Do you see that in my garden?
Do you see that in the trees?
These pictures aren’t from last fall.
They’re from yesterday!
We had this unbelievably hot spring here (if you could even call it spring) and a summer that’s been even hotter. In fact, I think we skipped spring completely this year. Or maybe we had it for a day or two. Are the trees confused? Do they think that because we’ve had summer temps so many months already that now it’s time for fall? Will we have an abbreviated autumn? Have summer and winter launched a takeover? What next? WINTER IN SEPTEMBER?!
It’s so disturbing.
Vicki says:
We had the opposite problem, a really cold, wet spring. I feel like I just got my garden planted, and it is already July. My apples were in blossom when we had our last snowstorm, and they all froze–and it was the first decent crop we were going to have from our baby apple tree. I was bummed. I guess we can’t control weather, wecan just adapt to what it gives us.
On July 10, 2010 at 2:16 am
Jennifer Robin says:
Our weather has been wacky too. Summer finally arrived a few days ago, but I’m afraid it may be too little too late. My tomato and basil seedlings are still in the two-leafed sprout stage. Now I know why everyone around here buys the six-packs at the garden center instead of seeds!
On July 10, 2010 at 3:48 am
sb158 says:
This is just not right. At all. I’m not sure I’d even ask “What next?” for fear I’d find out…
On July 10, 2010 at 4:37 am
carla says:
I’m in Ohio. We had a really wet spring to. I have planted parts of my garden 3 times with the last attempt for sweet corn last week end.
Mom always said your first frost is 6 weeks away when the locust sing (we call them REE-REEs). They have been singing so that puts us about the middle of August for the first frost. I so hope they are wrong!
On July 10, 2010 at 4:51 am
CindyP says:
I haven’t seen any colored leaves here yet, but IT WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME! Just when I’m all fired up to have a great garden and do some great canning, the weather does not cooperate! But you just have to roll with it…….maybe we’ll have a spring in January! :clover:
On July 10, 2010 at 5:46 am
Mary says:
Sitting in my backyard yesterday I looked over at my neighbors huge maple tree and noticed half a dozen colored leaves. I mean Really colored. I thought it was a big freak of nature. Fall comes early here in northern Michigan, but this is ridiculous. Maybe they have been hanging there since last fall..I can hope.
On July 10, 2010 at 7:22 am
B. Ruth says:
In this heated air with the sun bareing down on and around them, trees will need 35 to 40 gallons of water per tree per day..during a hot June and July. It has been drying out here where we live…It doesn’t take many 98 degree days to do in the lawn, garden and yes, our trees especially poplars (water lovin’ trees) to start dropping leaves….even our small dogwoods are curling their leaves….
Nature decides it just can’t handle that much drying heat without proper water and starts dropping leaves to compensate….Otherwise we would be living in a tropical paradise with
dripping wet forests and squalking parrots and monkeys swinging from the trees..
Well, there are a few two legged, short tailed monkeys living around here…LOL
On July 10, 2010 at 7:24 am
Carmen C. says:
We are in PA and have some willow trees doing the same thing, went out yesterday to a carpet of yellow on the ground! It IS very disturbing!
On July 10, 2010 at 7:36 am
patrice says:
Our family makes a living from the farm. The hot/dry weather is horrible this year. My pastures, where we grow hay for our horses and cattle, are brown. I woke up to rain today. I hope we aren’t a “day late and dollar short” with the moisture. Buying hay is not the way to go with a farm our size. Hubby went to the farmers’ market today with far less veggies than usual because things haven’t been able to take the heat.
On July 10, 2010 at 8:52 am
Angela says:
Hey Suzanne!
I have been seeing the same thing going on around Hurricane where I live. I haven’t taken pictures yet but it sure is surprising to see the leaves turning this early in the Summer. My hostas look like fall is here too.
Angela :wave:
On July 10, 2010 at 9:31 am
Drucillajoy says:
it’s some sort of a beetle doing this in NY, whole hillside’s look like it’s fall already…there are big blue boxes hung in the trees (by the DEC, I presume) along the roads to try to control them, it’s probally the same thing going on there…it’s too bad
On July 10, 2010 at 10:25 am
Sheryl at Providence Acres Farm says:
Oh dear! I sure hope not! I don’t even have any ripe tomatoes yet!!
I have not noticed any leaves turning but I haven’t been looking either. What a surprise that would be!
On July 10, 2010 at 10:29 am
cindy says:
O, my what I can learn from you. We just recently inherited a 200 acre farm and have never farmed before. I have just recently quit my job so I’m at homemuch of the time. We ,lost our 16 year old son, Joshua in November, 2003 in a car accident. I am still so very, very sad so I’m hoping farming will give me focus. I quilt, crochet, garden, read…I want to start cooking again. See, you didn’t realize how much your blog can help people. W
If I have any questions can you be a person that could help me?
So thankful for your site.
cindy
[email protected]
On July 10, 2010 at 12:38 pm
cynthia says:
and here on the west coast, our spring lasted until July 7. no, really! geraniums loved it, but the basil didn’t make it. sadness! xo-c
On July 10, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Debkb says:
B. Ruth above is right. It’s a trees defense mechanism to drop leaves in really dry weather that way it can survive the dry easier. I have a river birch that’s dropping leaves like crazy. Not much snow cover and a dry spring makes for an unhappy birch.
On July 10, 2010 at 7:49 pm
bonita says:
Here in northern Illinois we didn’t need our trees to drop leaves to conserve moisture. The lightening and wind storms took down enough branches from the trees to compensate!
On July 10, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Mischelle says:
We’re in Iowa and have not had any problem with rain yet the trees and some of our shrubs have begun to tun and drop leaves. It was kind of unsettling as I walked my dog in a park recently and shuffled through a pile of colored dry leaves under a tree in July.
On July 11, 2010 at 1:03 am
Melissa says:
The leaves on our trees started changing in mid-June! JUNE! Come on now!
On July 11, 2010 at 4:06 pm
monica says:
Any doubters of climate change??? It is going to become more evident in the next few years. I don’t think anyone knows what is causing it and there are a ton of theories, but it is getting harder to deny.
On July 12, 2010 at 9:49 am
Karen Anne says:
Cindy, I am so sorry about your son.
Have you thought about adopting a child? There are so many that need loving homes, and it sounds like yours would be perfect.
On July 13, 2010 at 7:03 am
lavenderblue says:
Cindy, welcome to the blog. Unless someone here has gone through what you have, we can’t really presume to give you advice on your grieving. We’ll all give you advice on gardening, cooking etc., which may or may not have value, caveat emptore (sp.) :help: But do jump in with both feet. Join the forums, enjoy Suzanne’s wonderful writings, read, comment, ask all the questions you want. You’ll love it and farming, too. Welcome :hug:
On July 13, 2010 at 9:28 am
lavenderblue says:
P.S. It just drives me nuts when the seasons don’t behave.
On July 13, 2010 at 9:30 am
trish robichaud says:
as if the economy isnt bad enough, all i hear these days is “its the worst flood in a hundred years, or the coldest, longest winter ever recorded, now its the hottest spring and the earlist summer with tripple digits all over the country.what is going on? crops failing. next it will be the dust bowl is back. i dont want to sound like chicken little but we need to start stocking up on food. not all of us live on a farm with fresh eggs or canned veggies that could help get us through. prices at the store are going to be so high no one but the rich will be able to afford them. ok now im scared, im off to the store to do some shopping……
On July 13, 2010 at 10:20 am
MAYBELLINE says:
Don’t be disturbed. Be flexible.
On July 20, 2010 at 8:44 pm
Stacy says:
This is so sad. The weather has been really crazy here, too. I had a bad time in my garden this year, too. My tomatoes had a hard time of it because it got to be above 95 degrees and stayed there. They did not want to fruit anymore. I hope that next year will be better. Good Luck on yours.
On July 26, 2010 at 6:54 pm
Jersey Lady says:
I think we may have an early fall. We saw a huge black cloud of blackbirds flying south yesterday.
On July 27, 2010 at 2:10 pm