Yellow Leaf Drop In Summer?

The trees can develop a large amount of yellow leaves and then begin to slough them covering the ground in a blanket of yellow.  This is normal in that it is a response to both the late summer heat and the changes in light we encounter as we move towards fall. During hot and dry conditions trees simply cannot support their spring leaf load and begin to reduce that load.

As the plants begin to discard these leaves, you begin to see the color change as the green chlorophyll pigment dissipates and the secondary yellow and red pigments, which are more persistent, are easily seen. Since the plants are discarding these leaves they turn off natural defenses in the leaves so the leaves become more susceptible to insect and disease attack. Consequently, you may see leaf spots appearing on the leaves or insects which may cause you to be concerned. However, these insects and diseases are not a threat to the plant. This leaf drop occurs long before the first frost and usually causes alarm if you are not prepared for it.

Scorch occurs on leaves when temperatures are very high and the plants are not getting adequate rainfall or irrigation. Correct this with proper watering.

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