Do not water the grapes directly. Let them survive on what they steal from the surrounding soil. Using a six-inch mulch of straw, grass clippings, leaves or similar materials over the whole area will further ensure that no additional summer water is needed. Each spring the outer limbs of my Japanese Pagoda tree die, and last year it was even more severe. A. Branch die-back could be attributable to many causes, according to master gardener Nancy Sweet.
Wet winters cause problems for many trees, especially in areas with compacted soil or poor drainage.
Those conditions provide an attractive environment for many plant diseases. Japanese Pagoda trees may be susceptible to verticillium wilt fungi. The branch die-back can start on one side of the tree and spread. Mature trees affected with the disease may take many years to die. In some plants, peeling back the bark on newly infected branches may reveal dark stains following the grain on infected wood.