It is said that snow is “the fertilizer of the poor.” How does snow fertilize the soil and promote plant growth?

Weather of Arabia - The accumulated snow covers the ground as a blanket that reveals, after melting, a green suit of plants and herbs that flourished due to the snowfall. Some may think that the reason for this is that the snow has irrigated the land and plants with water, but the truth is that the snow fertilizes the soil and brings great benefits on it, so how?

Snow fertilizes the soil and supplies it with nitrogen

As it falls through the atmosphere, snow collects some particulates (such as sulfur) and some nitrogen from the atmosphere. When snow collects on the soil it slowly melts, allowing a slow release of nitrogen along with moisture through the soil.

Although the atmosphere contains a large amount of nitrogen gas (nitrogen gas makes up 78% of our atmosphere) plants and animals can only use it when the nitrogen gas is "fixed" in the usable form of nitrate or ammonium.

Most of this nitrogen fixation is carried out by specialized anaerobic bacteria that live within the root nodules of leguminous plants (such as peas and beans). As a result, there is not much nitrogen left in the soil.

Therefore, snow is important in providing the soil with nitrogen, which is converted in the soil into ammonia (NH3) so that plants can benefit from it. Snowfall nourishes our gardens and farms so that crops flourish next spring.

Snow blanket

Another benefit of snow in promoting plant growth is that snow forms an insulating blanket on the ground so that its properties protect the soil and plants from drying out resulting from the wind and the drop in air temperatures, and it also helps isolate plants whose roots are exposed and exposed to the air.

Bulb plants such as lilies and garlic, which need cool temperatures to grow, can benefit from snow cover, which provides moisture and fertilization and prevents frost, so some people pile snow around newly planted trees for added protection and insulation.