How to Plant Mulberry Trees: A Detailed Guide to Planting Methods and Techniques

I. Selection of the mulberry garden site.

1. The land for building a mulberry garden should be far from open fields, mainly to prevent contamination by pesticides when pest control is carried out in the fields.

2. Keep away from factories to prevent factory exhaust gas, coal smoke, sewage and other discharges from polluting mulberry leaves and affecting the safety of silkworm rearing.

3. It is advisable to choose fertile land with a relatively deep soil layer that can both drain and be irrigated.

II. Selection of mulberry varieties

At present, the mulberry varieties suitable for our city are mainly Nongsang No. 12 and No. 14. Farmers with the right conditions can trial-plant the new varieties Toyota No. 2 and No. 5, and gradually expand the planting on the basis of success.

III. The following work should be done well when planting mulberry trees

All the work of planting mulberry trees must be carried out around improving the survival rate and favoring the growth of young mulberry trees.

1. Before planting, the land should be leveled and thoroughly deep-plowed.

2. Open the planting trenches well; the trench depth should reach more than 50 cm and the width should be 30 cm.

3. Apply sufficient base fertilizer. After the trenches are opened, the base fertilizer should be placed well; for each mu, 5000 kg of organic fertilizer (rotted manure from pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, etc.) should be applied. To prevent the base fertilizer from heating up during fermentation and burning the mulberry roots, a layer of topsoil should be filled on top of the base fertilizer to prevent the mulberry roots from directly contacting the fertilizer.

4. Water the roots with clear water and fertilizer. Plant in deep trenches but shallowly; when planting mulberry trees, plant them shallowly, with the grafting scar of the mulberry seedling (the junction where the rootstock turns from green to yellow) buried 5-6 cm into the soil as appropriate. If planted too shallowly, the roots are exposed above the ground and tend to dry up and shrivel, affecting the survival rate. If planted too deeply, the soil has poor aeration, new roots grow slowly, and with more groundwater it is difficult to absorb nutrients, affecting the growth of young mulberry trees. It is best to fill the trench with topsoil; after filling, water the roots with clear water and fertilizer, then add more soil, straighten the mulberry seedlings, firm the soil around the roots, and make the soil slightly mound-shaped, so as to avoid the soil layer sinking and leaving the mulberry roots empty or water accumulating and rotting the roots, which would reduce the survival rate.

5. When planting mulberry trees, large and small seedlings should be planted separately, and diseased seedlings should be removed to ensure the normal growth of the mulberry trees.

IV. Management after planting.

After the mulberry seedlings are planted, immediately make beds and open trenches; the bed height is about 15-20 cm and the trench width is about 30-40 cm. Open deep trenches around the mulberry garden so that the bed trenches connect with them, facilitating drainage and irrigation. Then cut off the seedling tips according to the height to which the mulberry trees are to be trained. If there is a long drought and dry conditions after planting, water the roots of the seedlings or irrigate appropriately. This prevents the seedlings from drying up and affecting the survival rate. If individual mulberry seedlings are found dead after planting, they should be replanted immediately so that the mulberry garden does not have missing plants.