Fall items of interest

Friday, October 9, 2015

The prospect for vivid fall colors looks good. An early freeze could ruin things, but otherwise the color change should start in late September and peak in early/mid October. The quality of the fall colors depends on weather in the coming weeks. The ideal weather for bright fall colors is warm, sunny days with cool, nonfreezing, night temperatures. The warm sunlight promotes formation of sugars and pigments, while cool nights stop the production of chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color. With green eliminated, red, yellow, and orange pigments take the stage. Along with stopping the production of chlorophyll, cool nights also prevent sugars from moving into the roots at the end of the growing season. The trapped sugars turn leaves red or purple. So cool weather throughout September will improve the fall colors.

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