mulberries - how to grow, prune, propagate etc

8/3/2019 Mulberries - How to Grow, Prune, Propagate Etc

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Mulberries - How To Grow, Prune, Propagate Etc

For those who are wondering why they should plant mulberries ...

a. the mulberry yields fruit within a couple of months of planting; althoughyou should pinch off the first flush of fruit so that the new cutting canchannel all its energy into producing roots.

b. it takes up little space and can be potted and maintained at about 1-2 feethigh and still bear fruit.

c. staggered pruning will ensure a constant supply of berries

Basic requirements:Soil - tolerates a variety of garden soil ranging from sandy to compost toclayey soil (not a fussy plant)Water - normal to moistLight - dappled to full sun (full sun is ideal)

some of the berries picked in march ... total yield for the month was just a

little over 1 kilo - most of which has been frozen for future use. hope thiswill inspire more people to grow mulberries!

erries - How To Grow, Prune, Propagate Etc file:///C:/Mulberries - How To Grow, Prune, Propagate Etc.html

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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 considerabloff about 1 cm of the bottom of the cutting and check. It should look fresh. If it


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3. remove all the bigger leaves or halve the leaves


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4. fill pots with soil (compost, burnt, topsoil, etc)

5. dip ends of cuttings into rooting powder (optional but it improves the


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chances)

6. plant, firm down the soil and water


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7. place the pot in a shaded place and water once a day. do not disturb thecuttings or fertilise for at least a few months.

Pointer 2 - when to repot

after you've planted the cuttings for a few months and they are growing well,you may wish to repot the cuttings. when should this be done?

1. check the bottom of the pots. if you see roots peeking out or there is a matof roots growing out from bottom, it's time.


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2. squeeze the pot (if plastic) or knock the sides gently against something.tug the plant out gently.

3. the soil should slide out easily like a solid cake. otherwise, handlecarefully so that there is minimal root disturbance.


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4. fill a larger pot with some soil, position the plant in the centre and addmore soil.


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5. trim any straggly growth.

Pointer 3 - When to prune a mulberry plant?


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pruning a mulberry plant will help induce fruiting.

1. if a cutting is long and there are no berries on it, prune it


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3. the pruned branch will put forth new shoots.


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4. new shoots normally mean more berries.

5. ripening berries


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Pointer 5 - When to fertilize

1. Fertilize established plants lightly once a forthnight with an organic

fertilizer. I use an organic processed chicken manure but only when iremember :P which is like once every couple of months.

2. Never fertilize a new cutting for at least 3-4 months after planting or anewly transplanted plant for a few weeks.

3. When in doubt about the quantity of fertlizer to use, use less. That will notharm the plant and you can experiment with a higher dose once you gainmore confidence. Giving the plant a huge dose could kill it.

Hope these pointers help. :) berries today after that trim 7 weeks ago:

Pointer 6 - What to do with your berries and mulberry leaves


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1. Eat the berries fresh before the birds or squirrels or any other 2-legged prey do.

2. Freeze the berries for future use.

Berries picked in March:

3. Try any of these recipes or toss them with a fruit or veg salad.Personal favorites are mulberry muffins, mulberry dip and mulberry jam.http://www.greenculturesg.com/forum/index....howtopic=15418:


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4. Make mulberry tea with leaves:

Pointer 7 - Pests and/or diseases

1. mealy bugs - these are the white cottony stuff that cling to the stems of the


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mulberry plant. they can be removed by wiping with a damp cloth. i havealso tried brushing them away under running water.

other forumers have tried using summer oil for the same purposesuccessfully. if the infestation is bad, i'd recommend pruning and discardingthe entire branch.

2. scales - these are the small round brown discs that attach themselves tothe stems. as the mulberry stems are naturally speckled, it may be difficult tospot the scales until there are a few. these can also be wiped off using adamp cloth. alternatively you can try scraping them off.


mulberries - how to grow, prune, propagate etc

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