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January- The Month of Two Faces

10.01.10 | Ilona Erwin | 4 Comments

holden January painting

January, being named for the Roman god Janus, is something of a two way street in time. The name Janus means “archway” and he was a god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings [Janus. I sit and think of this pagan mythology early on Sunday morning.

I, too, look backward and forwards at the same time while ensconced in the icy white shrouds of winter frost, cold snow strewn winds, and pallid blue skies. I am the Snow Queen this month, enjoying the cover of snow- because if one must endure the cold, at least make it tolerable with snow. Of course I say that now, with the frigid temperatures preserving the pristine white of the fluffy mounds of whipped cream drifts; in the grayed and soiled snows of January melts I’m not so enamored of the treasures of the snow.

If my tiller were in good working order, which it is not, I would make use of the singular time that appears in most of my winters: a dry earth of heaved soil which when covered in snow yields the “poor man’s fertilizer”. As I learned, the snow will still give nitrogen to the ground, whether I can take advantage of the thawed, yet not soaked, earthen openings of my vegetable garden space, or not.

Snow and Nitrogen:
There is something else that happens when it snows: nitrogen is deposited by the snow and absorbed either into the soil food web residing and active at low temperatures or by plants as a result of nitrogen fixation, a microbial activity which, astonishingly enough, can take place even at low temperatures. Even when the soil is frozen, its eventual thaw can result in the absorption of nitrogen.

Well, it turns out not only snow, but rain as well, contains nitrogen compounds that were suspended in air as they formed.
It is estimated that 2 to 12 pounds of nitrogen are deposited per acre as a result of snow and rain. Most of this nitrogen comes from emissions as a result of burning fossil fuels and industrial manufacturing. The rest comes from lightning fixing atmospheric nitrogen, which makes up 70 percent of air, as I recall.
snow “the poor farmer’s fertilizer.” – Full Story
==========

Snow
Ruth Kirk, the author of “Snow”: “Snow not only insulates against low minimum temperatures but also against fluctuations.
A bare soil surface may be heated by direct sunshine, then cooled in seconds as clouds pass overhead, and its temperatures often surge drastically from day to night. Snow moderates these swings and that can be a crucial advantage.”

She also corroborates the old saw that snow is the poor farmer’s fertilizer. Ms. Kirk found evidence that snow, drawing on ions from the upper atmosphere, adds nitrates as well as some sulfates, calcium and potassium to the soil. –NYT Story

January is slow to warm in terms of outdoor work, and so it is perfect for forward looking plans and backward looking calculations. Regrets are best put to bed by facing them and creating new pictures of future efforts.

Questions I ask myself now:

  • What is reasonable to expect from my resources in the coming year? Do I have energy/money/time for the efforts I imagine?
  • How should I re-prioritize to accomplish what I would like? What life balance must be taken into account? Do I weight my desires too lightly, or too highly? 
  • Is my plan healthgiving and fruitful? Or time consuming and depleting? How can I adjust it to be more positive?
  • Am I prepared to make my dreams come true?

These questions must come first, before drawing the plans, or ordering from catalogues. The garden is such a transitory thing, it is the perfect lesson lab for life. How often has it shown me my folly of believing I held control? Or the illusion of “sheer willpower”? Burns had his wee mousie, I have memories of last year’s tomatoes.

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About Ilona Erwin

I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

DISCLOSURE: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend. If you purchase those items through my links I will earn a commission. You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. Thank you, in advance for your support! Privacy Policy

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rob (ourfrenchgarden) says

    January 10, 2010 at 6:41 pm

    Hi Ilona

    It’s the very least snow can do to insulate. It’s a covering of snow on clear nights that causes the heat to radiate away and an ensuing severe frost.

    I like your questions to ask yourself now.
    Do I weight my desires too lightly, or too highly? I wonder.

    Poor man’s fertiliser. There was 6 ins of snow here yesterday, being such a rare event I guess that makes me skint.

    Keep warm

  2. johanna_lea says

    January 10, 2010 at 10:53 pm

    nice mousie but wish i knew some
    gaelic…can you really till
    in the snow up there in january?

    we have had several 15 deg. nights.
    i havent even opened my greenhouse all week. tiny fan heater has
    probably been inadequate.

    to youall living north of me, you
    have my deepest sympathy in
    this january cold!

  3. JWLW says

    January 11, 2010 at 12:06 am

    Good Evening: Good post Ilona. A gardener that I worked for way back when I was in the eight grade always said “Snow Was A Pore Mans Fertilizer” $1.00 an hour under the table.

    Joanna: Us up in the north north are just a little colder then normal.
    We think we have lost just about everything at our place in Florida, which is south of you. Will find out soon, going there Jan. 30 for a few days.

    Have a great evening to both of you,
    John

  4. Ilona says

    January 11, 2010 at 3:59 pm

    Rob- some of those question need, and do come up perennially- especially the one you quoted :]

    Joanne- not when the ground is rock solid like this year, but many years it will have an open time, just after the “January thaw”. Small window- sometimes it comes in February. This year the temps produced a solidly frozen ground that will take more than a little time to open up, so not expecting to work in the garden for a while.

    Good wishes on your greenhouse!

    John- hope the best for your Fla. plantings and really wish I could be there at that time! Beginning to appreciate snowbird status and wish I had me some;)

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I was a garden blog pioneer, and began writing on this blog in 2003. Before that I had begun a garden website that has been at its own domain since 2006, Ilona's Garden.

I still love writing, gardening, and art after all these years, although travel and grandchildren have become a big part of my life, now.

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