Snow as a protector and insulator
By ROBERT KESSLER Penn State Cooperative Extension Franklin County office

COMING EVENTS

Jan. 25 - Franklin County Extension Annual meeting, 7 p.m., Kauffman Community Center.

Feb. 2 - Starting Seeds, sponsored by Franklin County Master Gardeners, Franklin County Extension office.

Feb. 13 - Eight-Week Workshop in Landscape Design & Plant Selection, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Franklin County Master Gardeners, Franklin County Extension office

Feb. 13 - Pesticide License Exam, 9 a.m., Extension office.

Feb. 18 - Tri County Winter Vegetable and Greenhouse Growers meeting, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Shippensburg Area Senior High School.

March 10 - Franklin County Turf & Ornamental Meeting, 8:30 a.m., Penn State Mont Alto.

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SNOW INSULATION

One of the values of snow is that it is a good insulator and protects plants from the cold. This is probably hard to understand how something frozen can protect a plant from the cold, but it does work.

It is estimated that a ten inch snowfall has the same insulation value as six inches of fiberglass insulation. It protects the ground underneath from the freezing temperatures because of the insulating value and that the ground is warmer than the air, even if the ground surface is frozen too.

Snow also protects plants from the freezing and thawing action of winter. With a snow cover, this doesn't happen. Without snow, you can get plants heaved out of the ground.

I have seen alfalfa plants heaved out of the ground four to five inches. This action will kill the plant because the roots are broken and

dry out when

exposed above ground.

You can use the insulating value of snow to protect tender perennials in your landscape. Even if we only have light snow, take a shovel or two of snow and pile it on the plants that are more likely to suffer winter injury.

WINTER LANDSCAPES

The snow last week reminded me of how bleak our winter landscape can be. Without snow, most landscapes can be fairly plain. And when it snows, we go from plain to white. I do love it when it's white, but sometimes people like a little bit more interest in the landscape. These are a few things you can do with your landscape to make it more interesting in the future.

First locate the areas in your yard that you often view in the winter. Then identify areas that you can add plants next year to make those more attractive.

Green is the most noticeable color in the winter. There are a wide range of plants you can use to add green to your yard, such as broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons and mountain laurel. You can also plant fir, spruce and pine trees. Often just adding a single plant as a specimen plant can make a dramatic change to an area.

Some plants offer color that is appealing. The Red twigged dogwood has bright red young stems that are very attractive. As these stems get more mature, they lose that red color so some pruning each year is necessary to have the red color. There is also a yellow twig dogwood too.

Ornamental grasses also provide a lot of winter interest to a landscape. They will maintain their large seed plumes, which can provide a lot of winter interest to a landscape.

Some trees and shrubs have interesting branches that can provide winter interest. Harry Lauders Walking Stick is a plant that is rather plain with its leaves, but in the winter the shape of its limbs gives it a lot of landscape appeal. Bald cypress and Dawn redwood have an attractive structure in a winter setting.

Some plants will hold their fruits into the winter, which can add a lot of winter interest. Washington hawthorns will hold their fruit through the winter. The bittersweet, holly, crabapple, bayberry, viburnum also holds berries into the winter.

For a plant that blooms in the winter, plant a Witch Hazel, which has varieties that bloom in different months of the winter to add a spot of color to a landscape.

As you drive by other peoples' houses in the winter months, what catches your eye the most. Take note of what it is that you see in other people's yards and add that to your yard next year to improve your winter appeal.

ENERGY SAVING TIPS

Windows can be one area that you can improve your energy efficiency in your home. If you have simgle pane windows you should consider replacing them with energy star windows, which are highly energy efficient. That is a big expense that you might not want to have right now, so what else can you do?

You can use a heavy duty clear plastic on the inside of your windows. You can put it on a frame that you can fit into your window opening or you can tape the plastic to the frame of the window. Either method will reduce air infiltration from your window and create a dead air pocket. If you have a lot of air leaking around your windows, the plastic might get tight so check the edges of the plastic frequently to be sure that it is taped properly.

You can also use heavy drapes or window shades to help hold back cold air from windows. Some shades are insulated and can fit tightly to present drafts.

On sunny days, open the blinds on the windows on the south side of your house. The winter sun can help heat up your home. Keep your window clean to let in as much sunlight as possible.

You can do an insulation audit of your home. Do you know how much insulation is in your attic? If not take a ruler and go to the attic and measure it. If you have fiberglass insulation, the insulating value of the material is an "r" value of around 3+ per inch of insulation. An attic should have an "r" value of 33, so there should be ten inches in the attic. If not, you could save energy by adding more insulation over what is already there. Be sure you use an insulation that doesn't have a vapor barrier if you are adding over existing insulation. If you have an older home you may have a home that has no insulation, so you should definitely add insulation to your attic. Most home centers have both fiberglass insulation and cellulose that can be blown into the attic space. You may want to hire a contractor to do the job for you as this can be a big job.