cold to a garden is via the wind. Snow can protect and frost kills off more pests and problems than plants. But a cold wind affects all plants. The coldest wind can affect plants as much a chilly wind affects humans. It tends to dry plants in cold weather as effectively as a hair drier.

Although we have witnessed a cold February, the nights will finally start to get lighter and spring will be on its way in no time.

Browse our website for hardy evergreen olive trees.