Recent snowfalls contribute to production and cut costs on the farm. As Michigan farmers look to the New Year and growing season ahead, recent snows encourage optimism. In northern climates, snow can account for a significant portion of annual precipitation, increasing soil moisture essential for plant growth. Beyond this clear advantage, snow positively impacts other aspects of agriculture from soil fertility to global trade. Michigan receives average annual snowfall totals ranging from 30 inches in the southeast to as much as inches in parts of the Upper Peninsula.
This may seem like quite a bit, but it takes approximately 10 inches of snow to provide 1 inch of water. Annual precipitation totals vary much less across the state ranging between 30 and 38 inches on average.
Therefore, snow accumulation provides between 7 and 66 percent of total annual precipitation. With nearly half of the state still facing abnormally dry conditions, the value of this winter precipitation is magnified. Lightning also adds a little of its own, but in very localized pockets where strikes hit the ground. Of the three, snow is the best form of natural nitrogen.
Not only does it allow the necessary chemical reactions to take place in the soil, it also protects micronutrients and bacteria by blanketing the ground. This is only a benefit if the soil is not frozen. Most of the nitrogen laced snow that falls on frozen ground will be lost as runoff since the soil cannot soak it in. So take heart if you are chaining up your loader tractor to move snow here on May 2. Atmospheric nitrogen tends to be high following a dry year suggesting there is N to be had in the snow today.
Some will tell you that every cloud has a silver lining. When it snowed in Brooking, SD in the early spring of they received 9 inches of snow. This contained the equivalent of about 2 inches of water. The nitrate-N content of the snow was 0. This was equivalent to only 0. Not exactly a windfall of nitrogen, but also very typical nitrogen precipitation concentrations for this area.
The National Atmospheric Deposition Program NADP has measured nitrogen and other nutrients in precipitation for a number of stations around the country for over 30 years. In this case, every spring snow has a nitrogen lining. Did you know that compost is the 1 thing you can do for your garden?
Join the waitlist for my next FREE composting mini-class. Check out my Joy of Composting Facebook page. To contact me by email: marion at marionowenalaska. January 17, Written by marionowen. Further Reading Eating primroses and beating tomatoes Organic gardening in Kodiak, Alaska April 11, September 24,
0コメント