Re: Winter dormancy
frances howey wrote:
>
> Hello again: I am puzzled by winter dormancy in my indoor plants.
> Supposedly, some plants will go dormant because they just "need a rest".
> Others will go dormant if it is too cold but otherwise will continue to
> bloom. Several plants immediately dropped their leaves when they came
> indoors (they are in pots outdoors in the summer) - but have now, in very
> late fall, started to put out fresh leaves. To me, that is the signal to
> begin watering and fertilizing. So they must either be put under a bench
> somewhere and allowed to be totally dry; or they should receive only
> maintenance watering to keep them alive; or they should be watered as usual.
> Is there some "rule of thumb" or signal from the plant itself about this -
> or should you either learn from your own sometimes sad experience or else
> read what others have discovered from theirs? Thanks for your ideas on
> this.
Frances
I suspect the plants which lost their leaves when you brought them in
were not in fact going dormant, but merely protesting at a sudden change
in climate (dryer atmosphere, maybe?). This seems to be born out by the
fact they are putting out new growth. Unless and until this new activity
ceases, I guess it should be business as usual, with the proviso that
watering should be fairly cautious for everything during the colder
weather and some drying of the surface soil allowed between
applications.
I think you would be making a mistake in forcing dormancy upon them just
yet. Plants indoors which do go dormant in winter are not necessarily
responding to low temperatures, but often as much to low light levels.
If both temperature and light are sustained artificially, the majority
would probably forgo dormancy altogether.
My glasshouse is maintained to a minimum of 10C (50F) all winter, but on
sunny days often rises several degree higher. The majority of plants
continue to grow and some to flower under this regime, but a few stop
growing about midwinter and show no sign of activity for the next two
months or so. As the house has no artificial lighting I presume they are
sent to sleep by short days and generally low light levels. As most of
the plants I grow are naturally evergreen, they do not necessarily drop
their leaves when dormant, but may simply look pinched and miserable.
What is most essential is to avoid much moisture at this time either at
the roots or in the air around them, as dormant plants so easily succumb
to rots either of the foliage or of the roots.
You do not in fact say what sort of plants you are talking about. If
some of them are summer-flowering bubs such as Hippeastrums, they do
indeed need to be forced into dormancy in autumn and kept so until early
spring. Otherwise the are unlikely to set flowers for next season.
Moira
--
Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
Wainuiomata, New Zealand. (on the "Ring of Fire" in the SW Pacific).
Lat. 41:16S Long. 174:58E. Climate: Mediterranean/Temperate
