Inside out

Yes, but I noticed the trees have stepped up their autumn preparations all the same, shedding leaves like crazy today. But why? They could be mopping up all this sunshine to make more energy to see them through to next year. But no, the trees know what's coming. They want rid of their leaves now before a sudden freeze comes.

 

Many trees are dropping their leaves like crazy here too clueless, but it's mainly because there simply isn't enough moisture in the ground to make it worth keeping them on, so it's better to lose them now.
Not necessarily an indication of a hard winter though, simply the trees reacting to the current conditions.

 

We have been watching the trees shed their leaves and turning brown and crisp since July {2010}and this year it is even worse.I know there is some sort of disease that is affecting lots of trees at the moment which isn't helping but also as others have said there isn't enough water in the ground and they are having to compete with each other so are shedding their leaves to try and help themselves to survive.Sadly though a lot of trees have already given up the ghost and are either skeletons or have slowly died over a number of years.

If natuer isn't careful there are going to be vast areas of our countryside full of mature dead trees that have tried to keep going and without trees we lose our oxygen supply

Even the largest trees in our village that the builders put are either dead or dying because no one has the thought to water them even if they are right outside their front door.Also the seedlings planted on motorway verges are a joke as thwey have thos plastic guards wrapped round them to stop the bunnies eating them and i should think 99% of them die within the first year of planting.Another large waste of tax payers money me thinks

 

My trees behave very differently dependent on aspect. I have an acer and a service berry which shed all their leaves weeks ago but they're in a south facing bed. I thought they were sick because all my other trees still have leaves . The acer is relatively new - does it need a lot of water now it's leaves have all gone?

The acer in the opposite bed has every single leaf still on. And I have south facing acers in tubs which are just going a bit crispy. There is something odd about my south facing bed, trees don't like it.... the dogwood I had wouldn't flower and it's leaves crisped and branches died off.

p.s. ice cream and padding pool weather though! :D

 

In order to ensure the last of my tomatoes ripen, I spend an hour rubbing the 'coolglass' off my greenhouse, take all the leaves off the plants and ...... yesterday it reached 40C in there - picking 'ready cooked' tomatoes is a new experience!