Artificial snow it is eagerly used when making Christmas decorations. It appears on decorations, windows, Christmas trees, and even plants associated with holidays, such as .
It looks great and makes any decoration look amazing. It also creates a characteristic winter atmosphere indoors, which is very helpful if there is no snow outside. But is artificial snow safe for real plants?
Artificial snow is intended to be a replacement for real snow. At the same time, what matters is its durability – as long as it doesn’t melt or flake off, throughout holiday season a plant covered with it will look like it is covered with white fluff.
Artificial snow most often contains cellulose, water-absorbing polymers, dyes or light synthetic fibers. Usually, these types of products do not contain ingredients that could be dangerous to humans, but they can still harm plants – especially if they are covered with a thick layer.
Artificial snow can harm plants because it limits their access to light and air. Strong adhesion to the plant surface and thick snow cover are a recipe for trouble. Especially if it remains on the plants for many weeks, it negatively affects them. Living plants may react to a similar decoration by drying out the ends or weakening the shoots.
It is worth checking at the time of purchase whether the plant – despite its similar decoration – is in good condition. This way we will know how she reacted to it. If we notice in the store that the plant we have chosen has, for example, broken shoots or dull needles, artificial snow will certainly not help it get back into shape.
Small, delicate leaves may not cope with such a decoration. Let’s also check whether the ground is not covered with it, as artificial snow will absorb water and dry out the ground.
Fortunately, we can try to remove artificial snow from the purchased specimen. First, try to shake the plant gently and remove the more stubborn particles using a soft brush. We can try to rinse off the thick layer with a short shower. Let’s use lukewarm water for this. After a similar treatment, the plant must be dried well and placed in a warm place.
