It’s hard not to fret over your landscape when snow begins to fall, isn’t it? A couple of inches collect on the ground and we’re out there with brooms and blowers, frantically fussing and fluffing our precious plants.
Believe it or not, a light layer of snow is actually good for perennials. Certainly, heavy wet snows can weigh down and break branches, but for the most part, snow is an excellent insulator against the really frigid temperatures that may injure plants.
Snow on the ground prevents injury to roots, which generally can’t withstand extreme cold. The roots of most landscape plants won’t be injured unless soil temperatures are below 10 degrees F, but more sensitive perennials can be injured at soil temperatures just below freezing.
Also, keep in mind that if you’re using salt on icy sidewalks and driveways, any plants in the immediate vicinity can be affected when the salt eventually leeches into the soil. For melting purposes, a better solution is to use one of the environmentally safe salts, such as calcium chloride.
Sand or kitty litter will also work well for creating traction, and are the most pet-friendly solutions, as any salt-based products can cause a toxic reaction when eaten and can also be harmful to the pads of an animal’s feet.