growing mulberrys from cuttings

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by frosty, Jan 15, 2007.

  1. TropicalRose

    TropicalRose Junior Member

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    Floot, this is so brilliant for me having someone with local knowledge who's been there done that. I get so much negative input from people who say it can't be done because the insects get everything. I suspect they may have used traditional methods/insecticides and upset the natural balance too much? To get this sort of input on a permie site is just great. I have planted a few vegies on the new place and they get much less insect attack than at Humpty Doo which is as you may know is almost suburban these days.
    Umm, sorry everyone else if we are getting a bit off the subject here.
     
  2. Taswegian

    Taswegian Guest

    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    Peter from Wynyard, coastal NW Tasmania. Very interesting site and discussions. I have put in maybe 60 black mulberry cuttings, of varying sizes from branching 2 ft high cuttings to very small ones of a few inches with 1 or 2 buds above the ground. They are in mostly sandy loamy type soils, planted in the ways mentioned here. Some smaller cuttings are covered by opaque plastic containers but most are in direct sunlight. Now (a few days before Christmas), the larger branch type cuttings are sprouting a few leaves which are turning yellow. Reading comments here, I have the feeling I am over watering them. At the moment I am watering them heavily with a hose almost daily. Is this way too much?

    Also, I do have an established healthy black mulberry tree, currently with new leaves but still prior to its main flush of growth. how would I go, taking and trying to strike cuttings from it now? On the coast here our summer temps are mostly 19 to 24c degrees, with the odd hotter day.
     
  3. Michaelangelica

    Michaelangelica Junior Member

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    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    It should be fine to take cuttings now

    I would be inclined to put several 10-20 in a big pot (6-8") of commercial cutting mix. (Cost $5-10)that way you are less likely to get fungal problems.
    you can try giving them soak in a1/4 of an asprin overnight.
    The ABC gardening people also often recommend using a little honey on the end of the cutting.
    Always use a "dibbler" when planting the cuttings, you will get a much better strike rate.
    Water every day or cover with a plastic bag if you can't.
    You will ten need to pot them up in Spring and grow them on for a while.

    Are you starting a silk farm?
    I read the other day that silk made the first fishing lines

    Watering with a hose. What's a hose?
    O I remember we used to use those in the olden days before it stopped raining
    (I hate you) :)
     
  4. Taswegian

    Taswegian Guest

    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    This is great information above (I've contacted Michaelangelica directly), but I still need to know what is turning the new leaves on my cuttings yellow. ?? I'm presuming excess water until told otherwise. I am not into silkworms and after a failure last year, am trying to get "1" cutting to strike as I have a good source tree and heaps of room to plonk in 1000s of cuttings if need be.
     
  5. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    Taswegian,

    Mulberry leaves do turn yellow when they are about to drop off. I have seen this with cutting that the leaves have been left on. Remove all adult leaves and leave a few sprouts on near the buds. I appreciate your climate there and seasonality. Now having taken a large number of successful mulberry cuttings/plants over a long time. The only ones I lose, are the ones that rot. DRAINAGE IS PARAMOUNT.

    I can also offer a very very consistent cheap locally available and successful cutting mix if any chatter with a track record cares to PM me. I only say this because this site is now trolled by folk who make a name for themselves and money trolling sites like this for suggestions which they claim their 'granny' gave them.

    cheers,

    ho-hum
     
  6. qis

    qis Junior Member

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    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    I don't know if this story is useful to you. We had a mulberry tree that got hit by lightning and couldn't be saved. The tree was cut up into branches and logs and stuck into a wettish spot in the garden. Quite a few of the branches struck. Jackie French's New Plants From Old has specific instructions too.
     
  7. ho-hum

    ho-hum New Member

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    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    tas..

    Mulberries are leaf shedders, ie on a hot or cold day, they will shed. Also their leaf size is such that the mere fact of being planted/transplanted means they will shed. Figs will do the same. This makes them the ultimate cutting plant, too much water and you get leaf shed, too much nitrogen, the same - that said, mulberries will thrive.

    QIS, you have a number of 'shots' in your locker, you still wont tell us where you are, but sadly, you tell us what wont work.

    Share with us not your speculations, share with us what you know.

    cheers,

    ho-hum
     
  8. Taswegian

    Taswegian Guest

    Re: growing mulberrys from cuttings

    Thankyou all. Your sentiments make growing Mulberries from cuttings sound as easy as growing blackberries. (Blackberries are prolific and an absolute weed around here). I am told by an older expert gardener, where I have the cuttings, has excellent drainage. I am now seeing in green shoots on a few cuttings so have all my fingers and toes crossed, they will also not change colour. For what it is worth, an established mulberry tree in my garden, is this year absolutely loaded with "green" fruit. I spent a lot of the weekend joining 5 metre squares of anti bird netting together, then sliding it up over poly pipe supports, completely blackbird proofing the tree. Mulberries normally ripen about February here. I appreciate your feedback, thankyou.

    Taswegian
     

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