Dying carob tree in SF Bay area

[Rima Neas]

My big carob tree is looking very sick. I did put in some drip irrigation around it to feed the surrounding vegetation, so I suspect the roots got waterlogged. The soil around here is mostly clay. I have removed as much of the irrigation as I can, but am wondering what to do about the tree. A great many branches seem to have died out, having only dead leaves on them. Should I prune all of them back? What can I do to nurse the tree back to health?

Cheers, Shawn

PS: Any pointers would be most appreciated, my Google searches seem to return mostly Biblical references.

[Charles]

Quick look didn't find anything, but you have an excellent resource nearby, UC Davis. Can you contact them, maybe take some photos of the problem?

I don't know if they are particularly susceptible to fungus, is there any swelling or cracking near the base of the tree?

[beecrofter]

FWIW If we are guessing that waterlogging was the culprit and you think it might be possible to save the tree then consiider walking from the dripline in with spading fork and plunging it into the soil giving it a wiggle and moving it about a foot for the next plunge. Waterlogging kills the roots by denying them oxygen to respire and providing some aeration may help.

[Rima Neas]

No swelling or cracking that I can find... I will look into using the UC for help. Thanks.