Winter Wisdom

Brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State University Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.   Each week we feature interesting topics for winter reading.

Home
Current Issue
Previous Issues

Donations

Videos new!

Bookstore  
Magazines 
Gardening Catalogs 

Site Search
Contact Us
Submit A Tip

Feature Articles

Rose Tips
What's Hot... 
Nuisance of the Week
Winter Wisdom 
Turf Tips... 
Gardener's Glossary 

Books We Love
Great Products
Web Resources
Event Calendar

Unsubscribe 
Address Change 
Tell A Friend 

Privacy Pledge

Week of 12/4/00

This is the first of a new series of articles that will be the winter replacement for "What's Hot on the Hotline?" until the Hotline reopens on March 1, 2001.  The articles are prepared by Staff members of the Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Master Gardener organization of Olathe, Kansas. 

There have been several articles in area publications recently commenting on the failure of leaves to fall from many deciduous trees and bushes.  This phenomenon is an aberration from the normal seasonal leaf drop that is part of the life cycle of deciduous plants.  The process is known as abscission, caused by hormonal changes in the plant in response to changes in temperature, the length of daylight hours, and natural senescence or aging.  Botanists tell us that abscission is controlled by an increase in ethylene gas level that tends to weaken cell structure.  This process also affects chlorophyll and causes an increase in red and orange coloring.  The weakened cell walls at the base of the leaves allow the leaves to fall.  This year, temperature variance and other environmental causes interfered with the normal abscission process and resulted in withered leaves remaining on many trees.

Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.

Previous Weeks' Winter Wisdom

* Winter Wisdom is an information service of the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.  Research-based responses are provided by Extension Master Gardener volunteers weekdays from March 1 through October 31, from 9:00 am to 4:30pm .  To telephone, call (913) 764-6306 or visit the Extension Office at 13480 South Arapaho Drive, Olathe, Kansas.  Visit their website at www.oznet.ksu.edu/Johnson 

© 1999 - 2008 Savvygardener.com, Inc. All rights reserved.  If you wish to copy, transmit, or otherwise duplicate any of the material from our website please ask us first.  Thank you.