Orchards do not always have time to prepare for winter. Sometimes you can see such a picture - branches with green foliage drooping under the weight of snow. At first glance, this view is mesmerizing. Why is this happening? What could this situation mean for trees? Is it worth helping the plant by mechanically removing foliage?
Such thoughts come to gardeners if this happens in their garden. In this article we will tell you whether it is worth plucking leaves from trees if they do not fall. All about the reasons for the delay in leaf fall, the vital processes of foliage that affect the fall of leaves.
Length of daylight
The leaves of the trees fall off after the length of daylight hours gradually decreases. At the same time, the color of the leaf plates also changes from green to yellow-red tones. This mechanism is the result of reduced production of chlorophyll (the green pigment) due to lack of sunlight. It, when absorbing the rays of the sun, promotes the production of nutritional compounds, which is called photosynthesis. As daylight hours decrease, photosynthesis gradually begins to slow down and the foliage turns yellow. The trees will finally shed their yellow leaves when photosynthesis completely stops.
When the process stops completely in the fall, the production of sucrose, which the plant uses as one of its key nutritional components, is also absent. Due to a reduction in the volume of substances necessary for development, in order not to die and reduce the need for nutrition, to survive the cold, the tree sheds its leaves for the winter. At the same time, it enters the resting phase.
On a note!
Some wild plants can be grown on the site, but it is often noticed that this tree growing in the forest sheds its leaves earlier in the winter. This difference is due to the fact that in urban areas the level of illumination is higher and there are many sources of artificial light.
How to avoid problems with leaf fall in the future
In order not to worry about how a garden that has not shed its leaves will endure a frosty winter, it is better to take care of timely leaf fall in advance.
- How to feed the garden in spring, summer and autumn
Take care of the plants in the garden by applying the necessary fertilizers on time. Our calendar and useful tips will help you with this!
To do this, follow these simple recommendations:
- select and plant only zoned varieties from local nurseries;
- Apply fertilizers correctly. Avoid overdose of nitrogen substances. At the end of summer and autumn, it is recommended to apply only potassium-phosphorus fertilizers;
- avoid overwatering in autumn;
- Perform summer pruning correctly.
Damage to foliage
Foliage falls not only due to reduced daylight hours, but also due to the large amount of damage. During the warm season, leaf blades collect many toxic compounds, working as a filter. This helps the plant to survive even in polluted environmental conditions and not suffer greatly from accumulated harmful substances (excess mineral salts, metabolites). The leaves are also affected by other unfavorable factors, which are presented:
- attacks by harmful insects;
- consequences of diseases;
- general wear and tear.
Leaves fly off the branches due to damage even in the case of evergreen, and not just deciduous, plants. However, compared to ordinary trees, which shed all their leaves in a short time, in coniferous vegetation this process is constant. Their damaged leaf blades fall off immediately after being severely damaged.
What role do leaves play in the life of trees?
The leaf structure is represented by two parts: the leaf blade and the petiole, which is its stem. The structure of the plate is represented by veins. They are especially clearly visible from below. It turns out that they are vessels designed for the movement of water. Each leaf contains green chlorophyll grains. They are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye. Grains can be compared to tiny factories. They are used to prepare food for the entire tree. They build the material from which new branches, buds, roots and, naturally, the trunk itself are formed.
They receive energy for their production from the sun. They absorb light throughout the day. Chlorophyll is unstable and is constantly subject to destruction. But at the same time, its regular restoration occurs. For any tree, green leaves are essential. But the yellow leaf does not nourish the tree, but only takes moisture from it.
Dry or cold climate
Leaves fall not only in the fall - the tree can shed them during dry periods. This prevents the death of the plant due to critical loss of moisture, which the foliage greatly evaporates in hot weather. However, during drought, evergreen trees do not shed their leaves, since they both consume and evaporate less moisture (compared to deciduous plants).
Why don't the needles fall off?
In the life of any tree or shrub, leaves play a fairly significant role. They create and accumulate substances necessary to nourish the tree. Due to the fact that in winter there is not enough light, useful components are intensively consumed and moisture evaporates too intensely.
The habitat of coniferous plants is, as a rule, an area where there is a harsh climate. Such plants need increased nutrition, and therefore their needles do not fall off during the winter. They contain large amounts of chlorophyll, which helps transform nutrients. The small needle area significantly reduces evaporation. It also has protection from the cold, which is due to the wax coating. Thanks to this, the needles are not able to freeze even in severe frosts.
The only plant with needles that loses its leaves in the winter is larch.
Benefits of fallen leaves
Many summer residents consider fallen leaves in the fall to be garbage that needs to be removed from the site. However, you can use them. In nature, in deciduous forests, after falling, a “litter” appears under the plants, which helps them develop and enriches the soil with useful components. Fallen leaves without signs of damage by pests or diseases can be beneficial and can be used as follows:
- Dry foliage is a good material for covering heat-loving vegetation. You can insulate clematis, roses, grapes, perennials, whose frost resistance is relatively low. To prevent such shelter from being damaged by the wind, coniferous branches are laid on top.
- Leaf litter is a good solution for mulching winter plantings. A 5 cm layer of such mulch protects the planted plants from frost when there is no snow yet.
- It is good to mulch the beds with leaves in the spring season after planting seedlings in open soil. This layer retains moisture, prevents weeds from growing, and prevents the soil from drying out and overheating.
- Foliage is a good organic material to loosen the soil on the site. With its annual use, clay soils will become lighter, and sandy soils will retain more moisture.
- Collected fallen and dry leaves are a good addition to compost or warm beds. The foliage rots, although this fertilizer is not very nutritious for vegetation, but in combination with other additives it enriches the soil well.
- Fallen leaves attract earthworms. They process organic residues into humus, which is necessary for the good development of planted vegetation.
On a note!
Fallen leaves rot for a long time. Therefore, when they are used for compost, they need additional processing - special biological products are added to speed up the decomposition process.
Summary of a lesson in a preparatory group for school, topic: “Do all trees shed their leaves?”
Program content:
1. To form children’s ideas about the adaptation of trees to different climatic growing conditions: southern, northern, to the conditions of hot countries, jungles. 2. To consolidate and expand children’s knowledge about “coniferous”, “deciduous” and “evergreen” trees. 3. Lexical work: – exercise children in forming adjectives from nouns; – in agreement of numerals with nouns. 4. To instill in children a caring attitude towards nature and develop interest in it.
Material:
Tree pollination
After the foliage falls, the trunks and branches of the trees become bare, and with the onset of warmth, when the flowers bloom, pollination occurs better and more efficiently. This is due to the fact that wind pollen, due to the absence of leaves, spreads better, covering a larger area. Leaf fall is one of the natural mechanisms that leads to an increase in the likelihood of successful pollination.
Why do the leaves of coniferous plants withstand frost?
With different types of frost, ice forms on the plant in different ways. … It can settle in crevices in the bark, cracking it and the plant tissue underneath, or it can crust over the entire trunk and leaves, isolating and debilitating. Ice interferes with aeration and wound healing.
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Which trees don't shed their leaves in autumn?
Perennial trees that do not shed their leaves at all do not exist in nature. Even plants that are classified as evergreens lose them. In coniferous trees, which can grow even in northern regions, needles replace regular foliage. They fall off the branches gradually - the renewal process is so slow that it can only be noticed by the remains in the root zone. In winter, such trees do not shed their leaves.
In general, landscaping in coniferous plants is more resistant to external damaging factors. In the process of evolution, classic leaf plates were transformed into thin needles, due to which they (pines, cedars, spruces, etc.) do not lose moisture. The category of non-deciduous plants also includes those that grow in the tropics. But, in some species, all leaves may fall off, and then the crown is completely restored in 2-3 weeks.
The preservation of green mass on a fruit tree on the site in the fall may also indicate various problems with the plant. If the leaves are yellow, but are still in the crown, then the main thing is to check the composition of the applied autumn bait - the presence of nitrogenous compounds prevents the slowdown of sap flow. In order for such trees to completely shed their leaves, you can treat the plants with special preparations - defoliants or pick off all the greenery yourself.
The fall of green mass from trees in the fall is one of the stages of independent preparation for the winter cold. This way plants reduce the outflow of moisture and are protected from damage by snow and frost. Also, leaf fall helps get rid of accumulated harmful compounds. Some plants can retain their entire crown - evergreen or tropical. If the fruit crops on the site have not completely shed their yellowed leaves on time, this may indicate problems with the composition of the fertilizer or developmental pathologies.
Seasonal change of plant leaves
Leaf fall for trees is the logical end of the seasonal growth cycle and a way to successfully survive the winter. In regions with a temperate climate it is frosty. The top layer of soil and accumulated moisture freezes. As a result, the plant cannot collect enough water through its root system. If the leaves remained on the branches, moisture would continue to evaporate from their surface, albeit less intensely due to low temperatures, and the bushes and trees would dry out.
During winter, there is a large amount of precipitation in the form of snow. The latter sticks to the branches. Given the presence of leaves, the mass of adhered snow would be significantly greater, the branches of trees and bushes would break off under the unusual weight.
Leaves and needles that have fallen from trees and bushes form a vegetation cover near the root system of trees, which is a natural protection against winter frosts. Closer to spring, with the gradual thawing of the soil and precipitation in the form of rain, all fallen leaves rot, acting as fertilizer for the soil and a source of nutrients for plants.
In regions with subtropical climates, leaf fall is evidence of drought. Trees are losing their leaves due to lack of water. This often happens in the summer, in July-August.
Why do we need leaf fall?
Leaf fall is an evolutionary process of preparation for seasonal climate changes, necessary for the survival of a plant in nature. With the onset of cold weather, most of the flora sheds its summer decorations and enters a state of suspended animation. Metabolic processes in plant life systems practically stop.
On a note!
Leaves, so necessary in the summer for evaporating excess moisture and collecting life-giving sunlight, simply become unnecessary and fall off.
Leaves may not fall due to improper summer pruning
Improper summer pruning results in new young shoots appearing with leaves that are gaining growth. When winter comes, the shoots are in the growth phase and are not preparing to winter and accumulate energy for spring. Leaves draw moisture from the soil, drying out the wood. If such a plant is not insulated, the young shoots will freeze or get burned. When carrying out summer pruning, consider several options:
- Weak pruning. Suitable for young trees. Each new branch is cut by a quarter, thus forming a crown of the correct shape and increasing productivity.
- Medium trim. It is carried out for five- or seven-year-old trees. In this case, the branches are cut by a third, which serves to increase the yield.
- Heavy pruning. The shoots of the tree are cut to half their length, this allows the branches to become stronger and thicker.
In summer, the formed branch is removed using a garden hacksaw, making a cut to the middle of the diameter of the branch, starting from the bottom, then a cut is made in the upper part of the branch and sawed to the end. This method allows you to cut down a branch without breaking the bark and get an even cut.
What actions can you take?
Winter sometimes brings severe frosts. Therefore, regardless of whether all the foliage has fallen, it is necessary to carry out the necessary work for apple trees:
- First of all, whiten the trunks and lower branches of apple trees to protect them from pests.
- Place mulch under the apple tree in the fall and insulate the root area with a 10-centimeter layer of dry branches, bark or humus.
- Wrap young seedlings with burlap or other covering material to prevent freezing.
The leaves of late varieties of apple trees begin to fall much later than those of early ones. It can fall off or fly around in strong winds even at the end of November.
