Leaf-fall

[James M]

Well now i look around about 50% of the trees are bare and all of them I can see are in colour, I havent been out and about for ages as Ive been ill, apart from yesterday when I went to the shops but it was dark.

[xerxes]

Quite a major leaf fall(finally) in the last week. Many trees still holding a fair load though,especially Sycamore and Oak(which is usually late anyway). Haven't quite had the predicted gales here recently so thats not had the effect it might have. I usually find frost is a major factor in sudden leaf fall. No chance of that soon

[Daisy]

Quite a major leaf fall(finally) in the last week. Many trees still holding a fair load though,especially Sycamore and Oak(which is usually late anyway). Haven't quite had the predicted gales here recently so thats not had the effect it might have. I usually find frost is a major factor in sudden leaf fall. No chance of that soon

Hello Xerxes and welcome!

Lots of leaves have been lost by the huge oak by our house over the weekend, very blowy outside now, I am expecting to see lots more on the ground tomorrow ( better start sweeping them up soon -ho hum...)

[mushymanrob]

well...... its the end of november and the end of leaf fall!!

everything was BANG ON TIME. ive been the groundsman at sinfin community school for the best part of 30 years, and this is my 13th season as a self employed contractor there... ie... my observations are made on one site over a period of time.

if anything this years leaves are a little early, as its not uncommon to need to continue clearance into early december.

the exception is the usual suspects, oak, whos leaves are brown but still hang on the tree... italian alder who never drops before december anyway, and some willow whos leaves take forever to drop (late too).

so im happy, my plans for work are dead on course without any re-arranging to cope with late leaves.

[SP1986]

Majority of the leaves have fallen of deciduous British native trees, however hedges havent lost their leaves as they usually do, and there is more flowers out now and fruit, than I can ever remember in the summer B)

[M'Lady]

Trees are mostly bare here now too.

Our cherry blossom tree has actually got a few bits of blossom on it.

How odd.

[Somerset Squall]

Trees are mostly bare here now too.

Our cherry blossom tree has actually got a few bits of blossom on it.

How odd.

Everything is bald her now apart from a few brown leaves clinging onto the Oaks and a few stubborn leaves on the sycamore. Talking about blossom, my forsythia has a few yellow flowers on it but it tends to do this every year in very mild weather despite it being a spring flowering bush.

The daffs have started to come up, exactly the same time as last year, but something a little more abnormal is a tulip which is just starting to poke up in my neighbours garden. The Iris' are on the grow too, refusing to die back at all. The roses have finally given up flowering though after the early November frosty spell.

[kar999]

Some things in the garden seem very confused..

The Bridals Mantle (?) which normally flowers in April was flowering at the same time as it's leaves were turning. A honeysuckle is still flowering whilst parts of it are also producing winter berries. Mrs Kar knows the correct names but there are one or two others that she has pointed out that should not be flowering at this time of year.

Edited November 28, 2006 by kar999

[nanu]

I was a bit worried just before and during the weekend with the windy spell we had, cause most of the trees around here were still in full leaf.

But alas the storm soon took care of that and now most are bald as the top of my barnet B)

Mind you there are daffs poking up again.

[Angel15]

I was a bit worried just before and during the weekend with the windy spell we had, cause most of the trees around here were still in full leaf.

But alas the storm soon took care of that and now most are bald as the top of my barnet B)

Mind you there are daffs poking up again.

My hebe is in full bloom (not sure if it is supposed to be or not) and my geraniums are still flowering as well!! Leaves are off most of the trees now (thank God! as most of them end up in my drive!)

[mushymanrob]

Some things in the garden seem very confused..

The Bridals Mantle (?) which normally flowers in April was flowering at the same time as it's leaves were turning. A honeysuckle is still flowering whilst parts of it are also producing winter berries. Mrs Kar knows the correct names but there are one or two others that she has pointed out that should not be flowering at this time of year.

its not unusual for spring flowering trees/shrubs to show a few flowers in autumn..

Mind you there are daffs poking up again.

perfectly normal :blink:

most early spring plants are now raising up... celendines for eg.

[James M]

Finally things are bare round here with the exeption of a few stragglers just how it should be at last :blink:

[MAF]

still a lot of leaf coverage here on the trees in the SE. colour change of the leaves has been slow too. late november and lots of trees have a prolific amount of leaves on them still.

[grab my graupel]

Still quite a lot of leaves on the trees where I am, especially a big oaktree.

Am I right in thinking that oaks are one of the last to loose their leaves!

[West is Best]

its not unusual for spring flowering trees/shrubs to show a few flowers in autumn..

perfectly normal

most early spring plants are now raising up... celendines for eg.

Not quite sure I follow the logic of this mushy. A spring plant is just that, and is not usually meant to appear in November. The problem occurs with frost damage hitting foliage. I notice rhodadendron's started blooming last month, instead of April, and this is not 'perfectly normal'.

Incidentally, when I referred to buds I should have been more explicit: what I've seen are buds moving. This is not something with which I'm familiar at this time of year: they should move in Feb into March.

What you probably mean, I surmise, is that because you work outside you've seen it all before. This isn't the same as saying it's normal!

[Shiny_Bottom_1]

Hi Richard,

From a completely amateur point of view, I suspect, as plants are reactive rather than work on timings, that mild conditions can increase new growth/flowering.

We've had some pretty mild temperatures this autumn (with one of two cool spells), which have probably meant that some plants have died away and redeveloped (under a false sense of security of course).

Plus, we havent had normal weather

[West is Best]

Agreed Chris ...

[kar999]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that plants annual cycles are mainly dependent on daylight hours, temperature or both. As the daylight cycle hasn’t changed, I can only assume that it’s temperature, notably the mild temperatures of the last three months that has caused many plants to bloom again. Some of the plants that are doing so in my garden now have not done it before in 15 years.

This seems very feasible, as any garden showman knows how to trick plants into flowering or fruiting at anytime of year by either holding them back or forcing them on in artificial temperatures and light e.g. strawberries at Christmas and snowdrops at Chelsea in the summer

[mushymanrob]

Not quite sure I follow the logic of this mushy. A spring plant is just that, and is not usually meant to appear in November. The problem occurs with frost damage hitting foliage. I notice rhodadendron's started blooming last month, instead of April, and this is not 'perfectly normal'.

Incidentally, when I referred to buds I should have been more explicit: what I've seen are buds moving. This is not something with which I'm familiar at this time of year: they should move in Feb into March.

What you probably mean, I surmise, is that because you work outside you've seen it all before. This isn't the same as saying it's normal!

not sure how exactly it works, but some spring flowering trees/shrubs have often bared flowers in late autumn... jasmine and mahonia for eg are common offenders, however id agree with the rhodies.

erm by 'seeing it all before' surely makes it 'normal'... i have no doubt that in years historically mild weather will induce plant growth at an unseasonal time. i think that we... mankind... likes to catagorise things too much, all the talk of 'normal ' temps for eg, we like things to run on time and be predictable. nature of course has different ideas and wont always play the game, this seems to confuse us in our nice neat packaged world!!

buds 'moving'?.. what on?... what buds do on many trees/shrubs is swell prior to real winter, after a summer of growth the growth sprut is stopped resulting in a slight swelling as the buds are slowly developing, ready for the spring push. if you are saying that youve seen bud bursting then that would be unusual, again id like to know what on..