The Sprig of Death?

Michael and I were out and about early this morning.  We spent most of the day preparing for what could possibly be our coldest time of the winter here on the Bayou.  Our temperatures are supposed to dip down to the mid-teens Monday night which is quite rare here.  That said, it is easy to see why this calls for a bit of extra work.  What most folks north of us have already done has become of high importance to the bayou folk.  Things like wrapping pipes, blocking off drafts and wintering plants is not something we have to do often.  He and I "took care of those pipes, plants and pets" as the weatherman here is fond of saying.

While out back, piling tons of mulch around the bases of all the citrus trees, I noticed a sprig of green in the plum tree.  "Silly tree!  Don't you know that it is far too early to be sprouting those tender leaves?" I said to anyone within earshot which turned out to be only the plum tree and Ms. Ez, the dog.  The tree did not respond and Ms. Ez was far too busy nosing the mulch to pay any heed to my query. On closer inspection, I came to the conclusion that our plum tree needed help.  These were not fresh new plum leaves sprouting from the limb but a parasite!  Mistletoe!  Oh, no!  My poor plum tree happened to be the repository of mistletoe seeds that were placed there by an unwitting bird. The parasitic plant can prove to be the death of a fruit tree if left unattended.  Not only will it weaken the tree by sapping the nutrients from it but this weakness will open it up to disease.  The small tree will not stand a chance! That wee sprig of mistletoe could possibly bring on an untimely death to my plum tree!

So another job was added to the list.  We had to stop everything to remove the mistletoe from the plum tree before it became to well established.  The job was not difficult with the mistletoe still being quite small but it soon could have been quite the ordeal.  I am sure glad I saw it while it was still manageable!  Don't get me wrong, I do not mind mistletoe growing in some of the trees just not my fruit trees!  I know that a lot of birds depend on the berries for food and that, in turn, can be good for my trees as the birds eat bugs. Perhaps I will take the tiny plants that were removed and reposition them in a better spot.  One that will not impede the growth of my plum tree!