When Is the Best Time to Take Cuttings from Deciduous Mulberry Trees? A Detailed Guide to Cutting Propagation

The mulberry tree is a common deciduous tree in the northeastern and southwestern regions of China. Because its leaves can feed silkworms and its roots and bark can be used medicinally, it is widely cultivated. Generally, mulberry trees are grown from cuttings, so when is the best time to take mulberry cuttings? How do you do it?

Cutting time:

Mulberry trees can be propagated by cuttings from June to September in summer, and generally two rounds of cuttings can be taken.

Cutting techniques:

1. Choose semi-lignified green branches of the mulberry tree

Professionally, this is called the green branch cutting technique for mulberry trees. The green branches must be semi-lignified. The tender shoots at the front section of the branch cannot be used, because they are hollow inside, and the fully lignified rear section also cannot be used, as it affects the survival rate. Remember, only semi-lignified material is most suitable.

2. Pruning

Cut the mulberry branch to about 15 cm, leaving 1-2 leaves at the top.

3. Dip in rooting hormone

Place the trimmed mulberry branches neatly into a container, and soak the base in rooting hormone. There are many types of rooting hormone available now; highly effective ones need only a few minutes. Prepare the concentration according to the instructions and follow the specified procedure.

4. Taking cuttings

The cuttings need to be taken in a spring-autumn greenhouse or a winter warm greenhouse, or you can build a small shed yourself. Inside the shed, a layer of sandy soil about 20 cm deep needs to be laid on the ground. Cover the top with a shade net. Before taking cuttings, the sandy soil needs to be sterilised, and carbendazim diluted to the appropriate concentration can be sprayed on.

When taking cuttings, be careful not to push too hard when inserting into the sandy soil, to prevent abrasion or wounds at the base of the branch, which would affect rooting.

5. Regular misting, sterilising and ventilation

Maintain the temperature and humidity inside the shed, and mist at regular intervals. Generally, sterilise regularly about every three days to prevent root rot. The standard for humidity, judged by eye, is simply not letting the top leaves dry out; keep the leaves moist, spray in multiple batches, and control the amount of water.

Generally, following these steps, roots can be seen after 15 days, and after about 40 days they are basically stable, and you can move them to a shed for planting at the appropriate time.

The green branch cutting technique for mulberry trees is relatively more complicated than grafting and slightly more costly. Therefore, in actual practice, farmers prefer to graft in spring and summer, which is faster and more economical.