Why Snow is Good for Spring Bulbs

Crocus Pickwick on a chilly, early spring morning.

It’s been an unusually cold and snowy winter for the eastern half of the country. Rarely have so many been so eager for spring.

While we have been shoveling, trying to keep the car out of ditch and warming our cold toes, the bulbs in our gardens have been quite happy about all the snow.

Early-blooming miniature daffodil Tete a Tete 

Snow is a great insulator, so soil that is covered with a blanket of snow stays warmer than bare soil. This means when the snow does eventually melt, we are likely to find less frost in the ground than normal. Though spring bulbs have an uncanny ability to push their way up through frozen soil, their journey is much easier when the soil is soft.

Melting snow also hydrates the soil. This ensures spring bulbs get the moisture they need to produce strong roots, lush foliage and big flowers.

Blue Beauty tulips with Muscari armeniacum in the background.

So as we wait for the weather to turn, it’s good to know that millions of crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, tulip and allium bulbs are awake, sprouted and heading for the surface. In a few short weeks they will have changed our world from black and white to color!