This mulberry has 3 main branches. About 3 weeks ago, I noticed the leaves/berries on 1 branch shriveling up and starting to brown. I thought maybe a gopher had gotten one of its roots, so I watered in caster oil gopher repellent. I also dug around and tried to find a gopher hole but to avail. Over the following 3 weeks, the same has happened to the other 3 branches. Any ideas? Anything I can do this at this point?
The tree sits on a slight slope and is watered deep 2x a week via drip and has been thriving until this year. I’m in bay area clay soil, and we had late rains this year so I’ve only started drip watering in the last month. There are still sizeable roots on the tree, both large and shallow ones that have spread all over the place.
I love these mulberries so this is making me very sad. Should I replace the tree or wait this out?
That’s the thing, I dug around looking for gophers and found lots of healthy rooting. So this confusing. It has fig-like rooting that is sprawling all over the place.
I had one of those,growing well for a few years.Then one Spring,before leafing out,the branches started curling inwards.Scratching different places,there was no living tissue.
I surmised,the graft union failed,because digging down,the roots were fresh and vital.
I had an experience similar with my IE mulberry after I mulched it with bark dust. About 1/3 of the tree had wilted. I decided there was nothing to lose by lopping off all wilted branches. That stopped the wilting and now it’s growing normally. So you have to take a chance and lop off all branches especially where you have those big bark scars down at the forks, then seal the cut areas. Maybe you can save the branch not wilted, remove the infected material from property or burn it ASAP
Dennis
Kent wa
I agree with Dennis D. I have lopped off dead branches from sick trees. SOmetimes 1/3 of the tree. And it revives and keeps growing. I would also try compost tea.
John S
PDX OR
After consultation with my local agent we thought it’s most likely from verticillium wilt bacteria. So I treated it that way. This occurred right after I brought in the wood chips which may have been the source
try a solution of iodine/water to kill the verticillium wilt bacteria, that is what i did. seems to work but it cannot be too strong and you will need two or three treatments over the radius of the tree. iodine might be able to kill fire blight but i have not tried that yet.
