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.
The typical traits going into dormancy include wilting, dropping leaves, and even looking utterly dead for some plants. For others, it may just mean not putting out any new growth over the winter. Dormancy can be caused by seasonal changes or environmental stress.
During dormancy, plants stop growing and conserve energy until better cultural conditions present themselves. This happens naturally as seasons and weather changes. And it can also be artificially controlled to store plants for shipping or to get them to flower for particular holidays.
These processes include respiration, photosynthesis, some cell division, enzyme synthesis, production of growth stimulators, and dissipation of growth inhibitors. Dormancy of trees can be divided arbitrarily into three phases: early rest, winter rest, and after-rest.
What does it mean when a plant goes “dormant”? In gardening, the term “dormancy” refers to a perennial plant's state of temporary metabolic inactivity or minimal activity. Plants generally go dormant in response to adverse growing conditions, such as those of the coldest months, November through January.
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.
Despite the fact your plants are dormant and brown, they should still be watered periodically. Plants that remain dehydrated in winter months often don't survive until spring. Not only does this create extra landscaping costs in warmer months, it can actually damage your plumbing.
But how do they know when it's time? Perennials have a temperature memory that tracks both time and temperature, ultimately allowing them to figure out how cold it has been and for how long. By keeping tabs on interactions among proteins, plants identify when to activate the core gene that breaks dormancy.
High-temperature treatment: Incubation at 40-50 °C for a few hours to a few days may have an effect in overcoming dormancy in some species. For instance, rice seeds treated with hot water at 40°C for at least 4 hours. Plant growth regulators or other chemicals can be used in induced germination growth regulators.
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.
Simply put, plants go into dormancy because during the winter there is too little natural light to support active growth. You can avoid this by using grow lights, but that is not recommended. Plants really do need a time of rest. Most plants shut down for winter, as if to say, “we're closed”.
Depending on the plant, dormancy and cold acclimation can take days to weeks to be achieved. Triggered by changes in the angle of the sun, shorter day lengths, and cooler temperatures, plant hormones provide an initial signal that induces dormancy and cold tolerance.
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.
Houseplants may not go fully dormant, but they'll most often show signs of winter dormancy as the temperatures start to cool and the days have less light. You'll be able to tell this is happening when growth starts to slow and your plants begin dropping some leaves. But don't worry!
Bareroot plants are sold in spring and must be planted as soon as possible after purchase. Proper planting is critical to their survival and long-term success. Note that bareroot plants are slow to "wake up." Expect to wait four to six weeks after planting until you see signs of growth.
As their growth rate slows down, Mast notes that most plants actually need less water in the winter, since overwatering can lead to root rot. But that doesn't mean you should ignore your plants, either. "I always suggest pushing your finger about two inches down into the soil and only water if it feels dry," she says.
Water for Plants During Winter
Your plants won't need as much water during their dormancy as they do in the spring and summer, but be sure to water them deeply a few times a month.
While nearly all plants go dormant in winter, dormancy can also happen during times of stress—such as extreme heat or drought—when a plant might shed its leaves in order to conserve what little moisture may be available to it.
Extreme heat is not only stressful for many plants, but it can actually make many of them go dormant and stop growing – even if they are kept well watered. High heat can also keep plants from setting any fruit because extremely hot temperatures can kill the pollen.
The only plants that don't go dormant during the winter are annuals, which are only capable of surviving for a single growing season, and must be replanted each year for continual enjoyment.
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.
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.
It's common for woodland plants to go dormant by late summer. Some examples are spring beauties, Virginia bluebells, bloodroot and Jack-in-the-pulpit. Popular flowering plants that often go dormant in summer include oriental poppies, delphinium, some species of bleeding heart and lupines.
When To Stop Watering Plants in Fall. When the air and soil temperatures consistently fall below 40 F, it's time to stop watering. The ground can't absorb water once the top few inches freeze. Continue to water your plants up until this point so they're as well-hydrated as possible going into winter.