The mulberry bushes in our garden seem to hold precedence over all the other plants. Maybe that’s because they are so easy to care for, are useful and fruit so easily. You don’t have to wait ages for the berries to form and ripen for instance. Stick a cutting into the pot today and you’ll be harvesting berries some two months down the road, although I’d advise picking those off as they form and letting the plant grow a little more first.
We pick berries by the cupful or a few at a time – depending on how drastically we have pruned them. Read on and find out more, but be warned. I’m cheating … heheh. You may have read this in my post in a forum elsewhere. If so you can skip this and the next few posts altogether. Otherwise it may all seem a bit like deja vu or a re-run.
Here are a few useful pointers for those who are keen to grow and later, pick, their own mulberries.
For those who are still wondering why they should plant mulberries …
a. the mulberry yields fruit within a couple of months of planting; although you should pinch off the first flush of fruit so that the new cutting can channel all its energy into producing roots.
b. it takes up little space and can be potted and maintained at about 1-2 feet high and still bear lots of fruit. Makes a good bonsai-like fruit-yielding specimen.
c. staggered pruning will ensure a constant supply of berries.
The more you prune, the more fruit you get. It is a great plant to have. And it makes sense to share and pass your surplus cuttings to others and share the joy!
Basic requirements:
Soil – tolerates a variety of garden soil ranging from sandy to compost to clayey soil (not a fussy plant)
Water – normal to moist
Light – dappled to full sun (full sun is ideal)
Some of the berries picked earlier in the year … total yield for the month was just a little over 1 kilo – most of which has been frozen for future use. hope this will inspire more people to grow mulberries!
Pointer 1 – How to plant cuttings you have been given.
1. Select a few semi ripe cuttings
2. Trim off the top, leaving about 8-10 inches for each cutting. – if considerable time has passed between the time of pruning and the time it is planted, cut off about 1 cm of the bottom of the cutting and check. It should look fresh. If it doesn’t, cut off a bit at a time until you see evidence of freshness.
3. Remove all the bigger leaves or halve the leaves.
Before and after:
4. Fill pots with soil (compost, burnt, topsoil, etc)
5. Dip ends of cuttings into rooting powder (optional but it improves the chances)
6. Plant, firm down the soil and water.
7. Place the pot in a shaded place and water once a day. Do not disturb the cuttings or fertilise for at least a few months.
Can I buy a pot of mulberry plant from you?
where are you located, june?
Hi, really interested in getting a few mulberry cuttings from u if it’s possible. Don’t mind paying for the trouble. Kindly contact me at 65 92337222. Thanks a million. Laurence.
I have just found your blog today. Am impressed. You post out of your own experience, I see. I have 2 mulberry plants…about 2 years old now and no sign of mulberries! I’ve trimmed them a few times, but I don’t cut back to too short a trunk…just about 4 feet tall. Tell me, Dr. Mulberry, how your plants get to be so fruitful. Love the header.
Rosie
thanks so much for you kind comments, rosie. we love mulberries and they seem to fruit well for us.
got a Q for you – have you been fertilizing your plant liberally, rosie?
There are non-fruiting varieties out there.
grown for their leaves or for shade then?
Yes they are, I just get a tree here in Arizona and is not going to mess with fruit
Hi, I been looking for mulberry plant long while, can i have mulberry cuttings from u?
may i know where you are located, hooishen?
I understand that mulberries have a male and a female part of the plant, and that both need to be present for fruit production. I would assume that the male plant doesn’t produce. I’d be curious to know whether the white and the dark mulberries can pollinate each other. Around here, in Massachusetts, mulberries are either dark, like blackberries, or white. I haven’t seen red ones.
Id love some mulberry cuttings. We used to have a tree and the town cut it down after we moved out. Im located in Maryland
anyone located in/near maryland who has any to spare?
Hi, I am interested to grow the mulberry plant. I am from Singapore and have been looking around for the plant cutting. Could I get it from you? My contact is +65 97874960. Many thanks. – Florence
Thanks! I can’t wait to try ..i in Fl zone 9..an have loved the huge ones at the park!..im gonna try in a pot and hope to make it a miniature:)
Regards,
bernadette
which part of Florida are located in. I want to know which park that is. I would love a cutting from it.
Hi …. I am a novice at planting. Is it possible to buy a mulberry plant from you? I would like to try my hand at growing them. My email is uwais.72a@gmail.com
Thank you
sorry for the late reply. Where are you located?
Different fruit…same topic: Pomegranates? We just bought a farmhouse in January and have a Pom tree that has been cut down and regrown into a Privet looking 20′ bushy tree. Until Spring I thought it WAS a Privet and was going to remove it along with a half acre of other over growth. We have a healthy 40′ Mulberry is why I’m here for sharing tips. Are there non-fruiting Poms as well?