Winter's impact: Frost triggers change in plants

Frosty mornings have been plentiful recently, and their arrival is already impacting plant life ahead of next spring.

Researchers at Norwich’s John Innes Centre used rockcress in laboratory tests to determine how the frost instigates changes in behaviour. The key elements are a gene known as FLC which influences flowering, and COOLAIR which influences the FLC gene.

In test conditions akin to the climate in Norwich, southern Sweden, and the subarctic northern Sweden every time the temperature fell below freezing a spike in COOLAIR occurred.

When this molecule rose, FLC activity shrank. This change plays a large role in determining when and how plants flower.

It is direct evidence of the benefit bringing plants indoors during cooler months can offer, maintaining a steady growth in your plants by keeping them away from morning frost.

There was one additional discovery, it transpires that the first frost of autumn is perhaps the most important of the year. It is this frost which triggers a temporary change and prevents a plant from flowering over winter until temperatures begin to warm again.