Anyone with snow is being urged not to clear it from their gardens (Image: Alex Evans)
Days of snow, ice and frost have left gardens up and down the country covered in snow through this week – and with freezing temperatures, much of the white stuff has simply been locked in place, frozen under a covering of treacherous black ice.
After days of and forecasts and yellow and amber weather warnings for snow from the , the predictions finally came to pass and snow hit much of the north of England, Scotland and Wales.
But those with in their are being warned not to clear it from their lawn, flowerbeds or raised beds.
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It might seem like layers of and ice on your carefully managed green space are going to be damaging, but actually, snow has some useful benefits for your over the winter.
Snow acts as an insulator, keeping the soil and grass warm underneath when conditions are at their most freezing.
Not only that, but it’s also full of nutrients which enrich the soil just the same as rainwater, except it’s frozen.
Gardening experts Planfor.co.uk said: “Because it contains a lot of air, snow is an excellent insulating material.
“It plays a protective role against the cold as soon as it reaches 5cm in thickness and is not too wet (powder snow). If snow falls on the ground before a period of harsh frost (temperature below -5°C), the soil will not get cold as quickly and not as intensely.
“Therefore, do not remove snow from a fragile plant if a spell of colder weather is forecast!
“ has the particularity of enriching the soil with azote as it drags, in its fall, Azote compounds. They do not replace fertiliser but stimulate soil’s life. Hence the saying (a little exaggerated!): ‘snow in February is as good as manure’.
“, in any case stimulates the microbial life of soil. In melting slowly, it allows the soil to get well soaked.”
The only thing gardeners should worry about is the weight on tree branches. Too much snow on trees can cause branches to snap and fall, potentially landing on greenhouses, sheds, cars or even people, so it may be best to clear snow off any trees which you want to keep safe.