The starting of fall colors for 2013

Discussion in 'Maples' started by amazingmaples, Oct 8, 2013.

  1. maplesandpaws

    maplesandpaws Active Member

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    Just got my hands on a small Chief Joseph, can't wait for it to turn color - same goes for my maples. We had frost the other night, but now we're back up into the 60s and low 70s. Ryusen has a slight touch of red on some of it's leaves, but so far it's the only one...
     
  2. emery

    emery Renowned Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    We usually gather some leaves for the kitchen table, here's this years centerpiece.
     

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  3. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Beautiful Emery! I love the color and creativity.

    My wife snapped a few pictures last night with her phone. The photos show the great color of Amber Ghost and the last photo is of Coral Pink.
     

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  4. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    I have found that colors are more saturated and pure at night when the glare from sunlight is absent. A similar effect can be achieved during the day with a camera and a polarized filter, but its still not the same as at night.

    I have also played around with landscape lighting over the years, experimenting with different lights and positions. I find 20w halogen flood lights work the best. LED only looks nice with evergreens. When the flood light is positioned below the tree shining up into the canopy, the leaves take on a translucent effect and colors are present at night that are not present during the day. The best show occurs in Spring and fall, but even summer color looks better at night when illuminated. It's great to see the tree's beautiful colors glowing at night and feel like there is nothing more spectacular.
     
  5. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    A wise man told me that fall is coming soon. The storm window in the background, waiting to be hung, makes for a bad background in the photo, but it serves as a reminder that Winter will follow.

    Acer palmatum mikawa yatsubusa seedlings are so cool! At peak they have shades of red, orange, and purple. Although small, they are full of personality and character.
     

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  6. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    Most illuminating (pardon the pun) this is something i will be looking at for next year the lighting of certain areas of the garden. Certainly makes me look more at the trees in the evenings now, seeing so much change now in just 48 hours everything is well into change except for the ground planted Seiryus, Mikawa Yatsabusa and Shishigashira the later one is always the last to turn but well worth the wait usually mid November before this goes.If it ever stops raining in the UK i will planting out a few more trees and i will post pics of the planting holes and the shale bed that they will be going into i think you will be quite interested in seeing this.
     
  7. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Sounds good!
     
  8. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Here are a couple of fall pictures from the last couple of days. I think peak fall colors may hit this week, providing the wind and weather later this week does not ruin things.

    Last Thursday we had thunder, lightning, hail, ice pellets, sleet, snow, and rain all in one day. It seemed like something new was falling every five minutes. I was concerned how this may impact the colors, but so far so good!

    Photo 1 - I love what Mother Nature creates; a leaf that appears to be influenced by the Psychedelic era. (windy day=poor focus)...Acer palmatum 'Ryusen'

    Photo 2 - Anyone who has an Aureum knows this is about as good as it gets for fall color. Then it turns an ugly brown... Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'
     

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  9. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Here are a few pictures from today. Fairy hair, Sensu, aconitifolium, and Green Cascade. I have high hopes for my aconitifolium and hope to post a picture at peak color, but a storm is coming Wed-Thur, so I hope it holds on to it's leaves for a peak show.
     

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  10. Atapi

    Atapi Well-Known Member

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    Hi John,

    Beautiful falls color you have there, my wife really likes the green cascade with two color leaves. Are you also in zone 6?.
    In VA, the trees begin to change the color more and more this week. I see some of mine also changes too but some others due to the lack of water in the summer their leaves are either half dried or already fallen off.
    Is your Mikawa Y. change the color yet?. Mine is still green.

    Thanks, Steven
     
  11. Christophe

    Christophe Active Member

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    The colours of your green cascade are awesome.
     
  12. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Thank you! The color actually intensified and my wife took a picture of it with her phone. She also took pictures of Coral Pink, aconitifolium w/Sango Kaku in background, and Emerald Lace.
     

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  13. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Thank you! Yes, we are in zone 6. My Mikawa Yatsubusa bonsai is at peak color. But in the second photo, you will see the one in the landscape is mostly green with a hint of purple (its right behind Sango Kaku in the foreground).
     

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  14. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Here are a few pictures of the back yard from yesterday.
     

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  15. Atapi

    Atapi Well-Known Member

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    Magnificient colors - this is why I fall in love with JMs. Enjoy them while we can cause in a few short weeks they will be gone. IMPERMANENT!

    In VA, just the last few days most of the leaves begin to show their colors and they are so beautiful. My Mikawa Yatsubusa also shows a hint of purple, too. I hope I will have a chance to see its falls color for the first time since I just got it this spring. All the Acer S., Acer J. are showing their true falls colors but for the Acer P., they still randomly turn their colors.

    1/2 of my red dissectum either loose all or half of their leaves even before turning their colors, is it because they are lack of water during the summer or other reason?. Any thought!

    Again, thank you for sharing.
     
  16. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Here are a some of my bonsai in fall color. The first photo was taken today. The other two were from yesterday. It's amazing how much the colors intensify overnight. Just when you think they are at peak, you wake up the next day to even better colors.
     

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  17. AlainK

    AlainK Renowned Contributor Forums Moderator Maple Society 10 Years

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    On the last photo, what is the red one? Prunus serrotina?
     
  18. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    It's Cotinus coggygria 'Royal Purple'. It was a stock plant at my friends nursery for many years. He laughed when I said I wanted to buy it. When settling on a price, he said I could have it if I promised to bring back the old nursery container it was in with nice handles, because he said the container was worth more than the plant. He just could not figure out why I wanted it, but after some styling, pruning, wiring, root pruning, and potting; I took it back with me to give him his container back and he was blown away! Now he does not question my plant selection, he figures I see something in it that no one else does. Its wrapping up the second season as bonsai; so far so good. The leaves have reduced in size rather quickly, but its long life in a nursery container probably has something to do with it too.
     
  19. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Here are some close up shots of Green Cascade (the colors actually got more intense since my last post) and Aconitifolium (2nd picture was a rare opportunity to capture the colors backlit by the sun, and the 3rd is a leaf on our feather rock fountain-one of our homemade garden creations). The 4th is 'Coral Pink' at peak color. The last is Sharp's Pygmy Fall color with the bright orange Fall color of Hiryu in the background.
     

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    Last edited: Nov 2, 2013
  20. maplesandpaws

    maplesandpaws Active Member

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    I would love to have your garden and yard, such beautiful colors and shots JT; I love your Green Cascade - you have it in near to complete shade, correct? Mine is starting to go yellow now finally, does the red start to show up after this? A few of my trees in the ground are finally starting to turn, with a few others still holding out; a number of the potted ones have started now too. At least this year, thanks to the cooler, wetter first half of summer, I actually have leaves left to enjoy a fall show! Will try and grab some pics in the next few days.

    Also, in the earlier post (#41) with your bonsai, what is the show-stopper in the middle picture? It is beautiful, and such a unique pot too.
     
  21. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Thank you! Yes, the green cascade is in shade, then full sun for about one hour around noon, then bright shade for the rest of the day. The leaf margin starts with a shade of purple burgundy with a green center. Then the margin turns red and the green center turns yellow.

    The bonsai in the unusual red pot is Acer japonicum 'aconitifolium'. Here is a close-up of the leaves. I did it last year somewhat late in the season. Its done very well this year with about 80% of the leaves reduced in size to about 1/2 the size of my landscape grown 'aconitifolium'. Some told me it could not be grown as bonsai (because of growth habit and leaf size), so I figured I would give it a try to see what happens. So far so good!
     

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  22. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Here are some night photos of Amber Ghost and one of Atrolineare and Garnet. The landscape lighting puts on a whole new Fall showing at night. I have some other night photos of our garden, but will hold off on posting, because I am not sure if others will like them as much as I do. Just let me know if you want to see more.
     

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    Last edited: Nov 4, 2013
  23. ROEBUK

    ROEBUK Generous Contributor Maple Society 10 Years

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    JT1; Great pictures brings a new dimmension on the colouration of the trees in the evening darkness, was looking at my own trees again last night on what's left of the ones with leaves you can certainly appreciate them more and see the different hues of the leaves.
    Have already started re-potting trimming, wiring mis-shaped branches etc before the really cold weather sets in , we had our first serious frost in the UK last night!!! hope this is not a sign of things to come? Loved all the pics you posted over the past few days.
     
  24. JT1

    JT1 Contributor 10 Years

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    Thank you!
    Yes our season is definitely on borrowed time. Right now we are enjoying the show. Then at some point the forecast triggers the great migration of bonsai into the garage, the evergreen bonsai go under plastic, and the migration of patio furniture. Then the large container grown trees need winterized. Next season will be busy with re-potting and decisions need to be made if some of the larger trees will be planted or re-potted again.

    Here are a couple of night photos. One is Sango Kaku to show some yellow at night. The other is the backyard garden at night in fall color. The third is a fun photo that I call the Fluid colors of Fall.
     

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  25. Schattenfreude

    Schattenfreude Active Member

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    John,

    Super pics of your gorgeous trees! In post #39 above, what is the orange tree to the left in pics 2 & 3, near your garage? I'm thinking that I need one of those :-)

    Kevin in KC
     

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