DAD AND HER SON ON THEIR WAY.
YOU CAN SEND US YOUR STATE FAIR
MEMORIES TO WCCO.COM/STATE
FAIR.
THE DAYS ARE GETTING
SHORTER AND LEAVES ARE ALREADY
TURNING TO CHANGE ACROSS THE
LOWER THIRD OF THE STATE.
COLORS DON'T PEEK FOR
ANOTHER SEVERAL WEEKS, SO OUT
OF THOSE LEAVES KNOW WHEN IT'S
TIME TO CHANGE?
AN EXPERT HELPED SHED SOME
LIGHT ON THAT QUESTION. ARE
YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE
FALL?
YES.
FOOTBALL IS ON. SOMETIMES
THE TREES JUST KNOW.
I DON'T KNOW, THEY ARE WISE
OLD TREES.
EARLY OCTOBER IT IS TIME FOR
A CHANGE. THE MAGICOLOR.
OH, LOOK AT THESE WORDS.
THERE IS A SIGNAL, AND THE
TREES SIGNAL IS THAT THE DAYS
ARE GETTING SHORTER.
AND SO THAT IS KEEP.
LEAVES GET THERE IN COLOR
FROM CHLOROPHYLL, GREEN PIGMENT
ACTUALLY MASKS THE LEAVES TRUE
YELLOW AND BROWN COLOR ALL
SUMMER LONG.
AND WHEN THERE IS LESS SUNLIGHT
THE PHOTOSYNTHESIS KIND OF
SHUTS OFF AND THAT'S WHAT
CAUSES A DECREASE IN
CHLOROPHYLL AND THE GREEN
PIGMENT BREAKS DOWN.
SO NOW YOU CAN ADD THAT TO YOUR
VOCABULARY.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS.
IT SHUTS DOWN BUT IT ALLOWS
THE YELLOW COLORS TO SHINE
THROUGH. SO IF THEY WERE
RAINY AND CLOUDY WOULD IT BE A
DIFFERENT COLOR? TEMPERATURE
HAS AN EFFECT ON THE COLOR, NOT
AS MUCH WHEN THEY CHANGE.
THAT'S BECAUSE THE SUGARS IN
THE RED AND PURPLE LEAVES ARE
WHAT MAKE THEM COLORFUL.
THE COLD OF THE NIGHT STOPS THE
FLOW OF THE SAP, LETTING THE
COLORS BUILDUP AND SHINE
THROUGH.
EVERY SO OFTEN YOU SEE A
TREE THAT HAS ALREADY TURNED,
WHAT IS THAT?
THAT TREE IS UNDER SOME SORT
OF STRESS.
TOO MUCH OR TOO LITTLE WATER
OR SOMETHING IS HAPPENING TO
THE ROOTS. YOU ARE JUST OUT
HERE GIVING SCIENCE LESSONS.
