Hi All!
Our yard has, or has within 30 feet, 16 maple trees. Most are estimated to be about 100+ years old. (Trunks are between 4 feet and 3 feet diameter) A few are younger. Many are silver maple and 3 are Norway maple. One is unknown maple.
Usually in spring, we get quite a lot of green seeds that look like wings. In the fall, we get thousands and thousands of brown seeds- also wing shaped. (Helicopters?) I rake up enough to fill at least 10 of those 50 pound paper leaf bags.
Both this spring and this fall, we had zero seeds. None at all. The neighbor mentioned the same thing. In spring we did have the little, brown crumbly things that normally fall from the trees, but I paid no attention if they were more or less plentiful than usual.
Could the weather be the reason?
Last winter, we had slightly warmer than normal temperatures. Days averaged in the mid to high 20's-F and nights in the 10's or single digits. We had a few days below 0-F. I didn't notice any days above 32-F until March.
In March, it rained or snowed about half of the days. In April, we had some rain most days. In June, it rained every day. In July and August, it was hot in the 80's and 90's-F, but also had many days of rain. (Enough that I watered the gardens perhaps 5 times all summer)
The tees had their usual copious amount of leaves. However, this year they didn't turn red. One tree's fell while green and early- in October. The others went from green to brown without stopping at orange or red like usual. One still has leaves, despite it having been below freezing for a week or so. (This particular Norway usually is the last to drop leaves, but not generally this late)
To Compare To Other Plants:
The privet hedges' leaves are still green, but they often turn & drop late. The vegetable plants never died this year, despite many weeks with below freezing temperatures. (Fruits froze, but plants still are supple and green.) The four 5 year old asparagus never did show up this year, but that may be not related at all.
Oddly, and maybe unrelated, my pine trees had very, very few pine cones this year. Perhaps I raked up a dozen all summer. Normally, I'll get enough to more than fill a leaf bag during summer.
Do you all think the weather is the cause for no seeds and odd leaf colors? If not, what do you suppose is the cause?
Thanks for helping solve this mystery!
Paul
Our yard has, or has within 30 feet, 16 maple trees. Most are estimated to be about 100+ years old. (Trunks are between 4 feet and 3 feet diameter) A few are younger. Many are silver maple and 3 are Norway maple. One is unknown maple.
Usually in spring, we get quite a lot of green seeds that look like wings. In the fall, we get thousands and thousands of brown seeds- also wing shaped. (Helicopters?) I rake up enough to fill at least 10 of those 50 pound paper leaf bags.
Both this spring and this fall, we had zero seeds. None at all. The neighbor mentioned the same thing. In spring we did have the little, brown crumbly things that normally fall from the trees, but I paid no attention if they were more or less plentiful than usual.
Could the weather be the reason?
Last winter, we had slightly warmer than normal temperatures. Days averaged in the mid to high 20's-F and nights in the 10's or single digits. We had a few days below 0-F. I didn't notice any days above 32-F until March.
In March, it rained or snowed about half of the days. In April, we had some rain most days. In June, it rained every day. In July and August, it was hot in the 80's and 90's-F, but also had many days of rain. (Enough that I watered the gardens perhaps 5 times all summer)
The tees had their usual copious amount of leaves. However, this year they didn't turn red. One tree's fell while green and early- in October. The others went from green to brown without stopping at orange or red like usual. One still has leaves, despite it having been below freezing for a week or so. (This particular Norway usually is the last to drop leaves, but not generally this late)
To Compare To Other Plants:
The privet hedges' leaves are still green, but they often turn & drop late. The vegetable plants never died this year, despite many weeks with below freezing temperatures. (Fruits froze, but plants still are supple and green.) The four 5 year old asparagus never did show up this year, but that may be not related at all.
Oddly, and maybe unrelated, my pine trees had very, very few pine cones this year. Perhaps I raked up a dozen all summer. Normally, I'll get enough to more than fill a leaf bag during summer.
Do you all think the weather is the cause for no seeds and odd leaf colors? If not, what do you suppose is the cause?
Thanks for helping solve this mystery!
Paul
