Plants' capacity to revive after winter is one of the most important factors in temperate and subarctic ecosystems. But how do they do it?
“Most people think it gets warmer, we all learn this in grade school,” says Scott Aker. “And the buds start coming on the trees.” However, as he goes on to explain, the development has more to do with the length of the night, rather than the temperature.
The Atlantic.
Nevertheless, temperature matters too. As Aker further expounds, “If you suddenly get cold, those buds get the signal to hang way back.” Sometimes, when temperatures and day length get out of whack trees can be confused, interfering with the process of blooming and fruiting for the year.