mulberry twin trees

hi, this is the tree i posted in the forum. might be helpful if i post it here in the question.



...this tree is long been overdue for the re pot, which i think contributed to the further decay of the base of the trunk (used to be a single trunk).
after cleaning away the soft rotten tissues and applying the necessary treatment, this is now ready to the much needed re potting.
the problem is, the smaller trunk is so fragile and the present composition might be affected after the removal of some soil. they were now held only by the original root mass.
any suggestion is much appreciated?


regards
jun

Jun, you know here in Greece we have an ancient saying that goes:
"poverty is the mother of invention" meaning that "poverty crafts/invents resolutions of problems"

So, if I was in your shoes I would place a piece of foam, hard foam like the one used for packing, between the two trunks and then I would tie them together using plastic tape.
When repotted safely I would remove the whole structure.

What do you think about this novice's solution?

if it was me i would remove the smaller tree ,then repot the main trunk and reposition it and just go with the one trunk. the main tree looks quite dramatic but with the smaller one together makes it look a bit nondescript . regards john

alexandra,
thanks a lot. i was thinking before of tying an iron bar in between the two trees. but your idea is much more practical. il proceed with your advice. thanks again.

regards,
jun

John,
thanks. that would be a very radical solution. but after what this tree's been thru just to survive, and to keep its other limb alive il take the chances with the two trees. in the future, probably il consider sacrificing the small tree.

regards,
jun

jun wrote:alexandra,
... ... ... il proceed with your advice. thanks again... ...

I'm glad you consider my proposition as worthy!
I'd like to ask about the leaf size. Is it difficult to achieve a smaller size? I know mulberries (at least those that I see locally) have large leaves....

Alexandra,
a have a mulberry with leaves at around 1 1/2" in diameter. i have two varieties though. one with a deep red stem, and reddish outline of the leaves, the other one on the pics above with pure evergreen leaves.
based on my experience with the two var., the variety with the reddish color has a faster tendency to produce smaller and compacted leaves.

regards,
jun

I would seperate them keep the main trunk for this compisition and use the smaller one for a shohin. mother daughter in seperate pots.