Question
Fruitless Mulberry
We have a very old fruitless mulberry tree that was very green and lush when we first moved in to our house, in spite of years of neglect. We had the tree trimmed the winter before last, and the leaves have been very sparse since then. There are also two or three large dead branches. I don't know if it's an issue, but the ground cover has grown up around the base of the tree. Can this tree be saved?
AnswerHi Julie:
The presence of the dead branches and "thinning" foliage, I would suspect some level of internal decay. This is often a slow, but progressive decline that can be caused by various fungal and bacterial microorganisms. Unfortunately there is no "magic bullet", other than keeping it fertilized and water correctly- but there will come a day when it may become a hazard to the house or other property and need to be removed.
Steve
