February 15, 2025, 4:55 pm | Read time: 2 minutes
The poem “Winter Landscape” by Christian Friedrich Hebbel begins: “The white expanse stretches endlessly” – and it always looks exactly the same when it has snowed. But what if the first early bloomers are already revealing their leaves and are then covered in snow?
This winter, the weather conditions are rather volatile. It’s ups and downs, confirmed meteorologist Jörg Riemann from Wettermanufaktur in an interview with myHOMEBOOK. Sometimes, there can be just one day between mild temperatures and snow. After a mild phase in which the first early bloomers have grown, snow follows – and then? Do you have to remove the snow if it covers the early bloomers?
Do You Have to Remove Snow from Early Bloomers?
When the first early bloomers can be seen in the pots on the balcony and in the meadows, it’s a sign that spring won’t be long in coming. But when winter spontaneously strikes again and hides the early bloomers under a blanket of snow, some hobby gardeners worry about their plants. However, this worry is unfounded, as Isabell van Groeningen from the Royal Garden Academy explains: “The weight of the snow is only dangerous for hedges and topiary. They should be freed. For everyone else, it acts like an insulating, cozy down blanket that protects the plants.”
Snow has an insulating effect, and according to Ökotest, temperatures hardly ever fall below zero degrees under a loose blanket of snow: “This is due to the low thermal conductivity of dry and loose snow,” it says.
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You Should Remove the Snow from These Plants
There are plants from which snow should be removed – especially if it is wet and heavy. These include sensitive plants such as roses and hydrangeas. “Branches of evergreen, finely branched shrubs or old trees can also break easily under the weight of the snow,” says Ökotest. Hedges should also be cleared of snow, according to Isabell van Groeningen.