@benthegirl
- I don’t know about large Mulberry trees in particular but sprouts like that in other types of large trees tend to indicate distress (e.g., something is eating its cambium).
- Figs can die back to roots and still leaf out, so there’s hope. How long ago was the accident?
- Scratch low and check the if the rootstock cambium is still green. If it is you might still be in business. You just need one bud alive to grow into the new trunk.
- No idea about mimosas, but pretty much everything is awake by now.
Re: Ant, I don’t think it’s eating the leaf. Prunus leaves usually have those glands that secrete stuff. Maybe the ant is eating it or honeydew from aphids. Not sure how good your mini fence is. A deer might be able to stick its nose in?
"The secretion of the extrafloral nectaries on peach leaves is consumed by many insects. It is especially important as food for some stages of a number of predators and parasites that usually feed on honeydew and blossoms, but it cannot completely replace these foods for those species requiring nitrogenous components."
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Too bad about that big mulberry. It might have gotten damaged in one of the big temperature swings. It should grow back from those lower sprouts but nearly all of the tree will need to be removed as it looks like it is dead.
Peaches often have green cambium but lack the energy to push the buds. I had one of those this spring and got a replacement from the nursery already. Once in a blue moon a peach will sit dormant but with green wood all year and then bud the following spring. But it is very rare and has not happened to me… I had maybe four of those green wood but not budding peaches and all never budded and ended up in the compost pile.
The figs may sent up a root sprout, I would keep waiting as there could be a chance still.
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Good news! Apparently, all I have to do is complain and feel like a dunce and some of my trees recover. One week later, all of my 3 mulberry trees have leaves on the top branches. The trees still need significant pruning (maybe 15% dead branches) but I am so glad they’re not completely dead on top. Perhaps they are one of the types that fruits late in summer?
Also, I poked around and 3/4 fig trees have leaves poking out from the base. They are tiny 4" fig trees from Hartmann’s and I am assuming they are not grafted. Do people even graft fig trees?
Unfortunately the peaches do seem quite unable to “push the buds” as Scott mentioned. I fear those are not going to pull through.
Well, I do think they are in distress - but now I know they’re more alive. I plan to just cut off the dead branches and hope for the best.
seems like this is the case!
Re: peach with leaves chopped off
I would believe this. I kept an eye on it. It’s looking better. I think you might be right about the deer. Will improve fence until tree is bigger.
I’m starting to think I’m more like zone 6a in terms of timing. Maybe the hill I’m on. Mimosas still aren’t awake, but I feel like everyone else has stuff blooming before me. So I’m going to give them a bit longer.
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Neither is mine (6b). Someone told me it looked dead but it’s slow to come out every year so I don’t think so.
Yes, here’s a thread on it.
What’s your elevation? Every 1000ft in height drops temperature 3F to 5F depending on cloud cover.
Upper 40s the last couple nights and more to come. Unusually cool nights and wonderfully temperate days. I love this weather. No humidity to speak of and just a few insects.
On the other hand, my youngest son was helping me out in the garden moving an old wooden table. He got stung several times by bumblebees. I thought they were always docile, but it turns out they had made a nest under the table This isn’t our pic but it’s precisely how it looked. The eggs looked sort of like tiny yellow mushrooms.
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@Rosdonald
Hit a big nest of bumble bees once bailing hay and 50+ went airborn to attack the one who disrupted their nest. Thankfully they stung my farmall m exhaust and not me. They can be real nasty!
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I’m starting to see some tiny beetles (smaller than typical ball bearings). They look like miniture japanese beetles and they try to even fall to ground if disturbed. Anyone know what they are?
