A good water source may be sometimes hard to find. Snow can not only provide plants with moisture but also trace amounts of minerals. Compared to tap water snow contains no chlorine and other harmful irons that can harm plants.
Snow can be used to water plants although it is advised to avoid watering plants with ice because it can damage the plant’s roots. Using snow is an excellent way to supplement a plant’s watering needs during water restrictions or periods of drought while supplementing nitrogen and sulfur.
The only downside to snow is its temperature, but that can be easily fixed.
In addition, there are actually some other amazing advantages to using snow to water plants. In this article, we’ll clear all confusion related to using snow for watering plants.
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The Benefits of Using Snow to Water Plants:
Anyone can water a plant with a watering can or hose, but using snow is a bit more unique!
Snow is actually one of the best ways to water houseplants since the temperature can be changed and it has a good purity in most places
It’s also more palatable to many plants than tap water, making it a great alternative to more expensive watering systems.
Down below, we have compiled a list of benefits that comes with using snow to water plants:
Natural Fertilizer:
Since snow is enriched with sulfur and nitric oxide, it acts as an excellent natural fertilizer.
In fact, snow can rival some manures when used as a fertilizer in the garden. For one, you don’t have to shovel it.
Furthermore, snow also helps immunize plants to various diseases. You can use it instead of or in addition to commercial fertilizers.
It’s rich in nitrogen, which means it will make your flowers and vegetables grow faster and stronger, but it’s also light enough not to crush tender roots.
Having such a lot of efficacy, nitrogen is called a ‘poor man’s fertilizer.’
Natural Mulch:
Snow is arguably one of the most sustainable mulching methods you can use instead of chemical-based mulch.
If you combine your grass clippings with snow, you can create a natural mulch, which is much better for the environment.
It acts like a blanket to protect plants against harsh winter conditions. It holds moisture, insulating the ground and roots from the cold.
If your yard is covered with snow, it will work as a mulch to moderate underground temperature fluctuations when the freeze-thaw cycles go on.
Natural Insulator:
A fluffy jacket is too cozy when worn in the chilling cold. So is snow to the soil and roots of plants.
Blankets of snow serve as a natural insulator. It protects the soil from freezing deeper and gives insulation to the roots of plants and shrubs by creating air pockets holding heat.
Enhance Soil Moisture:
Freezing, thawing, snow –all three of these enhance soil texture. Snow moisturizes soil drip by drip and gently when it melts.
Promotes Photosynthesis:
Snow also promotes photosynthesis even in the winter days by reflecting sunlight. Its white hue helps reflect the sunlight keeping the surroundings bright.
How To Melt Snow into Water Plants?
Here in the forthcoming lines, we will put an end to your worry about watering your dear plants in the snowy season.
Snow can be used to water plants, and for that, all you have to do is follow these simple steps to melt snow into the water.
- Firstly, pick up a bucket and shovel, head out in search of clean snow. Pack up a good amount of snow just as you come across it.
Do ignore yellow snow. Don’t amass them from sidewalks or roads as salts and chemicals mix up with the snow there.
- Secondly, give them some time to melt after bringing them in. Thawing depends on the amount of snow as well as your room temperature. Keep the surroundings warm to quicken the melting procedure.
- Last but not least, strain out the melted water using a sieve. Use a fine strainer to eliminate all the debris in it– however subtle they are. Now, transfer the water into your storage container.
- Continue the process little by little every day so that you never run out of water, neither does your plant.
What Temperature Should The Water Be Before Watering?
Now, it is a crucial matter to be considered before watering plants using melted snow.
The water should be in 70°F- 75°F, or else the severe cold snow may cause root rot, leaf spot, and even plant death followed by a severe shock.
How To Use Snow To Water Plants?
Here are some Dos and Don’ts that you need to follow for your plants’ health.
The Dos and Don’ts :
| Do’s | Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Use the melted water only after it reaches room temperature. | Don’t use freezing water as it can cause root rot and even plant death. |
| Water newly planted shrubs and established trees and turfs, ornamental grasses, etc., with snow water. Avoid watering succulents, cacti, and buffalo grasses using snow. Use less water as the plants remain dormant in winter. Watering them every two or four weeks will be more than enough. | Don’t keep the ground soggy by overwatering it. It may lead to severe damage to the plant. |
| Check the soil below the surface to know if it needs to be watered. | Don’t consider dried surface soil as an indication of a shortage of water. |
In winter, follow a deep but irregular irrigation process. Watering plants at night might cause fungal growth due to dampness. So, go for daily watering.
How Would Snow Affect Soil in Potted Plants?
The sound effects of snow on soil are in a plethora. To talk about the ill effects, there are a few.
As mentioned earlier, a snow blanket serves as an insulator. The insulative effects increase with heavier snowfall. In this way, the deeper layers of the soil are protected from freezing and kept warm.
However, whenever snow starts melting, the soil gradually loses the temperature it had derived. This leads to a significant change in the soil temperature.
When the weather gets warm temporarily during winter, the snow melts, causing soil loss.
As spring sets in, snow blankets start to thaw. By this time, the soil is much infested by different fungi.
Is Snow the Same as Rainwater?
Snow is indeed very similar to rainwater. Both are sourced from precipitation, meaning they are both created when water is suspended in clouds and later falls to the ground as precipitation. But that’s the only thing common in both snow and rainwater.
Although snow, the crystallized water, is deemed purer than all other precipitations, it is proven that it contains deuterium, a heavier form of hydrogen that causes retardation in plant growth.
Rainwater can free up micronutrients such as copper, zinc, etc., in the soil to help it absorb those better.
It helps in photosynthesis by improving the carbon dioxide intake capacity of plants and, in this way, helps them grow faster.
Snow also helps in plant growth by providing insulation and nitrogen, a fertilizer that plants crave most.
By acting as an insulator, it promotes root growth even in the freezy days.
So, seemingly, rainwater and snow are the same when compared based on efficacy for plants.
Similarly, morning dew can also be used to water plants when placed outside during morning periods. See our full article.
The Takeaway:
To conclude, using snow to water plants can be super beneficial for your plants. In fact, both rainwater and snow are considered elixirs for plants.
Snow is preferred over tap water because it doesn’t contain chlorine and other chemicals like tap water does. Moreover, it is free of cost!
So, just go and grab the amount your plant craves. Mother nature is always there for her children– the green plants.
