Dayton "Dirt" - October 21, 2016

After a taste of Indian summer last week, the cooler rainy weather has returned that is probably more typical for October. The leaf show is at its peak affect, albeit it does seem later than usual. Once clue of the later than usual turning of the leaves this fall is the Autumn Blaze Maple planted near the equipment barn in 1998. Every year, the tree has begun to display its brilliant red fall color late September with the finale of a bare tree around October 20th. This hybrid tree (Silver Maple x Red Maple) this year on October 21st is just past its prime in coloration. Other Maples such as the Sugar Maple and Red Maple at the nursery are only now in full color as they typically turn color later then the Autumn Blaze cultivar. My favorite tree for statue and fall color though is the slow growing Sugar Maple that is the favorite tree for sap collection in order to process sap into maple syrup. The orange, yellow and red on the Sugar Maple at the time of the year make a spectacular show over a wide swath of the Northeast United States. Fall color are enhanced by frosts intensifying the various pigments in the leaves to yield one of the most spectacular fall display in the world! At the nursery, a gigantic Sugar Maple at the edge of the woods stands out among other trees. Sadly, it’s twin was cut down about six years ago, because of the rotting of its heartwood that would have caused this tree to fall at any time. Counting the growth rings on the remaining stump, the grand maple was born in 1905. Only the Red Maple next to the old house is older because of its presences in a photograph from 1890 when it was a “baby” of only ten feet!

Fall fertilizing can now commence on all varieties of trees and shrubs in the landscape before root growth shuts down in late November. The timing of the fertilizer is late enough in that it will not push new growth that would be susceptible to winter kill. Tree and shrubs planting and transplanting can now be accomplished which will give these fall planted plants a head start compared to spring planted ones. Falling leaves literally are like gold for the garden when they can be incorporated into the soil after being composted for several months. In fact, several nurseries in Lake County Ohio have a leaf deposit area so that homeowners will drop their unwanted leaves that the nursery men can then incorporate into the ground to improve the “health” of the sandy soil. Next week the nursery stock will be gathered into over-wintering houses so that the plants can be covered with over-wintering white plastic in early November. Just how did the year go by so fast! -Tom