No longer likes the mullberry leaves after they start having fruit....

[eric joranson]

For weeks not; mulberry leaves have been a favorite.....But now that the tree is bearing fruit; he seems to have lost interest in the leaves. And I noticed the leaves have a more waxy look to them. Any ideas?

 

[Tom]

Hunger. Always works for me. At my place a picky tortoise is a hungry tortoise.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I have a similar story.
My tortoises stopped eating grape leaves one day.

 

[wellington]

Get the fruitless mulberry

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

As to why: mid season the leaves are the places where the chemical products are made and stored until more leaves need to be grown, or fruit/blooms are made. Likely the stuff (sugars etc.) that make the leaves so desirable are now getting put into fruit production. The fruit itself grows at the expense of the food production provided by the leaves.

This works with leaves as well. In the spring the first leaves grow at the expense of products of last years production, stored in the roots. Once those first leaves are producing they can now support themselves and the growth of a second flush of leaves and shoots. When those first leaves get shaded out by the newer leaves they are at equilibrium, provide little & take little from the overall production of the whole tree. If the shoots and new leaves get blown off, eaten, or harvested, those equilibrium leaves produce again.

In the fall, all leaves start transporting products to the roots to start the cycle again. At the base of each leaf stem there is an abscission point that allows the leaf to drop once it has been stripped of its nutrients. This way the now more or less dead leaf is not a burden on the tree.

 

[Pearly]

As to why: mid season the leaves are the places where the chemical products are made and stored until more leaves need to be grown, or fruit/blooms are made. Likely the stuff (sugars etc.) that make the leaves so desirable are now getting put into fruit production. The fruit itself grows at the expense of the food production provided by the leaves.

This works with leaves as well. In the spring the first leaves grow at the expense of products of last years production, stored in the roots. Once those first leaves are producing they can now support themselves and the growth of a second flush of leaves and shoots. When those first leaves get shaded out by the newer leaves they are at equilibrium, provide little & take little from the overall production of the whole tree. If the shoots and new leaves get blown off, eaten, or harvested, those equilibrium leaves produce again.

In the fall, all leaves start transporting products to the roots to start the cycle again. At the base of each leaf stem there is an abscission point that allows the leaf to drop once it has been stripped of its nutrients. This way the now more or less dead leaf is not a burden on the tree.

Very well explained in simple easy to understand language!!! Thank you!!! Do you mind if i copy your post to use for my children's science class?

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Very well explained in simple easy to understand language!!! Thank you!!! Do you mind if i copy your post to use for my children's science class?

sure, go ahead.