Uzzi and I were crunch the delicious , crisp leave that fall in our paddock and gazing at the beautiful fall colour in our woods when Uzzi swallowed and then said , “ Why do they do that ? Why do the leaf change colors before they fall ? ” I thought , firmly but I did n’t know , so last night we reboot up the figurer to find out .
harmonise to the USDA Forest Service , leaves begin changing gloss in the fall in response to shorter days and less vivid day . Weather , especially temperature and wet , essence foliage color , too . Warm , sunny days and frosty , cool but not freeze nights bring about the good gloam colors because during the daytime , farewell produce lots of sugars but the cool night and gradual closing of veins prevent the sugars from escape . This promotes output of anthocyanins , paint that cause leave of absence to turn red or purpleness .
The amount of wet in the stain also affect fall leaves . A late spring or a severe summertime drought have trees to color later than common . A warm , damp spring followed by a normal summertime and strong , cheery fall produces the best fall colors .
And certain Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree produce certain colors , so a mixed woodland piss for the best color show . Here in the Ozarks , forests are mostlyoak(with red , dark-brown or russet autumn foliage ) and hickory ( halcyon bronze ) with persimmon ( yellow ) , sumac ( red ) anddogwood(purple - red ) ruffle in , whereas our horse friends , Imbir and Maggie , who came with Mom and Dad from Minnesota , say the birch and aspen trees in their ley turned yellow and the maples yellow-bellied to scarlet to orange and red-faced .
People call in “ leaf peepers ” vacation in position where descent coloring are the salutary , like the North Woods , New England , and the Adirondack , Appalachian , Smoky and Rocky Mountains . If you ’d wish to chirrup at trees , the U.S. Forest Service maintains afall color hotlineat 800 - 354 - 4595 . Check it out !
How to Save Autumn LeavesIf you love fall go away as much as Mom does , save some to keep through the year . All you require is dry leave , old paper , a mountain of heavy books , wax paper and the kind of smoothing iron you use to press your clothes . clean brilliant , pretty , flexible leaves with no mar and lay them between six sheets of newspaper top and bottom ; you may pile several layer of paper and leaves if you like . Stack sonorous books on top to squash them flat .
After at least 24 hours , range individual leaves between two canvass of waxed paper and gently press the top with a medium - hot atomic number 26 , move slowly over the surface for about 10 irregular . Take care — wax paper sire raging ! leave the waxed theme and leaves to cool , then either crop around each leaf , allow a edge of wax paper , or very , very cautiously peel the wax paper off of the leaf . ( Sometimes this mold , sometimes it does n’t . )
rise leaves make fine bookmarker and really nerveless Sunday catchers when hung from a string !
stress these other leaf crafts , too !
« More Mondays with Martok »
