MINOT, ND (KXNET) — Leaders from the North Central Research Extension say the winter kill didn't happen as early as you would have thought here in North Dakota, especially in the Minot and Bismarck areas. Now, winter kill happens when plants are unable to get water from the frozen ground, causing them to "burn" from a lack of moisture. Usually, winter kill takes place in September and October, when you see frost. For cover crops, the winter kill comes later in November. Lawmakers push for minimum wage increase in Legislative session Those with the Extension Service say this is good because they got a little bit more growth out of their cover crops helping them build their soil health. People growing perennials noticed that dormancy started later, and for crops and plants, snow acts like insulation. "So if you do have our horticultural plants, different grasses and you get that snow cover early. We get a snow cover before a good hard frost, you actually create a barrier. This barrier will act as insulation in a way, so it creates a warmth of the soil and the plants, so they can actually extend the life of them. But if we don't get a warming spell to melt that snow back off again, the plants will just die anyways because our temperatures here in North Dakota just keep dropping lower and lower," said Chandler Gruener, the soil health specialist at the North Central Research Extension in Minot. Gruener says by mid-November our soil temperature is actually below 34 degrees and this is when the plants can't grow and die off. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Today's Top Stories SIGN UP NOW