How to Plant, Grow and Care Mulberry Tree

Heard of the Mulberry tree? Looking to grow one in your garden? This article will help you to grow and care Mulberry tree if you are planning to have one. Check it out!

Mulberry is a deciduous tree with medium height. This plant produces tasty fruits during the summer season. The two most common mulberry species grown as a garden plant are Red Mulberry (Morus rubus), a native species of North America, and Morus Alba (white mulberry), a native species of China.

These species are known as self-pollinated, hardy, and deciduous trees. The mulberry trees’ fruit ripens up during midsummer. The fruits have a sweet taste similar to blackberries. Thus, if you want to grow this plant, here are the steps you need to follow.

This guide will explain the growing and caring tips so you can easily cultivate this plant. Let’s get started.

Different Types of Mulberry Trees You Can Grow

There are five different types of Mulberry tree species available for you to grow in your garden spaces. These are:

Morus Rubra

This plant is native to North America and has rough leaves which grow twice as long as other species. The leaves have a hairy underside. The fruit turns the dark purpose of red when ripened. The tree can also be grown in the United States and eastern Canada.

Morus Alba

This is also popular as the white mulberry tree and commonly grows in North America. Its black-berry shape fruit help to distinguish it from other species. The berries begin to turn purplish red from dark red. This plant is mainly grown for its ornamental value.

Morus Nigra

Black mulberry trees have dark purple fruits and can be grown 40 feet tall. This is an Asian plant and does not found in North America.

Morus Celtidifolia

Native to the Southwest, Texas mulberry trees have more shrubbery appearances and only achieve a maximum length of 25 feet. However, the edible, scarlet, purple, or almost black fruits are great for luring animals, especially hummingbirds, to your environment.

Morus Australis

This kind of tree, sometimes known as the Korean mulberry, grows to a height of only 20 to 30 feet when fully grown. It has fruit that varies in color from nearly white to intense crimson and purple, as well as glossy, pale green leaves. In North America, it is an uncommon landscape tree.

These are some of the Mulberry types that you can grow. Choose the one according to your region and have delicious fruits in summer. The next will talk about how to grow and care Mulberry tree with ease. Keep on reading.

Are you inclined towards growing fruits in your garden? Do check out our article that helps to grow and care for passion fruits.

How to Grow and Care Mulberry Tree

If you want to grow and care Mulberry tree, here are the steps that you can follow. Start reading!

Step 1: Plant Your Mulberry Tree

In this section, you have to follow the below steps to plant your Mulberry tree for the first time.

Select the Right Species

Ensure you get a variety of specific information from your nursery or catalog. For example, choose a vigorous, self-pollinating variety with seedless fruits when buying mulberry trees for fruit. If you’re not concerned about a fruit-bearing shrub, you may also choose unproductive and weeping kinds. For planting, look for robust and lush varieties.

The Illinois and Downing Ever bearing are two examples of hybrids between Morus rubra (red mulberry) and Morus alba (white mulberry). They are renowned for their hardiness and enormous, delicious fruit. You can choose any of the types as per your requirement.

Choose The Ideal Soil

Mulberry trees may thrive in various soil conditions as long as an effective drainage system is in place. They do not accept being submerged in water, so make sure they are located in a region that frequently floods. Deep, well-drained soils are preferable wherever practical. Choose a pH of 5.5 to 6.5 for your soil, which is somewhat acidic.

It is possible to survive soils with moderate alkalinity. You can check the alkalinity level by testing your soil or taking your sample to the soil testing area.

If you looking for a full-proof method to prepare soil for planting, you should definitely click on this link.

Select the Ideal Location for Planting

Mulberry trees are often suitable for planting in urban or coastal areas since they can endure drought and saline weather. They flourish in environments with periodic temperature variations, such as those with bright summers and chilly winters. Avoid tree planting close to roadways or sidewalks since the branches can be quite frail and may leave black stains from the berries that fall from the trees.

You may always opt to plant where it will be overhanging and provide your animals a treat because of chickens, pigs, and turkeys like mulberries.

Know About Right Growing Season

Although there isn’t a certain time of year ideal for planting, it is generally acceptable to do so when the weather is “favorable .”When the earth is frozen, the maximum temperature is near or below 90°F. Avoid planting during extreme weather events like a snowstorm, heavy rain, etc.

Create the Planting Hole into the Soil and Plant your Tree

The planting trench should be as deep as the root system and around three times the actual width of the container. Additionally, there must be a 25 to 30 feet (7.6 to 9.1 meters) gap among each tree; however, some species may tolerate 15 feet (4.6 m). Incorporate old mushroom composting, old manure, or rotting pine bark into the soil.

Place the shrub in the hole after removing it from the pot and loosening the root. The soil mixture should be inserted into the hole and watered to encourage root settling.

Try to avoid burying roots deeply into the soil. Avoid adding unnecessary fertilizer into the plant hole until the right time arrives. You can add fertilizer between February to August.

Step 2: Maintenance of Mulberry Tree

Here are some critical steps to follow to maintain the growth of your mulberry tree.

Add Fertilizer Timely

Iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, copper, molybdenum, and boron should all be in your fertilizer. A healthy NPK ratio is 10-10-10. Distribute the fertilizer uniformly by wetting or scraping it into the soil when spreading it beneath the tree’s canopy. Ensure to keep the fertilizers away from the 5-inch zone surrounding the tree trunk.

The tree’s age will determine when and how often to provide fertilizer.
In most cases, mulberry trees don’t require much fertilizer to grow. However, once-in-a-year fertilization should be enough to support the plant’s growth.
Don’t fertilize more than twice a year, and start in March and finish no earlier than July. Frost damage will come from fertilizing after August.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow Persimmon from Seeds

Add Water to the Soil

If the mulberry tree is placed in mud soil, irrigate it once per week. But, if it is bordered by light soil, irrigate it twice a week. Ensure to soak the root system for approximately 40 to 50 minutes to guarantee thorough coverage. Your tree must receive at least 1 inch of moisture each week, especially during prolonged dry spells.

If your location receives a minimum of an inch of rainfall, you are not required to water your tree regularly. However, if the fruit doesn’t get enough water, it could drop from the tree too soon. The easiest technique to prevent dry periods is to carefully drip your garden hose so that the water seeps into the roots rather than flowing out.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow and Care Pomegranate Tree

Pruning of Mulberry Tree

Pruning will make harvesting quicker and help maintain the tree neat and productive. However, broken, damaged, or twisted branches must be removed when the tree is inactive in the cold season. To give the tree time to establish fruit buds for the next year, avoid trimming in the middle of the summer. Cuts shouldn’t be more significant than 2 inches in circumference and should always follow the tree’s form.

To trim a healthy mulberry tree, no more than five cuts should be required.
Cuts larger than 2 inches in circumference may bleed, and your tree is unlikely to recover from this. Additionally, they make your tree more susceptible to certain fungi and diseases.

Step 3: Harvesting of the Berries

These are some of the tips that you need to follow while harvesting Mulberry from your tree.

The fruit can be picked manually, or the stems can be gently shaken while a sheet or tarp is placed beneath the tree. It cannot be fully matured if you pick your fruit before May. When your berries are huge, delicious, and black, they are mature. To be certain, try one. To prevent the berries near the bottom of the container from being smashed, don’t pile your fruit too thickly.
Your unwashed produce can be kept in the fridge for a few days in sealed containers.
After cleaning the berries, tap dry them and put them into the freezer zip lock bags; you may extend the shelf life of your crop for several months.

Do you love growing fancy fruits in your garden? If yes is your answer, do check our guide on how to plant, grow and care for dragon fruit.

What are the Best Methods to Propagate Mulberry Plant?

In this guide where we will help you to know how to grow and care Mulberry tree, do you know you can propagate them as well? There are two methods for the propagation of the Mulberry plant, which are as follows:

Method 1: Propagation from Hardwood Cuttings

The plant can be propagated easily by cultivating semi-hardwood branch cuttings. The cuttings can be obtained from the new growth during the spring season. Make sure to cut at least 6-8 inches long cuttings, and branches must have a diameter of at least half inches. The cuttings should be semi-hard, not soft or green.

Also Read: How to Plant, Grow and Care Strawberries

You need to dip the end of the cutting in the rooting hormone. After applying the rooting hormone, leave it aside. Take a small pot and add the commercial potting soil.

Once you put the soil into the soil, add water into the soil and place them inside the 1-gallon transparent plastic bag closed with a rubber band. Now keep the pot in the shady place unless they start rooting. Be sure to check the plant periodically. When the semi-hardwood starts producing roots, remove the plastic bag and continue growing the plant.

Method 2: Propagate Plant from Seed

Mulberry trees often self-seed, demonstrating how simple it is to cultivate them from seeds. You may either wait for substitutes to emerge and carefully transfer them to other sites, or you can dry the fruits you’ve taken off the tree to harvest seeds for sowing.

These are some of the propagating techniques that you can use to grow Mulberry tree.

How to Take Care of Mulberry Plant?

In another section in the article focusing on how to grow and care Mulberry tree, we would take about some caring tips for the plant to grow enormously and bear plants in the future. Here are some of the caring tips to grow this plant successfully.

Fertilizers

Use fertilizer sparingly! Spread balanced powdered fertilizer on the soil at the beginning of the growing season, or give the plant regulated liquid fertilizer at intervals of 7 to 10 days. You may also cover the top of the container with a layer of compost or manure. Compost tea can be regularly fed to plants to promote maximum development.

Pruning

Trimming mulberry trees in containers is less critical than when planted in the ground. When the tree goes to the dormant stage, not blooming is the perfect period for planned trimming.

After the fruiting period is through, pruning is another option. Sometimes or whenever necessary, dead, broken, infected, and crossed branches can be lightly pruned and trimmed away. In tropical regions, trimming is carried out just before the start of the rainy season, following the conclusion of the summer.

Mulching and Covering

You don’t have to worry too much about the winter’s extreme cold if you’re planting a mulberry plant in a pot. To protect the roots of the plant, mulching the top layer of soil is essential beneath USDA Zone 7. Wrap the pot with plastic wrap if you want to store them in an open area.

An upper mulch surface is an excellent option for a mulberry spruce tree in a warm environment since mulch resists heat in the summer.

These are some of the best caring tips for the Mulberry plant. Next, we will see how to take care of plants from pests and diseases.

How to Take Care of Mulberry Plant from Pest and Diseases?

Here are some methods to protect your Mulberry plant from pests and diseases. Make sure you read that and follow all the tips while growing the Mulberry tree to have a healthy one.

Avoid Sooty Canker Disease With Pruning

A wilt condition known as sooty canker damages the trunks and twigs of mulberry plants. Affected trees often exhibit wilting during hot weather, cankers on branches that gradually die back, and brownish fissures burst up to disclose fungus.

Canker disease may be avoided by regularly fertilizing and watering the tree. In addition, trim stems at least one foot below the illness if it looks to be harming branches.

Since there is no conventional remedy for sooty canker disease, you should always remove any dead wood as soon as you notice them prevent the illness from spreading. Burn the sick branches as well.
Avoid overwatering and adding fertilizers in excess since these practices put the tree under stress and increase its susceptibility to illness.

Discard Off Infected Berries to Protect Plant from Popcorn Disease

Fungus is the culprit behind popcorn sickness’s late springtime and early summer occurrence. The fruit enlarges and spreads out more noticeably than healthy fruit, eventually taking on the appearance of popcorn. Picking and throwing away any fruit that seems to be sick, even fruit that has fallen is the greatest form of prevention.

If you aren’t concerned about the berries, you aren’t required to worry about avoiding the infection because the sickness doesn’t affect the tree itself.
Another option for treating the illness is to spray the plant with a Bordeaux concoction.

Choose Fungicidal Treatment to Deal With Powdery Mildew

Fungi that produce powdery mildew are visible when the leaf’s surface seems to be coated with a white, powdery material. Treating your tree with a recognized fungicide will help you eliminate the mildew.

Depending on your tree, different mixture proportions and spraying recommendations apply. Make careful to read and abide by the manufacturer’s fungicide bottle’s written directions.

This problem arises in Pineapple fruit as well. You should check our guide on how to take care for pineapple tree.

Final Words: Grow and Care Mulberry Tree

This is all about how to grow and mulberry tree with different methods. While growing this plant, you must follow the above tips to provide proper care during the winter and summer seasons.

During harvesting season, try to cut down the ripened fruits/berries before they get damaged by pests and insects. If possible, spray insecticides and pesticides to protect plants from pest attacks. If you are growing this plant in a pot, it will be easier to transfer it during extreme weather conditions.

Enjoy having delicious Mulberries after some time. Till then, happy gardening!

FAQs

How did white mulberry become so prevalent in North America?

The English brought white mulberry trees to North America before the revolution of America to start a silkworm business in the developing textile industry of nascent America. The favorite diet of the silkworm is white mulberry, and the Communities had plenty of space to cultivate this delectable treat for caterpillars. Regrettably, due to the white mulberry’s ability to germinate and spread, this elaborate plan was a failure, and its population exploded.

How do I remove a mulberry tree?

Since the plant is messy, the majority of gardeners give up on them and decide to remove them. The best course of action is to remove the tree from the area and remove as much of its root system as possible, after which you should spray any new green growth with concentrated herbicides (such as glyphosate).

How do I harvest the fruit from a mulberry tree?

After around three years, the mulberry tree would be prepared to bear fruit, and when it does, you best be prepared to harvest. The two ways to gather mulberries are by hand, which may be quite time-consuming, or by laying a tarp or old sheet beneath the tree and shaking it vigorously. The blackberries can then be adequately prepared as part of jelly or jam, collected with the unblemished fruit, or frozen for later use as needed.

What is the difference between red and white mulberry?

The leaves of the red mulberry are dull green, whereas those of the white mulberry are lustrous. When it comes to white mulberries, the fruit starts off greenish-white before progressively turning reddish-purple. On the other hand, the fruits are initially crimson on red mulberries.

How long does a mulberry tree live?

Although white mulberry trees, the most prevalent kind, have been reported to live up to 100 years, landscaping cultivars typically have life expectancies of 25 to 50 years.

How can I use this tree in the landscape?

The moderate-height mulberry tree, which has a thickly rounded crown, is a suitable understory tree for a large yard. However, the fruit may be pretty messy, so it’s best to grow the tree away from traffic so it can produce berries for the birds that adore them and where people can’t step on them.