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Old 10-13-2015, 06:19 PM
Status: "Save the people of Gaza" (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
7,725 posts, read 6,366,456 times
Reputation: 10387

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Does it matter so much if it gets hot in the afternoon, even if it gets quite cold overnight? Here this week it's 50s overnight (was 49 this morning) but the days are reaching the high 80s and low 90s. I have only lived in this state since December, (when the trees were already bare) but I been told that the leaves really begin changing towards the end of October. How much does it matter if it gets really warm in the day, even if it gets quite cool at night? Does it affect colour intensity or what? How would such weather affect trees in say, Pennsylvania, which is far more showy than northern Texas?
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Old 10-13-2015, 06:35 PM
 
Location: NC
9,344 posts, read 13,928,855 times
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Color intensity relates to how well chlorophyll (the green pigment) breaksdown and how well the red pigments build up. Chlorophyll breakdown is triggered by the calendar because it requires nights to get longer. Warm days and cold nights produce the BEST color. During the day the leaves make their normal sugars but the cold nights slow the sugars from moving out of the leaves. The high light of sunny days and the high sugars mean lots of red pigments are made. I think orage just goes along for the ride.

So the answer to your question is the sunny hot days coupled with cold nights are IDEAL. Even in Texas.

Different species or at least cultivars of trees grow in TX vs PA, and the combination of species, daylength, temps, moisture, etc. mean that fall color will look different in each place.
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Old 10-14-2015, 12:00 PM
 
Location: Bel Air, California
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I've heard that wet, late summer/early fall encourages vibrant colors.

also, high winds are bad for colors and leaf peepers
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Old 10-16-2015, 10:42 AM
Status: "Save the people of Gaza" (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
7,725 posts, read 6,366,456 times
Reputation: 10387
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghengis View Post
I've heard that wet, late summer/early fall encourages vibrant colors.

also, high winds are bad for colors and leaf peepers
I think I heard the opposite, that a wet rainy spring/early summer and a dry fall are the best, but I may be mistaken. I hope that's actually the case, because trust me, our spring and early summer has been wet as a duck's bottom! (You can ask the folks down in Houston about that)
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Old 10-16-2015, 10:46 AM
Status: "Save the people of Gaza" (set 3 days ago)
 
Location: St. Louis Park, MN
7,725 posts, read 6,366,456 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luv4horses View Post
Color intensity relates to how well chlorophyll (the green pigment) breaksdown and how well the red pigments build up. Chlorophyll breakdown is triggered by the calendar because it requires nights to get longer. Warm days and cold nights produce the BEST color. During the day the leaves make their normal sugars but the cold nights slow the sugars from moving out of the leaves. The high light of sunny days and the high sugars mean lots of red pigments are made. I think orage just goes along for the ride.

So the answer to your question is the sunny hot days coupled with cold nights are IDEAL. Even in Texas.

Different species or at least cultivars of trees grow in TX vs PA, and the combination of species, daylength, temps, moisture, etc. mean that fall color will look different in each place.
Well I hope they get nice and showy! Some of the trees have started changing already, which looks odd when it's in the 80s and 90s. But most are still green. It's a little by little process but very nice to see.
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Old 07-06-2018, 10:50 PM
 
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I am pretty sure a wet Summer is needed.
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Old 07-13-2018, 02:23 PM
 
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
4,876 posts, read 4,175,036 times
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I agree that abundant spring and summer rainfall is vital for a spectacular fall foliage display, with that in mind, I suspect that with the weather of late in parts of fall foliage Mecca(New England), that the fall foliage season there might be more muted in intensity(unless late summer and early fall brings copious amounts of rainfall).
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Old 07-13-2018, 05:15 PM
 
Location: The Driftless Area, WI
7,123 posts, read 4,960,893 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by luv4horses View Post
Color intensity relates to how well chlorophyll (the green pigment) breaksdown and how well the red pigments build up. Chlorophyll breakdown is triggered by the calendar because it requires nights to get longer. Warm days and cold nights produce the BEST color. ....

Absolutely right in principle: Warm, sunny days in fall allow photosynthesis to proceed in high gear, but long, cold nites prevent the "used up" chlorophyll to be replaced-- allowing the always-there-but-hidden-under-the-green pigments (carotenoids & anthocycanin) to show thru.


Warm, sunny days & cold, clear nites in the fall. Spring, summer & rain have nothing to do with it.
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