Forcing autumn colour

Beano · Post by **Beano** » June 5th, 2013, 11:29 am

Can one get autumn colour in warner climates by watering with colder water? From the refrigerator? Would this be bad for a tree? I've seen talk on the Internet of ppl watering with ice cubes but it seems it is not recommended. If no one has tried it I would be tempted to experiment one day.

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Post by **kcpoole** » June 5th, 2013, 12:16 pm

i doubt it will have any affect.
I thought the colour is brought about by the breakdown of the Cells due to Cold Damage to them but takes a long exposure to do. I have heard of people trying to use fridges as well to no avail.

Ken

MattA · Post by **MattA** » June 5th, 2013, 12:53 pm

I have tried various methods, including watering with icey water & also frozen bottles placed on & around the trees with no effect on autumn colour. A fridge can be successfully used to simulate a longer colder winter for those that need it but its a risk everytime (mainly from the drying atmosphere in a fridge. Wine fridges are used to great effect as cool climate wardian cases for orchids & it could be a way of keeping smaller cool climate trees out of natural range & also improve fall colour but you would have to adjust the temps down in autumn & back up again slowly in spring until you could return them to an outdoor situation for the growing season.

Grant Bowie · Post by **Grant Bowie** » June 5th, 2013, 1:00 pm

The best colour here in Canberra has varied from species to species.

The Celtis which coloured up best was the one that was defoliated and it hung onto its leaves longer.

The Japanese maple that coloured best was one that hadn't been defoliated; this year. In the past I would have said it was the defoliated one.

Ordinary elms varied depending on fertilizer regimes from us and the owner. The hungriest ones coloured brightly, the well fed ones coloured much darker and held longer.

No discernible difference in English elm colouring.

Trident also varied a lot. One held a long time and coloured well whereas others dropped early, coloured well but sort of washed out.

Taxodiums are still in leaf.

European larch shed about mid to end of March.

Grant

Pup · Post by **Pup** » June 5th, 2013, 1:22 pm

I have tried these methods, ice water and shifting the tree into the shed at 4 in the afternoon,this year I tried the beer fridge. Over e period of two months.

Both times with Chinese elms. When they changed colour it was beautiful, I thought great now to show them. However when I moved them from the shed/fridge.

They immediately dropped their leaves, so I have deduced it works but if you want to look at it leave it in the fridge or shed, which is not desirable.

Cheers Pup

Beano · Post by **Beano** » June 5th, 2013, 4:00 pm

*sigh*. Thanks for the info!

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Andrew Legg · Post by **Andrew Legg** » June 5th, 2013, 5:17 pm

Spraypaint?

bodhidharma · Post by **bodhidharma** » June 6th, 2013, 8:41 am

Just goes to show that you cannot have it all. We cant get your magnificent figs so it is a fair trade. As a one off, liquid ambers colour up in Melaney, Queensland so have a crack at one of them.

Jow · Post by **Jow** » June 6th, 2013, 9:02 am

I had a go with the fridge method and although it did start to show results i ran out of time to get it to turn for an exhibition it was due to be displayed in, so it was instead defoliated.

http://nichigobonsai.com/2012/05/07/the-things-we-do/

After a week of over night fridge time it was beginning to show the signs of colour but it probably needed a second week or possibly even a third.

Beano · Post by **Beano** » June 6th, 2013, 9:30 am

Cool! I doubt my fridge is big enough, but I'll keep it in mind for future experiments, ha!

AusBonsai