CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Fall is right around the corner, but when we can expect the trees to put on a spectacular color display this year, or whether it will be that great still isn’t clear yet.
The dry spell we had really stressed trees. The recent rain has helped, but whether trees will show great colors or for how long is dependent upon how stressed they were.
Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic Manager at The Morton Arboretum said we’re in a “wait and see” mode right now. Janoski said she loves to watch what Gingko Trees do.
"It's a little bit dicey on whether you are going to get the fall color out of them, because if we have an early freeze and they decide to fall, sometimes like last year, they just fall green. So I am always waiting, sort of with bated breath to see if they really turn and when they do," she said.
Janoski said you should still be watering your trees with the rule-of-thumb being, an inch to an inch-and-a-half of water every week.
"What's really important is getting that whole root system, as opposed to just putting the hose out in one area on that tree and leaving it running, even at a trickle or whatever. If you are going to do that, you need to move the hose around a bit so you are watering the entire root system," she said.
The Morton Arboretum will soon offer an online “Fall Color Report” which you can check out at mortonarb.org.