Is there anyway to influence a trees fall color?

[Derek91]

I know that fall color is influenced by mainly weather conditions and the weather conditions in my area are usually no where near as good as someone in a higher elevation.every once in a while we get a petty good year where the weather worked with us and the fall colors are much better than usual but over all it it's nowhere near as good as if I drive a couple hours north. My question is can you influence a specific tree to have the best color possible?lets say there is a fall show and u have a tree that you want to display with the best color possible but you live in the Deep South.can you manipulate it's environment to do this and if so, would it be practical?is fall color something that you just have to hope for the best and pray for the weather to work in your favor? In bonsai we seem to be able to manipulate and influence allot but is this one thing that we can't control? I'm just curious, I haven't seen anything on this subject and maybe it's because we can't do anything.

 

[Alain]

leaving in Illinois after 11 years in Canada I don't really have fall colors problem...

However: for people living in warm weather area and needing a dormancy period for their trees Brent suggests to put the trees in the fridge, may be that could work for the Fall's colors?...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Provide plenty of water and misting, while exposing the tree to as much sun as possible without scorching leaves, and minimizing wind exposure.

 

[jk_lewis]

No way at this time of year. It's too late. Brian gave good advice, though.

With trident maples and at least pears, I've found that a midsummer defoliation seems to result in better color.

 

[0soyoung]

There are a few things that one can do to manipulate leaf color. The simplest is to keep the tree shaded for several weeks (long enough to be 'shade adapted', maybe 4 to 6 weeks) and then put it in full sun. This will provoke anthocyanin production, giving the leafs an orange to red tint (unless the tree doesn't produce anthocyanins - Japanese hornbeam seems to be one such specie).

Keeping the tree dry also favors anthocyanin production, but it is a difficult balance to achieve and I don't think to be an adviseable tactic.

Another way is to OD the tree on IBA rooting hormone. This requires cutting away some bark to expose the cambium and would introduce scarring you may not want unless you are making an air layer anyway. With a green acer palmatum, for example, applying 1.6% IBA will do the trick, though I've used as strong as 4.5% IBA powders with attempted air layers and produced fall-like leaf coloration on other species (stewartia and hornbeam to name a couple).

If you want to give it a try next season, you can get the powders from Hormex. You will simply girdle or partially girdle a branch/trunk and apply the strong IBA power to the upper edge of the girdle, then wrap in plastic (polyethylene film) and cover with aluminum foil to protect it from solar heating. If you are not making an air layer, you just peel off the bark and apply the powder - residual cambial cells will regenerate all the tissues that were removed. If you are making an air layer, wiping the girdled area with 70% isopropyl (aka 'rubbing') alcohol, before applying the IBA powder, will kill the residual cambial cells so the generation of roots at the top of the girdle is promoted instead of replacement of the removed phloem and bark. Regardless, enclosing some damp sphagnum under the plastic will assure that thing don't dry out inside.

As I've said, 1.6% does the trick with green acer palmatums. You should get orange coloration within a few weeks that will persist all season long. In the fall, red colaration will become even more intense. The same is true for stewartia pseudocamelia.
Japanese hornbeam leafs will turn yellow and persist through the season, but will fall early if one applies 4.5% IBA.

 

[Derek91]

Thanks for the responses, I'm glad I asked. I've asked about fall coloring a while back on the UBC forum but I was told warm days and cold nights was pretty much the main factor that influenced the brilliance of fall color and that there was little you could do about it. But then again there not bonsai nuts and most of there trees are in the ground.

I figured it was probably to late in the year to experiment with anything but next year I'll probably mess with a tree or two and try some of the things y'all have mentioned. I'm really interested in the hormone trick

I have a large deer cooler Alain and that's kinds what got my wheels spinning lol. Although I don't think Im willing to put that kind of time in experimenting with this. I was just wondering if anyone had any tricks they use or if everyone just let's nature run it's course

 

[cmeg1]

I found I get better color when the trees(or your favorite tree) is protected from rain during the week or two of color change.It has to be very sunny though ,such as under clear polycarbonate or something.
The rain will not knock the fragile leaves off the tree.The last few days of this period may be when you get the best color.

 

[Cadillactaste]

So many have given amazing factual things to help assist in answering your question. Now...in the back of my mind...I think of the trick one uses for cut flowers...by adding food coloring to the water and watching what happens above to the bloom. I am a bit curious if this could also help one obtain reds in the leaves...by adding red food coloring. (Now...I'm saying hypothetically speaking I have never done this to a tree or live plant. Only cut flowers...but it makes me go hm-mmmm)

I need to go...really...no caffeine today...and I'm tired. I tend to find my own humor more enlightening than it actually is...when tired. Quite frightening so I am afraid.

 

[Smoke]

Here's the real skinny.

 

[edprocoat]

You could always spray them with Krylon paint in the color of your choice ...

ed

 

[Derek91]

You could always spray them with Krylon paint in the color of your choice ...

ed

I was thinking some candy paint myself.it would fit right in living in Atlanta haha

 

[Derek91]

Here's the real skinny.

Thanks,The blog explained allot and in more detail than I've ever read before on this subject.

 

[sorce]

Just read this excellent article. http://txforestservice.tamu.edu/main/popup.aspx?id=209

Sorce

 

[fourteener]

An Excerpt from the following article...

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/chemweek/fallcolr/fallcolr.html

"The range and intensity of autumn colors is greatly influenced by the weather. Low temperatures destroy chlorophyll, and if they stay above freezing, promote the formation of anthocyanins. Bright sunshine also destroys chlorophyll and enhances anthocyanin production. Dry weather, by increasing sugar concentration in sap, also increases the amount of anthocyanin. So the brightest autumn colors are produced when dry, sunny days are followed by cool, dry nights."

 

[LanceMac10]

Add some sugar when you water late in the season. I read about this somewhere, can't recall. Give as much sun during the growing season as the plant can handle. That alone made my maples much more vibrant this fall. At least on the leaves that made it!

 

[milehigh_7]

Add some sugar when you water late in the season. I read about this somewhere, can't recall. Give as much sun during the growing season as the plant can handle. That alone made my maples much more vibrant this fall. At least on the leaves that made it!

For some reason I am thinking, "just a spoon full of sugar ... "