u/Easy-Show-521

Location: Solapur, Maharashtra, India (Currently 42°C/107°F) Species: Himalayan Mulberry (3-4 years old) Setup: Recently moved from plastic bag to 15x15 White Fabric Grow Bag I’m in a battle for my Mulberry’s life. I work rotating shifts at a power plant, so I’ve been trying to manage this between long hours, but things are going downhill fast. Here is the full history of what’s happened over the last week:

1. The Initial Pests

It started with a whitefly infestation (white spirals under the leaves) on every branch and a few mealybugs (white fuzz) in the branch axils. The tree seemed healthy otherwise but growth had stagnated.

2. The "Neem Disaster"

I sprayed Neem oil at night and was careful to wash it off thoroughly before sunrise the next morning to avoid the intense Solapur sun.

• Result: Major backfire. The tips of the leaves looked burnt immediately.
• Progress: Over the next 48 hours, those "burns" turned into brown "shot-holes" where the leaf tissue just died and fell out.

3. Fertilizing & Stagnation

Because the tree wasn't growing, I applied a mild dose of fertilizer: 500g compost and 50g bone meal. I watered it in, but then noticed middle and bottom leaves started turning yellow. I suspected nutrient burn, but the dose was actually quite low.

4. The Emergency "Slip-Pot"

The tree was originally in a plastic bag. Suspecting the roots were "cooking" in the heat and the drainage was poor, I decided to move it to a 15x15 white fabric grow bag.

• Method: I didn't touch the root ball. I placed the old plastic bag inside the new grow bag, cut the plastic sides, and filled the gaps with fresh soil.
• Observations: The inner wood of pruned branches is a healthy white, and I see new, firm reddish-brown buds in the leaf axils, which gives me hope.

5. Current Crisis

Despite the move to a cooler white bag, multiple leaves are now turning yellow on different branches. It’s not just the bottom leaves anymore; it’s moving to the middle of the canopy. Current Observations:

• Watering: Water soaks in immediately but starts pooling on top if I water for more than a minute.
• Leaf Texture: Some yellow leaves are in the middle of branches.
• The "Top": The very top-most stems haven't been pruned yet (I was advised to "tip" them to break dormancy, but I'm afraid to touch it while it's yellowing).
• Pests: Still seeing whitefly spirals on a few leaves. The Plan/Questions:

1. Is this "Delayed Phytotoxicity" from the Neem oil still working its way through the tree?
2. Should I be worried that the yellowing is spreading to new branches after the repot?
3. I've removed the decorative stones from the top to help it breathe—should I move it to 100% shade?
4. Since it's in a fabric bag now, how do I manage the "Pulse Watering" to make sure the core isn't dry without drowning the roots?

Ps: Used gemini to make the body as it's been fed with all the activities done on the plant.

Rice, omelette, sambar with Amber-Infused Milk Crumble.