Help with Mullberry Tree

Anyone have tips for my Pakistan Mullberry tree? Picture attached of healthy leaves at the end and then some of the issues identified at the bottom.

  • I know it is winter time but unsure if the yellowing leaves are a sign of fungal issues. There has been a little powdery mildew which I treat with baking soda.
  • There appears to be a black spot on one of the branches (sooty canker?) The ends of the branches appear healthy though with large leaves although the growing tip has slowed (likely due to the cold?).

Also, is there a good time to prune the tree? The branches are very long and drooping.

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Was it growing inside until recently? It almost looks like sunburn on leaves that hadn’t properly adjusted to full sun. Alternitavely, it could be a magnesium or iron deficiency.

It has been growing outdoors for about 7 months now (purchased from a nursery June 2021). The top two photos are the newer leaves at the ends of the branches while the bottom photos are the older leaves. Just recently it’s been looking a bit sad. Hard to capture the scale but the branches now range from 7-12 feet in length compared to when I purchased the tree at only ~2 feet tall…

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Your tree is in semi-dormant state. Come Spring (which comes earlier every year…) it will shed these spent leaves and grow new ones

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This is my tree right now, and it’s a healthy tree

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To me the brown spot looks like dirt or feces. Try wiping it or hosing it down. As far as pruning, i would wait for a cold front which will have the tree shed more leaves and prune after that. Don’t prune when in active growth

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These photos are so helpful. Thank you! This is my first time growing Mullberry so I actually had no idea how it was supposed to look through the seasons. I’ll take a closer look at the brown spot and maybe try spraying it with antifungal first – would be a pity to prune such a large branch.

Do you ever have issues with floppy branches? I have some propped up with steaks but wondering if I should just let the tree grow un-supported.

I don’t use pesticides. As far as pruning, i would let the tree establish itself a little more, but it’s totally at your discretion

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Mine has no more leaves, California zone 10.

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Don’t spray anything. That is how leaves start to look when the tree cuts off nutrients to them. All looks good.

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