Mulberry stump question

THIS is quite an old thread I have come along while searching on IBC but my finding this coincides with my finding a mulberry stump near my house where a contractor is doing some pavement works on behalf of the municipality. So now I am reviving Tony's thread.

It is not anything exciting about this stump but I think I can use it as a learning material.... Mulberries sprout so very easy!

My question is : the cut surface at the bottom of the trunk as well as one major scratch on one of the stumped branches do they need to be treated with some chemical for preventing decay? This treatment can be done at a later stage (during a future repot)?

Thank you in advance.

Dear members of IBC, here below is the question which brought up this old thread, in case it escaped your attention.
Does anyone have a reply for me, please?

my nellie wrote:... ...My question is : the cut surface at the bottom of the trunk as well as one major scratch on one of the stumped branches do they need to be treated with some chemical for preventing decay? This treatment can be done at a later stage (during a future repot)?
Thank you in advance.

my nellie wrote:...My question is : the cut surface at the bottom of the trunk as well as one major scratch on one of the stumped branches do they need to be treated with some chemical for preventing decay? This treatment can be done at a later stage (during a future repot)?
Thank you in advance.

It depends on the plant and your intended end result. Note that some plants/wood decay faster than others. If you want it as it is now, then treat it to slow the decay. Otherwise, mother nature will continue working on it at the normal phase. How long you can wait is also dependent on my initial reply.

JMHO.

Dario, thank you.
Tomorrow I hope I will upload one or two photos of the "tree" so you can have a clear idea
Apart from the species dependent matter, let me put my question otherwise : I know that some people when collecting olives cut off have the bottom of the trunk and the cut surface is treated with some chemical substance for prevention. Do you follow the same practice with your collected trees which you have to cut off their tap root?

I don't, it doesn't mean it is the best way...just my practice. I sometimes use rooting hormone to induce rooting at the perimeter if possible.

I did miss this...
In my experience with mulberrys, they are very tolerant of almost everything, and don't need any coddling. They are like gigantic weeds in that respect. I've never had any issues with rotting roots from collections. Hope this helps.

Thank you both!
Here below is my mulberry. As I wrote before nothing special just a learning material which was randomly found.




This was exactly as JudyB described like a weed which germinated from some seed brought by birds and it used to give new shoots every spring, then the shoots were hedge pruned and this was repeated for some years until now that was uprooted.
Hopefully this thread may be continued...

Hi Alexandra,

I saved a mulberry from a roadwork last year, it had a big scar along the trunk and roots in bad condition BUT it still lives though I did not use any special chemical or protective materials etc.
This tree is very strong and resistive as you've said.
I will try to post its photos tomorrow for you!

Taner

Taner, thank you too.
I am interested to see your stump and hear also your view for it.

I use this material quite a bit. I have a very large rotted out stump (24") heeled in right now awaiting a box. Good material, hard to kill but a magnet for gypsy moth catepillars...

Check this out...
http://web.utk.edu/~tfpc/publicat/decay.htm

http://www.garden.org/articles/articles.php?q=show&id=977&page=1
"The USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Madison, Wisconsin, the country's premier wood laboratory, classifies black locust, along with three other domestic tree species (red mulberry, osage orange, and yew) as exceptionally decay-resistant."

Please note that they are talking about heartwood and not sapwood.

BonsaiJim, thank you for responding with your experience.
Dario, thanks for the links. Interesting piece of knowledge.

Dario... isn't much heartwood on my monster stump... I'll have to look up the species- mine is OBVIOUSLY different!

No need to treat the undersides of cuts in the ground, trees can handle that in their own, either through great callusing due to constant exposure to moisture, or issuing roots. Especially mulberries.

They're so tough that you can't even use dead ones for fence posts because you have to dig them up every few years and flip them over, or they'll root...

Hi Alexandra

Here is my mulberry:

You can see big scar (caused by the bucket) along the trunk towards roots.
Now there is no problem neither in trunk nor in roots. It is very healthy though I did not apply any special treatment etc.

March-2012:


July-2012:

Easy going plants!
I do love their serrated leaves.

my nellie wrote:Easy going plants!
I do love their serrated leaves.

Alexandra,

Do you cook and eat stuffed mulberry leaves in Greece?
If not, you should try at first opportunity, it is really delicious especially with natural olive oil.

Taner

only vine leaves, Taner.
Thank you for telling me. Turkish cuisine is such a close relative to Greek!

my nellie wrote:Turkish cuisine is such a close relative to Greek!

Yeah I know, that's why I did ask.
Try it, you'll never regret (as long as you keep olive oil and lemon ready for serving beside it).
But dont prune your mulberry pre-bonsai for this purpose, select another sacrificial tree

Sakaki wrote: ... ...But dont prune your mulberry pre-bonsai for this purpose, select another sacrificial tree

There is a mulberry in my cottage yard which I have planted years ago. I opted for an unfruitful variety (in order to save sweeping fallen/rotten/smelly fruits) and my husband is always complaining about this, he'd rather have a fruitful tree
Lemon and olive oil or maybe some yoghurt, too?

my nellie wrote:Lemon and olive oil or maybe some yoghurt, too?

We prefer stuffed leaves to be served with EITHER "olive oil + lemon" OR "yoghurt /w garlic" on it.
It is just my palatal delight
I never tried both together on a dish of stuffed vine/mulberry leaves, but why not?

bon appetite

Exactly as you described it. Not together but either way.
My mistake using the word "too" at the end of the phrase