APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Heading into the middle of May, blooming plants and trees provide a welcoming sight as spring takes over. The greenery is thanks to a little bit of rain, warmer temperatures and sunlight.
“Well, it depends on all of those things. I mean, the biggest thing, however, is temperature,” explained Tom Jensen, horticulturist at Van Zeeland Nursery. “Most of our trees and shrubs we have, evergreens alike, will sit dormant until we get a soil temperature of about 40 degrees.”
Jensen says this spring has been more challenging.
“This year was interesting because we were in the 80s in what seems like a year ago. But we had a week of 80-degree weather, and everything took off like crazy,” he said. “But then, if you remember, everything just stopped. And that’s because the soil temperature was right, but we weren’t getting the sunshine and the air temperature.”
And who could forget the snow that fell just a little over a week ago?
“That snow cooled the ground and put everything to a stop,” said Jensen. “In my opinion, we are one to two weeks behind. Normally, going into Mother’s Day, for example, lilacs would be in full bloom, and you’re really just seeing them in bud at the moment.”
It’s the natural compound of chlorophyll that makes plants and trees turn green as they grow back.
“It’s all located within the plants themselves. But, once again, it needs sunlight. That’s the key to trigger the making of chlorophyll,” explained Jensen.
But what about plants with leaves that are different colors, like purple or yellow?
“Normally, sunny weather, chlorophyll will mask those colors and be the dominant color,” said Jensen. “So, in hybridizing, if you kind of lessen of the chlorophyll — bring in the other chemicals that add color — then we can get purple-leafed plants and yellow-leafed plants. And the same thing is what happens in the fall.”
Different plants will start to bud and bloom on their own time, but mother nature will signal when the growing season is over.
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