NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR DECEMBER 12, 2009

NEIGHBORHOOD GARDEN FOR DECEMBER 12, 2009

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RED ISN’T THE ONLY FALL COLOR

BY DAVID MOOTER

FORESTER EMERITUS

NEBRASKA FOREST SERVICE

In Nebraska , the end of summer and the beginning of fall brings out the red for Nebraska football. But red is not the only color of fall as the trees begin their annual show of fall colors. Fall can be the most consistent of all seasons in Nebraska . And for a state that is not known for its trees, fall color can be quite spectacular. After all, here we have the opportunity to combine the beauty of tree color with the beauty of prairie grasses and harvesting operations.

What causes fall color in trees? Why do some trees turn yellow and others red? Why is fall color better some years than others? The dark green that we see in the summer months is due to the chlorophyll in the leaves. Chlorophyll is vital in the manufacture of food for the tree. This is true in any green plant whether it is a tree, shrub or grass. In the food-making process, chlorophylls break down and are continually used up while sugars are produced. As the chlorophyll is used it is replaced by the plant and this process continues through the summer. As summer comes to an end, the chlorophyll is replaced at a slower rate and finally comes to an end as the days grow shorter. The shorter days cause a layer of corky tissue to form at the base of the leaves... an abscission layer. Eventually the flow of water and minerals into the leaf is stopped and the chlorophyll dies. With the death of the chlorophyll, other pigments in the leaf are unmasked and begin to show through. Unmasked pigments include the carotenoids which result in brilliant yellows and oranges. Some trees where carotenoids are conspicuous include ash, maple, aspen, birch, black cherry, cottonwood, tulip tree and sycamore.

Another group of pigments called anthocyanins, are responsible for the reds, purples, and blended combinations of these colors. Unlike the carotenoids, these pigments have not been present in the leaf all season. Instead they develop in late summer in the sap of the leaf cells. Their formation depends on the breakdown of sugars in the presence of light. These colors are more brilliant when the days are full of bright sunlight. There is no formula to predict fall color. Time of peak color varies and is determined by complex environmental factors as well as the genetic makeup of the plants themselves. These factors vary from plant to plant and from region to region. The "peak" of fall color occurs from the north to the south. The best fall color occurs during the shortening days of autumn when days are bright, sunny, and cool, and nights are cool but not below freezing.

Insect and disease problems can reduce the brilliance of the color. When summers are hot and dry, coloration can also be dulled. Trees that are stressed for one reason or another begin fall color earlier than normal, sometimes even in mid-August.

You can see pictures from around the country on the internet during the fall coloration period. Go to the Weather Channel or just Google “fall color 2009”

(Reprinted by permission from the author, Country Lanes and Country Lanes Magazine, October 2009 issue.)

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Can I add wood ashes

to my flower or vegetable garden ?

by george edgar

October was cool so I began smelling wood smoke as fireplaces were lit and the wood heating stoves were cranked up to provide a little heat. It seems like maybe winter was starting early this year. Then the first part of November was warmer in the daytime but the evenings were still cool so smoke was still in the air. Shortly after the fires were lit, the question started coming in: “Can I add wood ashes to my flower and/or vegetable garden?”

According to Don Janssen , UNL Extension Educator in Lancaster County , “The largest component of wood ash (about 25 percent) is calcium carbonate, a common liming material that increases soil alkalinity. Wood ash has a very fine particle size, so it reacts rapidly and completely in the soil. Although small amounts of nutrients are applied with wood ash, the main effect is that of a liming agent which increases the pH of the soil.

Increasing the alkalinity (pH) of the soil does affect plant nutrition. Nutrients are most readily available to plants when the soil is slightly acidic. As soil alkalinity increases and the pH rises above 7.0, nutrients such as phosphorus, iron, boron, manganese, copper, zinc and potassium become chemically tied to the soil and less available for plant use.

Applying small amounts of wood ash to most soils will not adversely affect garden crops, and the ash does help replenish some nutrients. But because wood ash increases soil pH, adding large amounts can do more harm than good. Keep in mind that wood ash that has been exposed to the weather, particularly rainfall, has lost a lot of its potency, including nutrients.” (http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/articles/2007/woodash.shtml)

Therefore, small amounts of no more than 1 inch will probably not hurt, if worked into the soil at least 6 inches. But be sure and get a soil test before you add more than that once per year as most of the soils in Eastern and South Central Nebraska already are alkaline with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. Do not add significant amounts without having a soil test.