Right now is an interesting time of the year that is viewed differently by different people.

Some people view fall as a depressing time with all the trees losing leaves, lawns slowly fading from lush green to brown, and flower production much lower than in the spring and summer.

Then there are those like me that live for the fall. The only time of the year we have the chance to see the landscape transform before your eyes.

This change brings a collage of sights where our beautiful southern trees begin to resemble a scene for the smoky mountains in some locations.

This change is never more evident than the color of trees turning from green to red, orange, yellow, brown and other tones. So the question this week is how does this happen?

Q. How and why do leaves change different colors?

Despite some popular thoughts, freezes do not cause leaves to change colors. Leaves changing color is the works of a chemical process within the tree in preparation for winter. Trees rely heavily on leaves during spring and summer months to help provide food for growing.

Each leaf has millions of microscopic cells that produce small green bodies called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what gives trees the green color during these growing months. The tree works as a factory using all its parts, including roots for water, to help make all this happen.

Similar to the way animals store up food and hibernate for the winter, trees have a similar process. Around this time of the year each year as the weather, sunlight and environment begins changing, the tree begins to slow down, and the work of the leaves begin to end.

Therefore the chlorophyll remaining in the leaf is broken down and stored back in the tree’s root system for use in the spring.

What remains is a leaf that is losing its color. The leaf body now consists of cell cavities that have a watery substance where you can see oil globules and small yellow refractive bodies, thus giving a yellow appearance. Sometimes there is more sugar in the leaf than can readily be transferred back to the tree.

In this case the chemical combination with other substances produces many color shades, from the brilliant red of the dogwoods to the colorful red-browns of the oaks. In the cone-bearing trees that do not lose their foliage in the fall, the green coloring takes on a slightly brownish tinge that gives way to a lighter color in the spring.

Q. What are good ways to dispose of fallen leaves?

We will start receiving calls in a few weeks about ways to dispose of leaves. Leaves are great for compost piles especially when combined with high nitrogen and organic materials, like grass clippings.

Around mature trees in open areas they look very natural when used as mulch, but they may not have the appearance you desire when used as mulch in flowerbeds around the home setting. If you plan on using them as organic matter in a garden, tilling or plowing them into the soil will greatly speed up the decaying process. With today’s regulations and insurance policies I do not recommend you burn leaves at your home.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extension Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.