How to Plant Mulberry Trees: Planting Methods and Precautions

One very interesting thing I still remember from childhood is raising silkworms. Whenever late spring and early summer came around, my family would pick a lot of tender green mulberry leaves and keep them at home to feed the silkworm babies. In fact, the mulberry tree's uses go far beyond this; it has many values and can be eaten and used medicinally. However, growing a mulberry tree that can bear fruit takes several years.

How to Plant Mulberry Trees

1. Planting time

Planting is generally done in winter and early spring, and the soil temperature is best kept stable at around 10-12°C.

2. Planting preparation

Choose mulberry saplings of good quality and free of pests and diseases; prepare a container of suitable size, and for potted mulberry it is best to choose a larger pot. The mulberry tree has low requirements for soil, so ordinary, fairly loose and breathable garden soil will do; it is best to add some coarse sand granules or coal cinders to the soil to help with drainage and prevent the soil from compacting. Before planting the mulberry tree, you can first add some decomposed organic fertilizer to the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer.

3. Planting method

When planting in summer and autumn, be careful to avoid damaging the roots as much as possible and protect the mulberry seedling's root system; when planting in winter and spring, lightly prune the overly long main root to encourage more lateral roots to grow. Bury the mulberry sapling in the substrate, cover with soil and lift gently so the roots spread out, then gently pat the soil firm with your hand and add another layer of loose soil, covering about 3 cm above the root crown, then water thoroughly to settle the roots.

4. Planting and care

It is suitable to place the potted mulberry in an open balcony or other ventilated, light-filled spot; keep the soil moderately moist, water promptly when the soil is dry, and drain promptly during heavy rain; loosen the soil and weed, which helps the mulberry roots grow; fertilize little and often, and after the mulberry seedling sprouts and opens its leaves, you can apply 1 dose of manure water or urea water fertilizer. Afterwards, according to the specific growth situation, you can appropriately apply additional fertilizer 1—2 times. In addition, during the cultivation of the mulberry tree, special attention must be paid to the prevention and control of pests and diseases.

Mulberry Planting Methods and Precautions

I. Mulberry planting methods

1. Choosing a pot: Its root system develops very quickly, and as the mulberry tree grows, nutrients cannot keep up, so it needs repotting; only then will the small seedling grow, flower and bear fruit.

2. Soil: It is not picky about soil, and ordinary garden soil will do. Add some coarse sand granules or coal cinders to the soil to ensure drainage and prevent compaction.

3. Fertilizing: When planting, you can add some decomposed organic fertilizer to the bottom of the pot as a base fertilizer. Alternatively, you can fertilize around the edge of the flowerpot later on. It must be decomposed fertilizer, otherwise it easily causes leaf drop and yellowing.

4. Watering: During flowering, mainly do not water or fertilize too much, otherwise it easily causes flower drop.

II. Precautions

1. Choosing fruit saplings: Some mulberry saplings are said by older people not to bear fruit, so choose high-quality fruit tree saplings. Once one does not flower or bear fruit, replace it as early as possible to avoid wasting time and space.

2. Light: The mulberry tree likes light and tolerates shade and cold, so it is best to plant it on an open balcony or rooftop, where it is easier to care for.

3. Land: The mulberry tree is highly adaptable to soil, but before planting mulberry trees it is necessary to prepare the land, leveling the ground, clearing debris and deep plowing.

How to Propagate Mulberry by Cuttings

1. Choosing material

Cuttings are generally taken in autumn, and it is suitable to use the part of a new mulberry shoot's upper section that is not yet suberized and is about to become woody. The mother branch should be from a young mulberry tree.

2. Cuttings

Select the middle and lower part of a robustly growing branch and cut it into a section 15-20 cm long; the upper buds should be plump and full and disease-free, cut flat at the bud tip, and make a slanted cut at the lower end slightly below and opposite the bud. The cut surface needs to be smooth.

3. Promoting rooting

Soak new mulberry shoots in rooting agent for about 2-4 hours, while old mulberry shoots need to be soaked for 6-10 hours. After soaking, take them out and rinse with clean water, place them upright close together, and once they are air-dried they can be inserted for planting. Afterwards, carry out sand storage to promote rooting: use clean river sand to form a certain bed surface, insert the treated cuttings into the sand with a plant spacing of about 2-3 cm, keep the sand moist, and once roots have formed they can be transplanted.

4. Inserting cuttings

Insert the mulberry sapling cuttings into the soil, leaving only two buds exposed above ground. After inserting, the soil should also be trampled firm, and finally covered with a layer of nylon film.

Pruning Methods for Potted Mulberry Trees

1. Branch training

This is usually done during the winter dormancy period, cutting off dead knots, dead stubs, pest- and disease-damaged branches, thin and weak branches and so on from the mulberry tree. The cut should be close to where the branches cross, and the cut should be smooth.

2. Tip pruning

Tip pruning is done during the mulberry tree's dormancy period. Cut off the part of the mulberry branch tip where the tissue is not fully developed. Generally, branches over 1.5 m can have 1/4-1/3 cut off, branches around 1.5 m can have 1/5-1/4 cut off, and branches around 1 m are suitable for cutting off 10-15 cm.

3. Bud thinning

When the mulberry tree's current-year shoots grow to 10-15 cm, overly dense buds need to be thinned out so that the retained branches can grow thicker and stronger and produce more leaves; the degree of bud thinning is generally based on soil fertility and tree vigor, and on fertile soil less thinning and more retention can be done.

4. Pinching out the core

During the spring silkworm season, the tender core at the tip of new shoots needs to be removed; for late-maturing mulberry trees, the pinching time is generally around 10-15 days before leaf use on a sunny day, while for early- and mid-maturing mulberry trees it is done about a week before leaf use. For those using leaves early, the tender core with two open leaves should be removed, while for those using leaves late, the tender core with one open leaf can be removed.

The mulberry tree likes a warm, humid growing environment with ample light, but it is also highly adaptable to climate and soil, which is enough to prove that mulberry cultivation is not difficult. The mulberry tree is a plant that tolerates pruning, so everyone should prune it frequently during the care process.