Feel like I need to cope. Our house only has 1 tree, and it split like this during a mild windstorm (honestly was not that crazy)
Had a guy look at it who said the tree needs to come down, since the bark is growing into itself which caused this issue. Seeing if there are any other options to try to keep this tree, or if that’s a wrap for our shade.
by EpicbutNot
19 Comments
Unfortunately yes.
It won’t die tomorrow. 5 years? probably not. 10? Getting warmer.
It’s a mulberry. It’ll be fine.
These trees won’t die, they’ll split, break and re grow forever. Just have someone clean it up
Very keepable if you don’t mind doing the maintenance
You could have the tree pollarded. It will live for many years to come as is probably. I love how it’s growing right by the fence. A bird pooped right there probably 12 -15 years ago leaving some mulberry seeds behind. I love mulberry. You should air layer a branch from it, plant in the center of your yard, and when it’s big enough for your liking, cut down the other.
You can cut it, in 3 years it will have grown back.
Ehhhh, you can’t predict when a tree will fall. If you have children I’d recommend taking it down to at least the split. If you don’t, you can certainly leave it and see what happens. Mulberry’s are very resilient, it may very well heal just fine. However, that will take a good amount of time, and that tree can come down at any point for any reason. Wind storm be damned. It may be worth while to plant a couple trees in your yard now and have them grow in.
Tldr: you can leave it and see what happens, just don’t stand under it.
An Arborists job in the end is to help people live with trees. Occasionally you can prune where it’s best for the residents instead of the tree. Let a landscaper “shape” it.
Definitely get some other trees planted so when it eventually has to go you’ve got other shade trees.
The tree is done.
It’s a mulberry tree, you could chop it down and it’ll shoot pups from the base.
Used to loved these trees as a kid, eating berries up in the canopy. Never understood why dad used to push them all over with his tractor. He hated them and I now understand why as an adult. Consider it a favor the wind wrecked it. Chop it down and plant something worthwhile. They are a super weak and messy tree. Birds drop purple shit over everything and the berries are a mess in general.
Regardless that tree will be just fine. My dad uprooted hundreds of these things with his tractor and loader bucket, ripping the bark and these trees wouldnt die unless the entire rootball was out of the ground. You could take a saw to the base and they would grow right back.
You could remove the stem that split and keep the rest of the tree. If you are smart about managing the sprouts from the wound, you could preserve it. Removing that much will probably cause a sprout response in the rest of the tree. That stem is going to stay compromised if you leave it, so just act accordingly.
Mulberry man here, I LOVE mulberries. Native red ones, white ones, pakistani ones with crazy long fruit, purple/black ones, hybridized ones with off color fruit, they’re all awesome in my book.
I’ve got good news and I’ve got great news. Good news is you are not cooked, in fact there is just a wound. Great news is it looks like you can cut the damaged portion of tree down, use that wood for firewood and smoking/cooking, etc. AND keep the other part of the tree. Where you cut wil grow back too, so even better news?
Talk to an arborist. They are the experts.
We found a crack much smaller than yours and we are cabling it.
The limb with that sized crack in our neighbours tree ended up taking out a number of things almost half way across my back yard. Furniture, clothesline, fire pit.
Arborist. Let the experts assess and help you make the best decision for the tree.
I always get three assessments/quotes, compare- not just pricing.
Waaaayyy too close to the fence. Remove it.
If you’re worried about losing your shade, plant a new tree now. Then hopefully, when this one decides to pack it in, another one is ready to take its place.
It won’t die immediately but I’d plant some trees now. Though I’d avoid planting another Morus alba since they’re terribly invasive in the US. Ideally you’d plant trees native to your region but if you still desire a mulberry tree I’d go for the america native Morus rubra even if you’re not in its range.