September 5, 2001
As the summer draws to a close, and as the days get shorter, the eagerly anticipated fall foliage season begins. The spring and summer of 2001 were on the dry side, with many areas experiencing a precipitation deficit between two and six inches during the months of April, May, June, July, and August. Many people are calling for an early and quick foliage season, a view not shared by The Foliage Network. While it has been dry in the Northeast, there were no widespread droughts. Trees, by their very nature, store water in their roots to combat such dry conditions. Prolonged drought conditions would have an impact on the foliage, although that is not the case this year. One result of the relatively dry conditions may be an earlier onset of the foliage season. This will be most noteworthy with distressed and diseased trees, which would be most affected by the dry conditions.

Leaf drop is very low to non-existent, which is to be expected so early in the season. This information was provided by Marek D. Rzonca, The Foliage Network. The next report will be released Saturday, September 8, 2001.

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