Mulberry Trees

[Chapman]

I rooted some cuttings a few years back. I watched a youtube video, can't remember which one. They are considered pretty easy to root. The birds will spread the seed around your property, could become a nuisiance tree.
This mullberry came up wild in the corner of my cow pens.

Grew real fast, maybe 5 years old. Not real common to see in this area. I was surprised by the amount of fruit it had this spring.

 

[Chapman]

Collected mulberry cuttings today...made 18 pieces. Followed instructions that several give on-line. Scraped lower inch or so of bark, dipped in rooting hormone, potted in moist soil and keeping moist....they say mulberry is an easy one to propogate....we'll see.

View attachment 232563

One thing I remember about rooting them, they can start sending out shoots even though they have not made any roots yet. They are just pushing growth from the stored energy in the cutting. So sprouts do not guarantee you will get roots and it will eventually die if no roots are made.

 

[DoubleRidge]

One thing I remember about rooting them, they can start sending out shoots even though they have not made any roots yet. They are just pushing growth from the stored energy in the cutting. So sprouts do not guarantee you will get roots and it will eventually die if no roots are made.

Thanks...appreciate any information or suggestions...did several hoping to get a few.

 

[Chapman]

Thanks...appreciate any information or suggestions...did several hoping to get a few.

Best to start a bunch of them and hope to get a few. My success was pretty low. Maybe try a few of the smaller diameter branches also. OK, I see you have some smaller ones also.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I rooted some cuttings a few years back. I watched a youtube video, can't remember which one. They are considered pretty easy to root. The birds will spread the seed around your property, could become a nuisiance tree.
This mullberry came up wild in the corner of my cow pens. View attachment 232565View attachment 232566View attachment 232567 Grew real fast, maybe 5 years old. Not real common to see in this area. I was surprised by the amount of fruit it had this spring.

What a great looking tree! I'd love to have several like that!...thanks for sharing!

 

[Ski]

Collected mulberry cuttings today...made 18 pieces. Followed instructions that several give on-line. Scraped lower inch or so of bark, dipped in rooting hormone, potted in moist soil and keeping moist....they say mulberry is an easy one to propogate....we'll see.

View attachment 232563

You'll be seeing leaves sprout in just days. Nature is amazing.

 

[Ski]

I was surprised by the amount of fruit it had this spring.

Ooh yummy! Man I love those things.

Dang it DD you've just about got me inspired to go get some cuttings!

 

[Chapman]

Collected mulberry cuttings today...made 18 pieces. Followed instructions that several give on-line. Scraped lower inch or so of bark, dipped in rooting hormone, potted in moist soil and keeping moist....they say mulberry is an easy one to propogate....we'll see.

View attachment 232563

I would keep them in the shade, out of any direct sun.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I would keep them in the shade, out of any direct sun.

Currently I've got them up against garden shed where they would only get early morning sun but no hot afternoon sun...but I'm going to move them to covered porch where I can better protect them from any direct sun...Thanks again.

 

[TnBob]

Im reading that mulberry trees are common and that the berries are sweet when ripe. Until recently I had never seen one? But last Saturday I came across a good size tree that was loaded. Going to try to propogate some cuttings and see if I can get some rooted. Anyone ever propogated any?

They make the best jelly of anything I've had. We had a nice one in our yard until last year when a storm took down a walnut tree that crushed the mulberry.

 

[Terrier]

I've done really well with starting them from seed. I save seeds from apples I get from grocery store, wrap them in wet paper towel, then keep in fridge for month or two until they sprout little roots. From there I put them in potting soil in cardboard cups and set them in a window for light. By spring they are tiny apple trees. I plant the cup and all in the ground and they become trees. Never know what kind of apple tree it'll be but it's for wildlife anyway so ot doesn't matter. Lots of youtube videos showing how to do it. Super easy and cheap way to make plant DOZENS of apple trees.

I hate to break it to you, but the apples you get from trees planted from seeds will unlikely resemble the apple you took the seeds from. Unless they're grafted from a cutting from the parent tree to a root stock, there's no telling what you'll end up with. The root stock may contribute the dominant characteristic in the resultant apples, and that may just be that it's a hardy root that only allows the tree to grow to a certain height and only produces tiny, bitter apples. You just never know.

 

[Terrier]

Im reading that mulberry trees are common and that the berries are sweet when ripe. Until recently I had never seen one? But last Saturday I came across a good size tree that was loaded. Going to try to propogate some cuttings and see if I can get some rooted. Anyone ever propogated any?

Be careful where you plant a mulberry tree. They also propagate by their roots and can spread where you don't want them.

My sister had a constant battle trying to keep them from taking over her yard, and they made if difficult to mow when they got a head start.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Be careful where you plant a mulberry tree. They also propagate by their roots and can spread where you don't want them.

My sister had a constant battle trying to keep them from taking over her yard, and they made if difficult to mow when they got a head start.

Thanks for the info...One area in particular that I hope to start them is in an area thats currently old cedar with a few other mixed trees.....hoping to remove some of the older cedar, open up the canopy, let some sunlight in and get some native chicksaw plum and mulberry started...So it will be more for wildlife than a yard tree...but I do wish I could pick mulberry to eat but the critters keep the berries eaten on the one tree I have located.

 

[Ski]

I hate to break it to you, but the apples you get from trees planted from seeds will unlikely resemble the apple you took the seeds from. Unless they're grafted from a cutting from the parent tree to a root stock, there's no telling what you'll end up with. The root stock may contribute the dominant characteristic in the resultant apples, and that may just be that it's a hardy root that only allows the tree to grow to a certain height and only produces tiny, bitter apples. You just never know.

I'm well aware. It's wildlife trees so I could care less how the fruit tastes. And they do produce pretty normal apples, although I have gotten a few random red leaf crab apples this way. Overall though most remind me a whole lot of the "field apples" we had around when I was a kid. Green and tart and will give you the runs if you eat too many but the wildlife love them.

On a somewhat related side note, my property used to have an orchard planted by none other than John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed. There are still 3 old trees where the orchard was and they still produce fruit. I'm at the property this week so I'll snap a few pics. He didn't live terribly far from here. Here's an old picture of one of the old family homestead cabins.

 

[Terrier]

Well now, that's downright cool right there...

 

[Omega]

I'm well aware. It's wildlife trees so I could care less how the fruit tastes. And they do produce pretty normal apples, although I have gotten a few random red leaf crab apples this way. Overall though most remind me a whole lot of the "field apples" we had around when I was a kid. Green and tart and will give you the runs if you eat too many but the wildlife love them.

On a somewhat related side note, my property used to have an orchard planted by none other than John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed. There are still 3 old trees where the orchard was and they still produce fruit. I'm at the property this week so I'll snap a few pics. He didn't live terribly far from here. Here's an old picture of one of the old family homestead cabins.

Have you tried doing something like this with them? I think cloned ones will produce the same apples as the parent tree, especially if they were planted from seed. It would be neat to reproduce the orchard Chapman started.

 

[Terrier]

Thanks for the info...One area in particular that I hope to start them is in an area thats currently old cedar with a few other mixed trees.....hoping to remove some of the older cedar, open up the canopy, let some sunlight in and get some native chicksaw plum and mulberry started...So it will be more for wildlife than a yard tree...but I do wish I could pick mulberry to eat but the critters keep the berries eaten on the one tree I have located.

I'm glad you brought up this subject. I read all the posts this morning, and what @TnBob said about, "They make the best jelly of anything I've had," was stuck in my brain...

I was driving into town today and saw something that looked a lot like Wild Black Cherries in the road, but... something wasn't right... The Wild Black Cherries mostly succumbed to the late frost we had here, and what few survived the frost ripened a month ago, whereas they're usually ripe about late June. And the stuff in the road was bigger.

I turned around, drove back past that spot, and lo and behold... Mullllllberries... and the tree was loaded. I went on up to Clarksville, and on the way back, I pulled over to taste one... Had never tasted a mulberry. Wow! Sweet and delicious! I drove up to the house, talked to the lady that lived there, and she gave me permission to pick.

Drove home, switched to my truck, grabbed my 8' Tripod ladder, picking bucket, some ice water and a big pan to dump them into and drove right back. Picked 4 1/2 pounds before the thunder boomers were looming, but I'd just about picked it clean of the ripe ones I could reach, so I beat feet.

I did notice that this particular mulberry didn't seem to be sending out runners, so that just might be a characteristic of certain varieties... I know there are several types. Asian, North American, Black, Red, White and so on...

 

[DoubleRidge]

I'm glad you brought up this subject. I read all the posts this morning, and what @TnBob said about, "They make the best jelly of anything I've had," was stuck in my brain...

I was driving into town today and saw something that looked a lot like Wild Black Cherries in the road, but... something wasn't right... The Wild Black Cherries mostly succumbed to the late frost we had here, and what few survived the frost ripened a month ago, whereas they're usually ripe about late June. And the stuff in the road was bigger.

I turned around, drove back past that spot, and lo and behold... Mullllllberries... and the tree was loaded. I went on up to Clarksville, and on the way back, I pulled over to taste one... Had never tasted a mulberry. Wow! Sweet and delicious! I drove up to the house, talked to the lady that lived there, and she gave me permission to pick.

Drove home, switched to my truck, grabbed my 8' Tripod ladder, picking bucket, some ice water and a big pan to dump them into and drove right back. Picked 4 1/2 pounds before the thunder boomers were looming, but I'd just about picked it clean of the ripe ones I could reach, so I beat feet.

I did notice that this particular mulberry didn't seem to be sending out runners, so that just might be a characteristic of certain varieties... I know there are several types. Asian, North American, Black, Red, White and so on...

4½ pounds! Nice! Good deal!...I went back and looked at the mulberry tree I found and walked up and down the fence row looking for others and didnt see any? didnt notice any runners either? And I have no idea what variety this tree is but its doing good. Healthy and loaded.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I'm well aware. It's wildlife trees so I could care less how the fruit tastes. And they do produce pretty normal apples, although I have gotten a few random red leaf crab apples this way. Overall though most remind me a whole lot of the "field apples" we had around when I was a kid. Green and tart and will give you the runs if you eat too many but the wildlife love them.

On a somewhat related side note, my property used to have an orchard planted by none other than John Chapman, aka Johnny Appleseed. There are still 3 old trees where the orchard was and they still produce fruit. I'm at the property this week so I'll snap a few pics. He didn't live terribly far from here. Here's an old picture of one of the old family homestead cabins.

What a fascinating story and cool old pic! Thanks for sharing!

 

[DoubleRidge]

Have you tried doing something like this with them? I think cloned ones will produce the same apples as the parent tree, especially if they were planted from seed. It would be neat to reproduce the orchard Chapman started.

Watched a video recently on air-layering where a guy was doing something similar with potting soil, aluminum foil and plastic wrap. Very interesting concept. I'd like to give it a try. "They say" success rates are higher verses a cutting because the limb stays connected to the mother plant and wont dry out.