{"id":52010,"date":"2023-12-07T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.com\/?p=52010"},"modified":"2026-11-05T16:03:07","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T00:03:07","slug":"when-do-trees-go-dormant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/?p=52010","title":{"rendered":"When Do Trees Go Dormant?"},"content":{"rendered":"<section><p><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">When do trees go dormant? Understanding this simple fact can save you a lot of distress over many years of gardening. In this post, 3 Dads Tree Service, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/?page_id=51463\" style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><strong>Crescent City&#8217;s trusted tree service<\/strong><\/a><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">, explains more about trees entering dormancy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:post-content --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:image {\"id\":52013,\"sizeSlug\":\"full\",\"linkDestination\":\"none\"} --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/when-do-trees-go-dormant.jpg\" alt=\"when do trees go dormant\" class=\"wp-image-52013\" \/><\/figure>\n<p><!-- \/wp:image --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:heading --><\/p>\n<h2><b>It\u2019s Perfectly Natural<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s a good time for deciduous trees to shed their leaves during the fall or during hard times. Some people see the bare branches and believe their tree is dead when it\u2019s merely conserving its resources. For those not experienced in<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/extension.umn.edu\/planting-and-growing-guides\/pruning-trees-and-shrubs\"> <b>tree care<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, they can find it challenging to tell if the plant is dormant or dead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Is the Tree Dead?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most of the time, if the leaves change color and fall off, your tree\u2019s fine. However, if the leaves wither on the stems, it usually means a bad sign. You should scratch into the bark of the branch you plan to check. If it\u2019s green and moist inside, the tree\u2019s alive.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the branch seems dry and brittle, you should repeat the test on another branch. The branch should be flexible with green tissue on the inside. If you find it brittle, it\u2019s dead. If you notice soft places, it\u2019s rotting\u2014another bad sign. Pay attention to any <a href=\"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/?p=52332\">splitting bark<\/a>, which can indicate disease or insect infestation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, look for signs of wood-boring insects. These include tiny holes and mud tubes. Tear away a little of the bark, and you\u2019ll see the insects inside.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you suspect your tree is dead, call us to perform a risk assessment as soon as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Why Do Trees Go Dormant?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can think of a tree\u2019s leaves as mini solar panels. Each leaf works at high efficiency to capture sunlight and use it as an energy source. The leaves draw nutrients and moisture from the roots and, through photosynthesis, convert them into sugar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This sugar fuels further growth, and the roots store any excess the tree makes. In winter, when the days become shorter, and water proves more scarce, it makes more sense for the tree to shed its leaves. By doing so, it reduces the surface area over which water can evaporate. The tree slows down its growth cycle to preserve the sugars it stored during spring and summer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As further evidence of how clever nature is, the leaves flutter to the ground, creating a natural mulch. This layer slowly decomposes, releasing nutrients back into the soil.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the temperatures warm up, the tree wakes up feeling refreshed and ready for another season of hard work. They stretch out their branches and wiggle their roots to get growing again.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How Dormant Are the Trees?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s tempting to think of trees undergoing a type of hibernation, but that\u2019s not entirely accurate. You simply don\u2019t see the activity beneath the surface. The roots will continue to grow and look for water sources, albeit at a slower pace, while the visible parts might require attention, such as<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/?p=52240\"> <b>treating brown spots on tree leaves<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Need Help With Your Trees?\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you know the answer to \u201cWhen do trees go dormant?\u201d Do you need us to assess one of your plants? Are you considering<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/?p=51945\"> <b>backyard tree removal<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or other projects you need an arborist for? Call 3 Dads Tree Service <\/span><a href=\"tel:7075066602\"><b>(707) 506-6602<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to schedule a professional consultation today!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading --><\/p><\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When do trees go dormant? Understanding this simple fact can save you a lot of distress over many years of gardening. In this post, 3 Dads Tree Service, Crescent City&#8217;s trusted tree service, explains more about trees entering dormancy.\u00a0 It\u2019s Perfectly Natural It\u2019s a good time for deciduous trees to shed their leaves during the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-tree-related-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=52010"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53614,"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52010\/revisions\/53614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=52010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=52010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3dadstreeservice.the360tools.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=52010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}