A recent column focused on plants blooming in December. This column addresses plants that grow during the winter months, typically prepare for blooming in the spring and are dormant during the summer months.

This column is an updated and expanded version of a column from two years ago.

Today’s image gallery includes examples of winter-growing succulents from my garden, often showing them in bloom during the spring.

Plant dormancy is a process of plant functioning. Other essential methods include photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration and seed germination.

Dormancy is a period of arrested plant growth. It is a strategy that enables many plant species to survive during periods unsuitable for development. Depending on the plant, these periods might be hot, cold or dry.

Plants are triggered to enter dormancy either when their biological clock prepares them for freezing temperatures or water shortages or when unexpected environmental conditions require a protective response.

Regular dormancy periods can be altered by chemical treatment (which can break dormancy for some woody plants) or, more importantly for home gardeners, by indoor cultivation (which limits extremes of temperature and maintains adequate moisture).

Gardeners in temperate climate regions, such as the Monterey Bay area, might observe lessened dormancy (some shrubs might slowly drop their foliage during the winter).

Dormancy periods are apparent in many plants, particularly deciduous trees and shrubs, herbaceous annuals and perennials, and bulbous plants. Dormancy can be less evident with succulent plants, but it is still a necessary process that gardeners should recognize.

There are two categories of dormancy in succulent plant genera: summer dormant (winter growers) and winter dormant (summer growers). As with other categories of plants, these are guides and not firm distinctions, and some species could function differently.

Summer dormant (winter growers) are typically dormant from May through August when the months are warmer. Their growth occurs mainly during fall, winter and early spring, and slows during winter’s coldest months (January and February).

Winter dormant (summer growers) are typically plants adapted to the Northern Hemisphere. They are dormant from November through February. They grow during summer the spring, summer and fall months. They might rest during the hottest summer months, then burst back into growth in September and October.Here are examples of winter-growing plants.

• Succulents: dudleya (Dudleya spp.), aeoniums (Aeonium spp.), graptopetalum (Graptopetalum spp.), sempervivum (Sempervivum spp.) and kalanchoe luciae (paddle plant).

• California natives: California poppy (eschscholzia californica), California lilacs (Ceanothus spp.), lupines (Lupinus spp.), clarkia (Clarkia spp.) and soap plant (Chlorogalum pomeridianum).

• Mediterranean perennials: manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.) and fremontodendron (Fremontodendron spp.).

• Bulbs: wild onions (Allium spp.), mariposa lilies (Calochortus spp.), brodiaea (Brodiaea spp.) and fairy lanterns (Calochortus albus).

• Annuals: filaree (Erodium spp.) and fiddleneck (Amsinckia spp.).

The most important consideration related to a plant’s life cycle is irrigation. Plants need moisture during their growth periods and want little or no water while in dormancy. The general rule is to water only when the soil is dry, and the leaves are shrinking.

Another critical consideration is scheduling planting, transplanting or propagating plants in the garden. Plants are best prepared during their growing seasons to recover quickly from the move and adjust to their new location.

The spring season is a popular period for adding plants to the landscape because garden centers display plants in spring bloom. From the plant’s perspective, however, the growing season is the preferred time to install new plants or transplant existing plants because they will establish roots readily in the new location.

For this reason, schedule plant installations before or during the plant’s growing season. Install the winter growers in January or February (or during summer dormancy) and winter dormant plants in March or April.

This timing also applies to propagating plants: dividing perennials or bulbs or starting cuttings from trees, woody shrubs or herbaceous perennials.

Again, the temperate climate of the Monterey Bay area moderates temperatures so that gardeners can move plants successfully during much of the year. Gardening in this supportive climate leads to success! Still, it’s better to avoid the hottest and coldest months.

Advance your gardening knowledge

Plant descriptions often indicate the plant’s hardiness, referring to the lowest temperature it will survive. The descriptions do not identify summer dormant (winter growers) and winter dormant (summer growers) to guide the gardener to the ideal schedule for planting, transplanting or propagating the plant.

The gardener’s challenge is determining the best time to plant, transplant or propagate a given plant.

Meeting this challenge involves the “farmer’s almanac” approach, observing the emergence of new growth, indicating the start of the growing season. New growth might appear as sprouts at the plant’s base or at the terminals of the plant’s branches. To plant, transplant or propagate a plant prior to this growing period requires taking note of new growth during the prior year.

For California native plants, visit the online resource calscape.org and search for a specific plant’s Flowering Season and Seasonality.

Artificial intelligence is an increasingly helpful and quick strategy. For example, a Google inquiry, “when to plant manzanita,” produces: “The best time to plant a manzanita is in late fall or early winter. This is because the plant will have the best chance to grow deep roots during the moist season, which is important for its survival and can help you save on water.”

This week in the garden

Weed control: Use damp soil to pull weeds before they set seed. Removing weeds now will prevent competition with desired plants during the growing season.

Irrigation check: Inspect irrigation systems for leaks or clogs. Adjust timers for reduced winter watering needs, but ensure young or frost-sensitive plants receive adequate moisture.

Pruning: Prune dormant fruit trees, such as apples, pears and plums, to shape them, remove deadwood and encourage healthy growth. Avoid pruning stone fruits like cherries and apricots in damp weather to prevent diseases like bacterial canker.

Perennials and shrubs: Cut back dormant perennials and ornamental grasses to encourage new growth. Remove dead or diseased branches from shrubs and roses.

Dormant perennials and ornamental grasses: January is the ideal time to cut back these plants in mild climates like California’s central coast because most plants are fully dormant by this time. An exception: avoid cutting back plants with winter interest, including seed heads that attract birds, until late winter or early spring.

Enjoy your garden!

Tom Karwin is a past president of Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the Monterey Bay Iris Society, a past president and Lifetime Member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus & Succulent Society, and a Lifetime UC Master Gardener (Certified 1999-2009). He is now a board member of the Santa Cruz Hostel Society, and active with the Pacific Horticultural Society. To view photos from his garden, facebook.com/ongardeningcom-566511 763375123. For garden coaching info and an archive of On Gardening columns, visit ongardening.com for earlier columns or visit santacruzsentinel.com and search for “Karwin” for more recent columns. Email comments or questions to gardening@karwin.com.