It is the final official day of summer time. While it’s arduous to get into that autumn mindset with 100-degree temperatures at our door this afternoon, attempt to image what fall seems like. For me, it’s pumpkins and leaves altering to these stunning colours. What you will have seen currently are the leaves altering, however maybe not the way in which they need to.
The browning I’m seeing on my redbud tree outdoors shouldn’t be that of fall coming early or the tree dying (fortunately). Rather, it’s leaf scorching, and we’re seeing it right here in Oklahoma this month on account of a relatively heat summer time.
“All of this early browning you are seeing on your leaves is due to the excessive heat we had all summer,” stated Paul James with Southwood Landscape & Garden Center. “We aren’t just talking about the ambient air temperatures during the day, but also the overnight temperatures.”
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According to information from the Tulsa National Weather Service Office, there have been 41 days from July 1 to Aug. 31 when the in a single day low temperatures had been above regular. And on 15 of these days, the low temperatures had been at or above 80 levels.
“When the overnight lows don’t drop below 80 degrees, it puts these plants under some serious stress,” James stated. “It is a defense mechanism they are building here. What they are essentially doing is shedding leaves because they can’t keep the whole tree alive under that stress.”
James, a self-proclaimed optimist, did stress to not fear about it, although.
“I am a silver-lining guy,” James stated, including that although the timber look careworn now, don’t fear. “Next spring they will come back and look great!”
So with fall knocking on our door, I requested him to offer an early prediction on the autumn shade.
“My biggest concern now with the leaves changing is going to be the lack of moisture,” James stated. “The hot temperatures won’t have as much effect on the color. It’s the lack of moisture that could affect the color.”
James added that being within the third yr of a La Nina, which generally brings hotter, drier circumstances, it doesn’t assist us a lot. But he careworn that it’s going to all swing again.
“You really need to pay attention more to the watering needs of the plants,” he stated. “They need sufficient moisture not just in the summer, but in the winter, too.”
According to the newest drought monitor index, most of Tulsa County stays beneath “severe drought” circumstances.
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