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
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.