How to Grow and Care for Mulberry Tree

The mulberry tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree producing small, edible berries for six to eight weeks between June and July. Mulberry trees thrive in USDA zones 4 to 8, with rich, well-drained, moist soil that receives full to partial sunlight.

The red mulberry (M. rubus) and the white mulberry (M. alba) provide a habitat for birds and beneficial insects. The mulberry tree's dark green leaves have serrated edges, the bark is orange-brown, and the May-blooming buds are dark and pointed. The flowers are small, green catkins.

White mulberries are the sweetest, while red and darker varieties are tart and sweet. The fruit is safe to eat. However, the leaves and unripe fruit, and sap of mulberry trees can be mildly toxic to humans.

Mulberry Tree Care

Mulberry trees are low-maintenance plants when grown in their perennial zone. The main growing requirements for mulberry trees include:

• Plant them far from important structures (foundation, driveway, plumbing, utility lines).
• Choose a spot with full to partial sun.
• Plant in neutral to mildly acidic soil with good drainage.
• Water deeply every week during the first year.
• Fertilize once per year in late winter.
• Avoid pruning aside from damaged or crossed branches.

Warning

Note that some mulberry trees, such as white mulberry, are invasive in some parts of the United States.

Light

Mulberry trees can thrive in both full sun and partial shade conditions. Ideally, they should get at least four hours of direct sun per day. As with many fruiting trees, more light helps the trees produce more fruit.

Soil

Mulberry trees are somewhat adaptable and can easily deal with clay, loam, and sandy soil, as long as the mixture can maintain sufficient drainage. The trees can thrive in pH levels varying from neutral to mildly acidic.

Water

Water your mulberry tree deeply and regularly after planting to help it establish a robust root system. Using 2 to 3 gallons per week for the first year is recommended.

Once established, mulberry trees are relatively drought-tolerant, though prolonged dry weather can lead to a reduction in fruiting or early dropping of the unripe berries.

Temperature and Humidity

Depending on the species, most mulberry trees are cold-hardy and can handle temperatures as low as minus 25°F during dormancy. They produce the optimal amount of fruit in regions where temperatures are between 68°F and 86°F during the growing season.

These trees flourish in typical outdoor humidity levels within hardiness zones 4 through 8.

Fertilizer

Mulberry treesoften do quite well withoutfertilization, though they can benefit from a yearly application. Feed your tree once in late winter, using a balanced 10-10-10 mixture and measuring 1 pound of fertilizer for each inch in the trunk's diameter.

Types of Mulberry Trees

Mulberry trees are native to Asia and North America. There are five species of mulberry trees, three of which are likely to be seen in North America:

• M. alba (white mulberry): Originated in China; most common species in North America; distinguished from other mulberry trees by its blackberry-shaped fruit; fruit is white but darkens to purplish red; sterile cultivars include 'Kingan,' which is a drought-tolerant cultivar, and 'Chapparal,' a weeping variety.
• M. rubra (red mulberry): Rough leaves that are twice as long as M. alba,with a coarse and hairy underside; fruit starts light green before turning red or dark purple when ripe; grows wild in eastern Canada and the United States.
• M. nigra (black mulberry): Averages 40 feet tall; features dark purple (almost black) large berries; native to Asia; not commonly found in North America.
• M. australis (Korean mulberry): Small species that grows only 20 to 30 feet at maturity; its foliage is light green and slightly glossy; fruit ranges from almost white to deep red and purple; not a common landscape tree in North America.
• M. celtidifolia (Texas mulberry): Native to the Southwest; shrub-like, grows to a maximum height of just 25 feet; edible fruits are red, purple, or nearly black; favored by birds and wildlife.

Pruning

Routine pruning is not necessary for mulberry trees, but damaged or crossing branches and stems should be pruned away in late fall or winter while the tree is dormant (which helps avoid sap loss).

Propagating Mulberry Trees

Mulberry trees are easily propagated in spring or early summer by rooting semi-hardwood branch cuttings. Not every cutting will successfully root, so taking at least four or five cuttings is a good idea to increase your odds.

Here's how to do it:

1. In spring, as new growth starts, use sharp pruners to cut 6— to 8-inch long segments from the tips of 1/2-inch diameter branches.
2. Dip the bottom of the cuttings into rooting hormone, and plant the ends in small pots filled with commercial potting soil or seed starter mix.
3. Water the pots well, then place them inside 1-gallon clear plastic bags bound with rubber bands.
4. Place the pots in a full shade location until they root, checking periodically to ensure they remain moist.
5. When the cuttings have rooted (generally after about one month), you can take off the plastic bags and continue growing them in the pots until fall, when they can be planted in the garden.

How to Grow Mulberry Trees From Seed

Mulberry trees are straightforward to grow from seed, as evidenced by the rampant self-seeding they produce. They can be grown indoors by chilling and germinating the seeds. Here's how:

1. Collect plenty of fruits from the tree, either fresh or those that have fallen from the branches.
2. Collect the seeds and soak them in water for 24 to 48 hours.
3. Place the seeds on a damp paper towel and store them inside a closed plastic bag in the refrigerator.
   
4. Chill the seeds for three months, adding new damp paper towels weekly to maintain moisture levels. If any seeds germinate in the refrigerator, plant them outside the bag.
5. After chilling, plant the seeds in fresh potting soil mixed with peat moss to lower the pH.
6. Place the container in a warm area.
7. Once the seeds sprout, replant them in separate containers in an area of full sun and keep the soil consistently moist as the plants grow.
8. After about one year, the young mulberry trees will be ready to plant outdoors.
   

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Young mulberry trees are more likely to incur pest and disease problems in warmer climates, such as pest issues like whiteflies, scale insects, and mealybugs. If you notice signs of an infestation on a more vulnerable young sapling, you can apply a horticultural oil such as neem oil.

Although relatively disease-free, these trees sometimes experience bacterial blights and fungal leaf spot diseases. Remove diseased plant parts. Fungal diseases are rarely fatal and usually require no treatment.

How to Get Mulberry Trees to Bloom

Bloom Months

Mulberry trees typically bloom in spring during April and May.

How Long Do Mulberry Trees Bloom?

The flowers on mulberry trees last for one to two months before the plant's fruit production starts, which lasts from mid to late summer. The blooms continue coming back every year on their own.

What Do Mulberry Tree Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The flowers on mulberry trees are small and yellow-green. They grow in clusters, and the tree's foliage produces an earthy, spicy, and slightly sweet scent.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Generally speaking, homeowners don't want to encourage mulberry trees to bloom since the flowers aren't showy. If you want to encourage blooming for increased fruit production, ensure the tree's basic needs are met—plenty of sunlight, regular water, and annual fertilizing.

The most common reason for bloom and fruit failure on a mulberry tree is the lack of soil nutrients and late spring frost that kills the flower buds.

Caring for Mulberry Tree After It Blooms

Mulberry trees do not require deadheading of their flowers or additional care after blooming. Continue providing your tree with adequate water and annual fertilizer to encourage healthy growth.

Common Problems With Mulberry Trees

Mulberry trees are typically easy to grow, but the most common issues with them involve their messiness and invasive spread. Gardeners cannot prevent invasive varieties from spreading, so depending on where you live, it's best to choose seedless or fruitless cultivars.

Stains From Fruit

This tree's fertile, fruiting varieties are often considered nuisance plants in urban environments since the fallen fruit will stain pavement and cars, and the stains can easily be tracked indoors. It's best to plant one of the sterile cultivars that don't produce fruit to avoid this.

Tip

Not all mulberry trees are messy. Only the female trees produce the fruits that create the mess. If you want a mess-free mulberry tree, find a reputable nursery and purchase a male tree.

Rampant Spread

Mulberry trees can spread very easily through self-seeding. Garden areas immediately around a tree may see hundreds of volunteer seedlings, which, if not immediately plucked, can quickly develop root systems that make the saplings hard to eradicate.

If you have a fruiting mulberry tree, learn to recognize the seedlings and pluck them out as soon as they appear.

Animal Damage

Mulberry trees are prone to damage from animals. Protecting the trunks of young trees with metal shields or hardware cloth for the first few years will shield them from rabbits, deer, and other browsing animals that gnaw on the bark. After about three years, the trees are usually large enough to resist animal damage.

From: thespruce