How many years does a mulberry tree generally take to bear fruit?

Mulberry, also known as mulberry fruit, mulberry jujube, mulberry seed, etc., is the ripe fruit cluster of the mulberry tree, a plant in the Moraceae family. Most are red-purple or black oval-shaped multiple fruits, about 1-2.5cm long, with thick juice like honey, a sweet-sour fresh fragrance, and rich nutritional content. So, how many years does a mulberry tree generally take to bear fruit?

I. How many years does a mulberry tree generally take to bear fruit?

A mulberry tree generally bears fruit about 3 years after planting. Harvest when the fruit ripens from April to June, remove impurities, dry in the sun or steam briefly before drying in the sun for consumption, or use it to make wine.

II. Propagation methods of the mulberry tree

1. Layering

Press a branch down from the mother plant, slash the bark of the branch and bury it in the soil, leaving the tip of the branch exposed above the soil. Once the branch has taken root and survived, cut it off. Generally, planting is carried out in spring or autumn. In early spring, bury the mother plant in a trench and firm it down. The row and plant spacing for digging holes is 2.0m×0.4m.

2. Grafting

Grafting is attaching the bud or branch of another mulberry tree onto the root or trunk of one mulberry tree, so that it becomes a new plant. The main grafting methods are root grafting, branch grafting and bud grafting. Temperature has a direct effect on the results of grafting. Therefore, the appropriate time for grafting must be chosen according to the characteristics of the tree species, generally 20-25°C, and grafting should not be done in strong wind or during the rainy season.

3. Seed propagation

Wash ripe mulberries and remove the flesh to obtain the seeds. Mulberry seeds can be sown in autumn, summer or spring; new seeds can be sown in autumn or summer. First soak the seeds in warm water at 50°C, and soak and sprout the seeds for at least 12h. Once the seed coat splits, they can be sown.

The main nutrients of mulberry include water, sugar, crude protein, ash, crude fiber, free acids, soluble nitrogen-free substances, etc. In addition, mulberry also contains essential amino acids for the human body and easily absorbed polysaccharides, rich vitamins, red pigment, and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc and selenium that the human body lacks. It has effects such as enhancing immunity, promoting the growth of hematopoietic cells, and promoting metabolism, and has rich nutritional value and certain pharmacological value.