Root growth in winter?

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jataylor Marble Falls, TX(Zone 8a) Jan 05, 2008

This is something that I have pondered for a long time, and it is .........

Do perennial and/or dormant shrubs/trees/plants root systems still grow during the winter months?

This message was edited Jan 5, 2008 9:39 AM

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jan 05, 2008

As long as the soil stays above some temperature (not sure what that temp is though!) they will continue to grow, at least the ones that don't go dormant. Not sure about the dormant ones, but since they're dormant I would assume they're not doing much. But for the others, depending on your climate, they may grow throughout the winter or they may stop if the soil temp drops too far. Where I am in zone 9, the soil stays warm enough that I think they continue to grow for the whole winter or at least the vast majority of it. That's why I always plant things in the fall because we get all our rain in the winter, and that gives plants a chance to get really well established during the rainy season.

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NatureLover1950 Vicksburg, MS(Zone 8a) Jan 05, 2008

ecrane--I see at least you have made it safely through that bad storm that hit CA. No damage to your home? Wonder about our other DGrs out there.

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Jan 05, 2008

There's a thread going on the CA forum where people have been talking about what damage they got. I got off pretty easy--had one huge shrub get blown over, and my satellite dish got blown out of alignment so I can't watch TV, but nothing too horrible! Some people in the area are probably still without power so we haven't heard from them, but the people who have posted it's mostly damaged plants, broken pots, things like that.

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Jan 23, 2008

Perennials growing in the northern zones, like 3,4, and 5, do not have their roots grow during the cold winter months. They need their cold winter sleep to rest for the season ahead. This is the reason why some plants won't bloom in the far south, (past zone 8) including irises. Roots will grow as long as the soil remains frost-free but at a slower rate.

I have overwintered Daturas in the frige contained in plastic bag filled with damp peatmoss. No growth of roots. Be darned, how they knew spring was coming even while in the frige by sending out tiny growth spurs, along with new roots.

The fact that roots don't grow and the plants are dormant, enables growers to send plants out of season to stores to sell housed in plastic bags with peatmoss.

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