Fall colours arriving early in Winnipeg's trees this year; Here's why
The colours of fall have arrived early in Winnipeg, and the summer's drought may be to blame.
Martha Barwinsky, a forester with the City of Winnipeg, said trees have been suffering this year amid the dry conditions.
Going into the spring, there was very little soil moisture, she said. The extreme heat throughout the summer and the low soil moisture heading into the fall has had an impact on the city's tree canopy Barwinsky said.
"I'm sure other people have seen it too, where the trees in the middle of the season, the leaves have all of a sudden turned brown and the trees are dead," she said.
The city tested for pathogens, but didn't find any. Barwinsky said it could be a sign of 'leaf scorch' brought on by water deficiency.
The colours of fall have arrived early in Manitoba, and the summer's drought may be to blame. A tree is pictured in Winnipeg on Sept. 14, 2021. (Source: Glenn Pismenny/ CTV News Winnipeg)
The forester said some species – such as Birch, Alder and Lindens – are more susceptible to drought and heat. However, even some oak trees have been started to turn brown early.
"We believe that it's just the past few years of drought are really taking their toll on some of the oak trees as well," she said.
Though the turning leaves may make for a beautiful walk outside, Barwinsky said it might not last long.
"If the dry conditions continue, we could see an earlier leaf drop as the trees are just going into survival mode and going into the dormancy."
She said this is a critical time for the tree canopy, because though the leaves will be turning and falling, the roots are still growing.
"Now is a really important time for people to water the trees, water at the edges of the branches, at the drip line and beyond, to make sure that there's enough soil moisture for the roots to take up to carry them into the winter and be able to leaf out in the spring," she said.
Homeowners with trees should keep on watering into the fall, up until mid-October, Barwinsky said.
"You don't want to overwater because the trees actually are starting to shut down, but definitely, the roots need that soil moisture at this time of year."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Montreal doctors' breakthrough discovery about causes of cerebral palsy giving hope
A breakthrough discovery made by doctors at the Montreal Children's Hospital about the causes of cerebral palsy is giving new hope to one West Island family.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.