Will We Have Good Autumn Color?

That is a burning question and one that is difficult to answer at this time.

Will our long killer drought and heat wave put a real crimp to our most beautiful time of the year?

Will the trees, under so much stress simply brown out and drop their leaves early?

…or, will out recent nice rains, and more expected, perk up the trees to where they will do a good job of showing their colors after all?.

It seems that always there are certain trees that are determined to come forward and dazzle us regardless of the weather.

I do know that Autumn is my clear choice as the most beautiful time of the year. I dearly love to visit Cheaha State Park, Desoto State Park and almost any back road off a back road in any part of North and Central Alabama. A drive up the Paint Rock River Valley in Extreme North Alabama is a picture-post-card in October.

Well, I don’t know the answers to all of those questions, so I posed these questions to an expert–someone that that lives among the trees, flowers, —grasses and shurbs. It is his business. I asked Mike Pender, lomg-time owner of Classic Garden and Landscape in Center Point.

This is what Mike had to say:
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We should still have a decent fall color this year but it may be more subtle and not quite as bright. Since Fall color is triggered more by shorter days and cooler temperatures than by rainfall, what we really need are some crisp cold nights to get the fall color going.

Fall leaf colors are the result of changes that take place in the leaves. Yellow & red pigments are always present in the leaf but the green pigment is dominant. As the nights turn colder, the green pigments cease manufacturing and the yellows and reds show up.

The big question is, if the dry weather continues, will there be any leaves left on the trees or will they all turn brown and fall off prematurely?

The other question of concern, how many trees are permanently damaged or have died from the drought? We know already that numerous trees have died. These trees were the trees that in a good rainfall year got by with their health problem. But with the added stress of a severe drought, the health issues they had did them in. Only time will tell next year, what trees are gone for good and which ones will be returning.

—Mike Pender, Classic Gardens

Thanks, Mike. Several years ago Mike came up with an estimate for me on how many trees there were in Akabama due to my inquiring little mind!

Category: Pre-November 2010 Posts