FOLIO LINE FOLIO LINE M c C l a t c h y - Tr i b u n e

WORLD-CLASS EQUIPMENT: DID YOU KNOW?

The International Society of
One rake and childlike enthusiasm. Arboriculture says a couple of
AGE LIMIT: key factors can determine whether
fall foliage colors explode in bril-
None. liance or produce a muted palette.
SOME ASSEMBLY REQUIRED. Favorable conditions
■ Fertile soil enhances the inten-
There is something about a pile of fall leaves that sity of reds in leaves.
is irresistible: A sunny fall day with just the right ■ The more sunlight a leaf receives,
chill in the air. You take that long lunch in the park, the more likely it is to turn red.
and there they are. A jumble of red, gold and ■ Warm sunny days followed by
orange leaves. Calling to you: “Come run through cool nights with temperatures below
45 degrees create the most favorable
me, toss my golden bounty in the air.” conditions for strong color.
“Dive in and roll around. ... You know you want to.” Unfavorable conditions
■ Rainy or cloudy days near
But you resist the siren song. After all, you’re “peak coloration time” limit pho-
an adult, and leaf diving is for kids, right? tosynthesis and dampen the
Silly rabbit. vividness of autumn color.
■ Freezing temperatures and
We say the fun of jumping into leaves is for every- heavy frost can significantly
one. So allow us to reintroduce the older ones and reduce autumn color intensity by
initiate youngsters to the fine art of leaf diving. damaging leaves before pigments
are fully developed.
PICKING THE PILE
There are a couple of things to remember when selecting the perfect
PRESERVING
pile of leaves for diving: depth and density. LEAVES
Too shallow, and people could get hurt; too deep, and you might The colors of autumn don’t
never get through them. have to disappear with the onset
Our highly unscientific research reveals that the ideal pile is at least 3 of winter. There are a variety of
feet tall at the center and twice as wide. Yes, it’s a load of leaves, but ways to preserve leaves that can NATURE’S
you only get to do this a couple of times a year, so do it right. lock in the fall beauty for several BIG SHOW
As for density, kick through the leaves a little to loosen the pile. weeks or more.
So, leaf diving’s not your thing?
Tightly packed leaves are no good. Traditional wax paper method There are still plenty of ways to
Also, take note of where the pile is. Grass is best. If the leaves are any- ■ Place leaves between two lay- make the most of the season.
where near a street, think twice. Curbs are the hidden dangers of leaf piles ers of wax paper.
(as some of us have found out the hard way — the really hard way). There In search of fall color
■ Cover with an old towel. One of the best ways to enjoy fall
is nothing like a belly flop onto concrete to make you hate autumn.
Stay away from leaves that look the slightest bit wet, and watch out ■ Press the fabric with a warm iron is to visit an area during its peak
for sticks. And, most importantly, avoid leaves that are floating in water. for about 30 seconds. This should color period. Drop in on one of
seal the leaf in the wax paper. the following Web sites for regu-
WHAT TO WEAR ■ After, cut the leaves out from lar fall color updates.
Note: Fashion tips depend on crisp temperatures. Adjust accordingly. the two pressed wax paper sheets. ■ U.S Forest Service
We’re talking about diving into leaves here, not running the Joan But leave a narrow margin of www.fs.fed.us/news/fallcolors/
Rivers gantlet at the Oscars, so really, you’re free to come as you are. wax paper around the leaf edge. ■ The Weather Channel
But in the ideal leaf-diving universe, there are a few things you might Children should never preserve www.weather.com/maps/geo
want to consider. leaves with wax paper without graphy/northeastus/northeastus
First off, LEAVES CAN SCRATCH. You’ll no doubt come into con- parental supervision. normalfallpeaks_large.html
tact with the occasional branch or twig, so gloves are a good bet, and — Microwave oven method ■ Connecticut
especially if you’ve got a head of hair on ya — a cap. ■ Pick fresh, colorful leaves www.ct.gov (search for “fall
Also, diving through the air in a barn jacket might seem nice and rus- from trees. Don’t use leaves that foliage”)
tic and Martha Stewart-ish, but think about it: You’ll be plucking leaves have fallen already. ■ Maine
out of the pockets through March. ■ Place the leaves separately on www.state.me.us/doc/foliage/
The same warning goes for clothes that are too loose — baggy hip- two paper towel sheets in the
hop jeans could mean days of picking leaves out of your nether regions. ■ Massachusetts
microwave oven, and cover them www.massvacation.com/fallfoliage
Instead, we recommend a cotton turtleneck (impenetrable to leaves) with another sheet.
underneath a cozy old wool sweater. ■ Missouri
■ Run the oven for 30 to 180 sec- mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/out-
And again, depending on how brisk it is, we recommend long johns onds. Drier leaves require less time.
underneath a pair of jeans. Extra padding could be good. You know. Curbs. door-recreation/nature-viewing/
Baking leaves in the microwave for trees-and-forests/fall-colors
more than three minutes could cre-
STYLE AND TECHNIQUE ate a fire hazard. Leaves that curl
■ New Hampshire
You have your pile and your gear, so what’s next? www.visitnh.gov/4-seasons/
following time in the microwave
If you are 5, do what comes naturally. If you are several decades fall-harvest/foliage
have not dried enough.
older, watch a 5-year-old first. ■ New York
■ Allow leaves to dry for one or
Leaf diving is about letting go and reveling in nature. fallgetaways.iloveny.com
two days. Then apply a sealant,
Feeling a little cautious? Start slowly with a solid jump right into the ■ Ozark Mountains
such as an acrylic craft spray, to
middle — feet or bottom first, your pick. Once you are waist-high in (Arkansas and Missouri)
the leaves.
leaves, you’ll loosen up. www.ozarkmtns.com/foliage/
Wanna dive full force into nature? Try a Nestea plunge Glycerin and water method
index.asp
and just fall back into a pile of autumn goodness. (But ■ Submerge leaves in a pan filled
with a solution of one part glyc- ■ Pennsylvania
remember depth and density — see “Picking the Pile” — we
erin and two parts water. www.fallinpa.com/fallinpa/index.jsp
don’t want anybody with a busted noggin.)
Once you’ve dived into the leaf pile, what then? ■ Let leaves soak in the solution for ■ Wisconsin
Toss a few handfuls of leaves in the air and then make two to six days. Remove the leaves www.travelwisconsin.com/fall
sure to prepare the pile for the next person. and wipe off the excess liquid. color_report.aspx
— Holly E. Stepp and Heather Svokos, — Chuck Myers,
McClatchy Newspapers McClatchy-Tribune

SOURCES:
DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL
S O C I E T Y; WA S H I N G TO N
S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
EXTENSION

I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y
C H R I S WA R E / M C T

LEAF DIVING — ORIGINALLY POSTED SEP. 2005

MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE