Fall foliage in the summer could be a sign of tree stress, Pittsburgh-area expert says

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With temperatures in the 60s in August, it's feeling like leaf-peeping season outside, even though it's still summer. And if it looks like you're seeing leaves changing colors early, a local expert says that could mean those trees are stressed. 

Pennsylvania trees put on quite a show when the seasons change. Western Pennsylvania typically reaches peak fall color in mid to late October with red, yellow and orange bursts before trees drop their leaves. But some people may be seeing those colors earlier than usual.

"When you start noticing that one tree, or maybe several trees, are dropping their leaves specifically early, or starting to change fall color and nothing else is, that's when you really want to say, 'something's going on,'" said Cindy Starr Stewart, the owner of Monster Tree Service of North Pittsburgh.

Stewart says it could be a sign a tree is under stress due to too much or too little water, root damage or diseases.

"There's different things that you might want to have an arborist look into to say, 'Is something going on that's causing that stress to my tree?'" said Stewart. 

For example, it's common for maple trees to get root girdle.

"Root girdle is when the roots start to grow around the trunk of the tree, and it starts choking the tree. You might need a root collar excavation to get that the soil and get the malt away from it, and then we might have to go in and do a little surgery on it," Stewart said.

Stewart says this is a great time to call a certified arborist to check your trees.

"It is never too late. It's never too late. Trees are living beings, just like people, and so just like people, they need a variety of things to be healthy," she said.

To keep them growing healthy and strong, they need pruning and good soil.

"Fall is a great time to get your trees pruned, and having professional deep root nutrient treatments done to your trees, it's something you can really do to help the health of them," Stewart said.

If you don't want to do a professional root nutrient treatment, homeowners can take some steps to improve the soil.

"You can put some leaves and things around the base of your trees, just to kind of help. Get some grass clippings to have them get better nutrients. What you don't want to do is pile that up on the trunk of the tree," Stewart said.