To revive a dormant plant indoors, bring it back into indirect light. Give it a thorough watering and a boost of fertilizer (diluted at half strength) to encourage new growth. Do not move any potted plants back outdoors until all threat of frost or freezing temps has passed.
However, if the seed does not detect optimal conditions for growth, it will remain in dormancy until you provide it with just enough soil, oxygen, water and sunlight. These four factors are key to the growth and development of the plant at all stages of growth and even after.
Dormant plants need less frequent watering than those in active growth. (If planting in a low desert region, a watering once every 2 weeks may be needed if day temperatures are hot.) Check under the mulch. If the soil feels dry, then water lightly.
When seeds have been exposed to low temperatures for long enough, a process called cold stratification triggers the conclusion of dormancy. If environmental conditions are optimal at this time, the seeds can germinate. This is all managed by plant hormones.
If plants overwintered in a cool, dark location and were watered every 18 days, simply relocate plants to a warm room with bright indirect sunlight, and keep the soil lightly moist from here on. In the second week, apply plant food in place of water.
Throughout the winter your plant is still going to need some water. If the soil gets completely dry, the plant can die of desiccation. While regular watering isn't necessary, monitor the moisture level and water if the soil is dry.
Find a Good Overwintering Place
In another house I used a minimally heated outbuilding, and now I have a basement. Light is not a factor for dormant plants, though weak winter light won't hurt them.
The plants are dormant only because of cold or cool weather. Warmer temperatures into the mid-40s will cause them to begin growth. Once the plants start to grow, they lose the ability to readjust to colder temperatures.
Just like we need sleep, most plants need a period of dormancy to rest. Knowing whether your plants are dormant or dying can be a bit tricky since many of the symptoms are the same. The typical traits going into dormancy include wilting, dropping leaves, and even looking utterly dead for some plants.
Plants generally go dormant in response to adverse growing conditions, such as those of the coldest months, November through January. (Grass lawns can go dormant during periods of intense heat or drought in summer.)
According to Costa Farms horticulturist, Justin Hancock, there are some misperceptions about winter dormancy and houseplants. “Houseplants don't actually go dormant like a lot of people think,” he says. They do, however, react to the climatic changes in your home. Your home is dryer in the winter.
Dormant and resting plants will droop, their leaves will sometimes turn yellow and drop, and they won't put on any new growth. If you're still not sure, you can try the scratch and snap test. Scratch a little off the surface of a mature stem, and if it's green inside, it's still alive.
Soaking seeds in warm water for up to 24 hours is one way to break dormancy and get seeds to germinate faster. Seeds with thinner seed coats should be soaked for 12 hours or less. moisten. Fill a container to the top with moist soil.
"Once a plant is dormant, foliage growth may slow down, and in some cases, a few leaves may fall off, but the roots will continue to grow and thrive."
Dormant plants are less likely to suffer from dehydration. Without mature leaves and blooms to support, they can focus their energy below the soil, sending out healthy roots to find water and nutrients.
A plant also needs to be repotted if roots are growing out of the drainage hole, or if the plant requires frequent watering or wilts shortly after watering. Repot only as needed during spring and summer while the plant is actively growing. Do not repot ailing or dormant plants or those beginning to flower.
In cold weather, water should be trickled slowly into the soil. Water only when air temperatures are above 40 degrees F. Apply water at mid-day so there is time to soak in before possible freezing at night.
To protect planted terra-cotta and glazed containers left outdoors, wrap the sides of the pots with layers of bubble wrap or burlap covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from absorbing additional moisture once the plants go dormant and their water requirements are minimal.
Avoid watering when temperatures are below 40°F or when sustained freezing temperatures are expected within 24 hours as this water will freeze and not be available to the plants.
Can We Use Sugar Water For Dying Plants? Although it is not considered a fertilizer, you can use sugar if your plants aren't doing so well. Sugar water in plants can help the microorganisms in the soil break down all the nutrients. It is vastly not recommended, though, to use just the sugar as plant food to save them.
If the soil is dry compact and cracked, inadequate water is probably the issue. This kind of damage can be corrected quickly if you catch it in time. It's easy to rehydrate dry plants. Pour water into the plant's pot until it runs freely from the drainage holes in the bottom.
Dormancy of trees can be divided arbitrarily into three phases: early rest, winter rest, and after-rest. Each of these phases is marked by a distinct set of physiological processes. The transition between the three phases is gradual.