Early Fall

[gman313]

There is a line of trees on my street that are all the same species. Most years the leaves start to change around 2 or 3rd week of September. This year they started changing last week.

As I walked to work this morning I noticed plenty of trees are starting to drop leaves.

So my question - has the 3 weeks of smoke tricked the trees into thinking we have less daylight hours than normal this time of year and therefore it is time to drop the leaves? Seems like it.

[grapefruit]

Yes....makes sense!

[NolaM]

My chicken started molting at this full moon. Aug 26
In the last 4 years she has done it in October and one year did a half molt in Feb.
Did you know that a chicken has about 8000 feathers?
Looks like we have been having frat party pillowfights.
I noticed the Quail have already covied up.
Even the ones with fresh chicks.
The Canada Geese were teaching the youngsters night navigation and formation flying last week.
and yes.. our leaves.. even with feet in the creek are falling.
Anyone else notice the Glenmore Road ponds?
The water table in that area is higher than I've ever seen it.
Was pondering if the new subdivision road blasting opened some underground water.
Going to be a challenging frost heave issue come freeze up.

[TylerM4]

Yes, the smoke has fooled the plants. I've noticed similar - plants entering their next growing stages early. This is even noticeable in some late harvest fruits like grapes, apples.

[Glacier]

I had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year, but they have basically stopped ripening because of the lack of sunshine. Today is looking good though. Maybe there's still hope.

P.S. How has the hottest Fall (Sept-Nov) in Canada?

Answer (using existing hourly reporting weather stations):
1) Windsor, ON = 17.1C (mean average temperature)
2) Leamington, ON = 16.9C
3) Ashcroft = 16.8C
4) Osoyoos = 16.6C
5) Lytton = 16.5C
6) Lillooet = 16.4C
...
Summerland = 15.4C
...
Eureka, Nunavut = -7.6C


So really no one gets more fall heat than us besides a small slice of southern Ontario. Lots of BTUs left for the plants.

[bob vernon]

Or maybe the extremely dry summer has stressed the trees to the point where they're shutting down early. Yes, length of daylight is a trigger, but stress from a lack of water might contribute.

[seewood]

Or maybe the extremely dry summer has stressed the trees to the point where they're shutting down early. Yes, length of daylight is a trigger, but stress from a lack of water might contribute.

I see this in the conifers on the coast. Cedars for example are throwing a ton of cones at the moment as are many Douglas Firs.
Water stress I thought will shut plants down then they croak.

[Glacier]

The fire season ends on the weekend. Massive amounts of rain over the area with the biggest fires...

fireseasonend.jpg

[gman313]

Should trigger the Salmon as well

[Catsumi]

Will again expect a yellow snowfall of pollen from highly stressed cedars, pines and firs come next spring.

If it ain't one damn thing, it's the other.