WAITE PARK, Minn. — Late winter and early spring in the Midwest weather can be confusing. A few days of unseasonably warm temperatures and melting snow can make it feel like early spring. Then the next day we have below freezing temperatures with snow falling. It can be confusing for us, but does it confuse plants as well?
Perennial plants start going into a dormancy period in late summer to protect them through the upcoming winter. Temperatures start to decrease, and nights grow longer triggering this adaptation. What causes plants to wake up from this dormancy? Each plant species has its own requirements to meet before it breaks dormancy. As an example, the average tree and shrub will need 24° to 50° F for approximately 4 to 8 weeks for bud break to start. Combine that with the growing day length, and plants start to wake up. With weather fluctuating between warm temperatures and below freezing temperatures, we may see some plants waking up a little earlier than they would historically. There has been some interesting research out of the University of Illinois that shows that for some plants, the day length plays a stronger role in breaking dormancy than temperature does. This can be reassuring with fluctuating temperatures that we have experienced recently.
When temperatures dip down below freezing after dormancy has broken, how will this affect the plants? New plant growth is susceptible to cold damage. Most of the time plants can overcome the damage when new growth replaces the damaged areas. Plants that need energy to recover from cold damage might experience a decrease in productivity in that growing season. For tender perennials, wait until the danger of freezing temperatures has passed before uncovering the plants if they were covered with mulch or straw. If trees and shrubs have started their bud break period, it is best to postpone pruning until next winter.
Residents of Stearns, Benton, Morrison, and Sherburne counties can direct questions to ([email protected]) or call (320) 255-6169 x 3
–Quincy Sadowski, University of Minnesota Extension
The post Confusing Weather, Confusing Plants? appeared first on Morning Ag Clips.