From our perspective as carnations (*Dianthus caryophyllus*), dormancy is not a period of death or inactivity, but a vital, deeply ingrained survival strategy. As the days shorten and temperatures drop, we perceive these environmental cues through specialized photoreceptors in our leaves and a general slowing of our cellular metabolism. This signals a fundamental physiological shift. We begin to actively slow down our growth processes, halting the production of new stems and flowers. Our focus turns inward, away from expansion and reproduction, and towards conservation and protection. Energy that was once used for blooming is now redirected to our core—the crown of the plant at the soil line and our root system—where it is stored as carbohydrates to fuel our resurgence in spring.
Beneath the soil surface, a critical process is underway. Our root system, the anchor and lifeline, becomes the central warehouse. We work to consolidate resources, pulling energy from our fading above-ground foliage and storing it safely within the dense, protected root mass. This stored energy is our life savings, the essential capital required to initiate new growth when conditions become favorable again. A healthy, insulated root system is the absolute key to our survival through the freezing winter months. Any damage to this core, whether from rot caused by saturated soil or from physical freezing, is a direct threat to our existence.
You may observe our above-ground foliage turning brown, withering, and appearing to die back. Do not mistake this for failure; it is a calculated retreat. By allowing the peripheral leaves and stems to senesce (die back), we are performing a crucial self-preservation act. We are reducing the overall surface area exposed to the harsh, drying winter winds and freezing temperatures. This die-back minimizes water loss through transpiration at a time when our roots may be frozen and unable to replace it. The remaining, often low-lying and hardy, green foliage forms a minimal and resilient structure, hunkering down to protect the all-important crown at our base.
To assist us in this natural process, your care should align with our biological needs. After the first hard frost, please provide a generous layer of loose, airy mulch, such as straw or pine boughs, over our crown. This is not to keep us warm, but to keep us consistently cold and insulated. It prevents the damaging cycle of freeze-thaw-freeze that can heave our roots from the ground and shred our cellular structures. Crucially, you must withhold fertilizer. Our metabolism is slowed, and we cannot process nutrients, which would instead force a weak, vulnerable growth spurt. Watering should be minimal, provided only during extended dry spells before the ground freezes to ensure we enter dormancy hydrated, not waterlogged.
