![]() ![]() The ideal conditions for producing the best colors are good summer weather, with timely rainfall, and sunny fall days with the cool night temperatures. A prolonged drought can delay color change for a few weeks. Soil moisture levels have an impact on the ability to produce good fall color. Thus a succession of warm sunny days and cool crisp nights can create quite a display. The cool fall temperatures cause the closing of leaf veins and prevent sugars from moving out which prolongs fall color. A mixture of red anthocyanin pigment and beta carotene often results in the bright orange color seen in some leaves. These complex compounds in leaf cells react with excess stored plant sugars and exposure to sunlight creating vivid pink, red, and purple leaves. These natural chemicals give color to familiar fruits such as cranberries, red apples, cherries, and plums. Unlike chlorophyll and carotenoids, which are present in leaf cells throughout the growing season, anthocyanins are produced mainly in the fall. This reduction reveals yellow or orange pigment called carotenoids and are usually hidden by the abundance of chlorophyll present in leaves during the growing season. When daylight hours are less and temperatures are cooler, photosynthesis slows down and there is less chlorophyll production. Things like pigment, light, weather conditions plant species, soil type and location all play important roles in the fall party and colorful confetti trees create for us to enjoy. These woody plants “sense” the days are getting shorter during late September as winter slowly creeps in on us. The plants we’re talking about in this case are the deciduous trees, which are the trees producing the vibrant colors and those that lose their leaves annually. The important thing is not that the amount of sunlight has decreased but rather the amount of dark has increased. Why do leaves change color and drop their leaves when fall weather appears? Much of it has to do with day-length and temperature. There are a couple of questions to be asked every year at about this time. We notice, even during a warm fall day, the air gets cooler and the brisk breeze forces out the fleece. For many people, the autumn season welcomes a pleasurable change in the weather. ![]()
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