I've had a mulberry tree for the past forty five years. It was fruiting heavily with almost a carpet of fruits falling. This year there were only a few fruits. Can it be due to any disease of the tree or any chemicals in the soil?
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You should add a photo of the plant.– Giacomo CatenazziAug 1, 2016 at 7:22
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Location might be helpful. I would bet on frost/freeze at flowering time, which in my location this year has taken out (from fruiting this year) all the apples, all the plums, and all the pears.– EcnerwalAug 1, 2016 at 13:16
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Drought or too much rain last year? Trees can take several years to work there way through a response to transitory bad conditions.– Wayfaring StrangerAug 1, 2016 at 13:40
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What are you using for fertilizer? Is this tree in a lawn? Too much nitrogen will promote leaves, vegetative growth not so much any reproductive growth . PICTURES please!– stormyAug 1, 2016 at 19:46
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2 Answers
There could be many reasons:
- Rain or frost during flowering.
- Poor soil (after 45 years the mulberry could have "eaten" much of the nutriments)
- Wrong pruning: old branches will not produce fruits, but also the very young (of the last year).
or also diseases or chemicals (as you wrote), but I think you will have noticed that from other signs (e.g. leaves).
answered Aug 1, 2016 at 7:29
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Careful using words that are applicable to animals to describe plant's physiology. Plants make their own food. Nutrients are better called chemicals as us humans think 'food' with nutrition. We need to 'train' others constantly about the differences of plants and animals. We humans have screwed up any chance of natural ecosystems that recycle CHEMICALS so we have to help by the addition of chemicals that the soil is lacking.– stormyAug 1, 2016 at 19:51
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@stormy I'm not a native English speaker, so is is difficult. And biology is also complex (see parasitic plants and saprophytes) Do you have some summary tables about generic gardening terminology? Anyway, feel free to edit. Aug 2, 2016 at 13:35
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@stormy but en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_nutrition uses "nutrition" for plants. So I'm more confused. Aug 6, 2016 at 6:10
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Just trying to get the main idea across, plants make their own food. We humans, after stripping soils screwing up entire ecosystems have to 'add' chemicals back that we took away so the artificial ornamental human designed gardens can thrive. Not that this is bad it is just a fact when we butt in and change systems it is our responsibility to mitigate our...encroachment and demise of soils, plants, entire once self sufficient ecosystems. People hear 'nutrition' and they think food and more food equals a better plant is just WRONG.– stormyAug 7, 2016 at 7:16
It's possible that you have a female dioescious tree instead of a monoecious tree, and that a nearby pollinator died or was removed. Not all mulberries are monoecious.
answered May 21, 2020 at 5:28
