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Mulberry, which is also popularly known as a mulberry bush or mulberry tree, is popular among gardeners due to its positive qualities. These are tasty and healthy berries that are able to grow and develop normally in the presence of any weather conditions. Culture prefers a warm temperate climate. Under natural conditions, they are found in the south of Europe, in North America, East Asia, in the northwest of South America. What a plant looks like, how to choose the right variety so that mulberry grows normally in the Moscow region, and also read about planting, reproduction and caring for it right now.
Description of the plant
Mulberry is a fairly tall deciduous tree. It grows in height from 3 to 15 meters. It traditionally has large and broad leaves that are rough to the touch with obligatory serrations along the edges. The foliage is green in summer. It is interesting that on the same tree it is realistic to see leaves that differ in size and configuration. During the flowering period, small flowers appear on the culture, which are collected in axillary ears. The mulberry fruit is endowed with a pleasant aroma and reaches a length of up to 3 cm. The average duration of a shrub is 200 years. But there are cases when plants lived 300, and individual specimens even 500 years.
Scientists have counted about two dozen varieties of culture. To make it more convenient, it was divided into white, red and black. This classification is due to the color of the bark. Most often in the gardens of our country you can see white mulberry. It is a tree up to 18 meters high. Large leaves are a favorite delicacy of the silkworm. Fruits are pink, purple and white, have a length of no more than 3 cm. This variety is quite frost-resistant.
The red mulberry is native to eastern North America. Its infructescences are no more than 3 cm in size and are usually painted in a purple, red or black color characteristic of this species. The height of the tree is about 20 meters. Its feature is the ability to resist drought.
Black mulberry is found in Southwest Asia. It has large seedlings up to 5 cm in size. They are painted in a pleasant purple or black color. The height of the culture is normally about 15 meters. The disadvantage is the low degree of frost resistance.
Video “Description”
From the video you will learn the description of the mulberry tree.
Variety choice
This culture grows in various regions of our country, mulberry is also found in the Moscow region, cultivation, of course, has its own characteristics. Since the climate of the area is not particularly suitable for such a southern plant. Although the tree has received from nature the ability to endure frosts up to -30 degrees, but for the full growth and development of the root system, indicators in the range of -7 – 10 degrees are already detrimental. Therefore, when carrying out the correct landing, it is still advised to deepen the root collars. And cover the entire system for the winter with an additional layer of mulch that is reliable in terms of frost resistance.
There is another problem – a short daylight hours. The culture is characterized by two growing seasons – spring and autumn. The advantage is that the culture will not be able to suffer from excessive frostbite of young branches, since it tends to reject unviable shoots. In the process of planting, seedlings are advised to be placed on such a site that there are no tall trees near them, as they can create a shadow. There are varieties of mulberries that are adapted in the selection process for normal cultivation in the Moscow region. It is about them that we want to talk in more detail below. So that each gardener can choose a suitable variety of his favorite crop for his site.
Red mulberry Vladimirskaya is a tree that grows over 6 meters. It has a wide crown. Actively gives lateral shoots from below. It pleases the owner with sweet fruits of a dark purple color, having a length of about 3 cm. Self-pollination and frost resistance can be called the advantages of the species.
White Staromoskovskaya is a tree with an interesting spherical crown, the height of the trunk of which normally reaches 10 meters. The berries are naturally endowed with a dark purple color, have a size of up to 3 cm and excellent taste. The advantages of the variety include winter hardiness and self-fertility.
Mulberry Royal is a medium-sized culture, which can be really spherical during the pruning process. The berries are painted in a characteristic black color and have a length of up to 3 cm. It has a high degree of fruiting, grows quickly on soil with any structure, does not need abundant watering and special care. The variety is partially self-fertile, so pollinating plants should be planted in the immediate vicinity of such a shrub. Its many advantages include a high degree of frost resistance, abundant yields, good transportability, immunity to diseases and pests. The berries and bark of the culture are commonly used for medicinal purposes.
White honey is a tree endowed with a fairly wide crown. The variety is partially self-fertile, the berries are sweet, they do not tolerate transportation, and fresh they are able to maintain their original appearance for no more than 6 hours. The advantages of the variety are a high degree of frost resistance, productivity, the ability to grow normally on any soil, unpretentiousness in terms of care.
Variety Black Prince is a medium-sized tree, endowed with a wide crown. The berries are painted black, grow up to 5 cm. They are high in vitamins and minerals. The plant is not self-fertile. The advantages include high productivity and winter hardiness.
Mulberry Black Baroness is a tree with a crown in the shape of a ball. It is able to grow on the ground having any structure. It has black and juicy fruits, having a size of about 4 cm. The berries are normally stored for no more than 12 hours. They don’t like to travel long distances. The culture is partially self-fertile. The obvious advantages of the variety are a high degree of frost resistance and productivity.
Mulberry Ukrainian is a large tree on which a small number of fruits ripen. However, they are incredibly sweet. Found their use in folk medicine as an excellent remedy for constipation, bronchitis, asthma. The advantages of the variety are its high frost resistance, undemanding to the soil, the beneficial qualities of berries, and decorativeness.
Planting and care
When choosing a site, it should be remembered that mulberry in the Moscow region, the cultivation and care of which you will carry out on your own, prefers normally lit places. The soil should ideally be sandy or loamy. It is customary to start planting seedlings in early spring, when it is already a little warmer outside, or with the onset of late autumn. It is necessary to prepare a hole measuring 80 by 80 by 60 cm. It should be filled with earth from the top layer, a couple of buckets of humus and about 150 grams of fertilizer. All components are mixed well, the plant is placed in the center, its root system is straightened. Next, the bush is sprinkled with soil mixture and tamped a little.
Careful watering and the creation of mulch around the tree is required. When the mulberry begins to grow intensively, you need to fertilize. The following composition has proven itself excellently. Diluted slurry at the rate of 1:5 or bird droppings taken at a ratio of 1:10. Starting in July, watering will be required for the tree only if there are particularly dry days.
As for wintering, we recall that the culture normally withstands temperatures up to -30 degrees. But it inevitably experiences a shortage of heat, resulting in a decrease in the degree of productivity. When spring comes, you need to inspect the crop in your area and, if necessary, remove frostbitten branches. Then over the summer the plant will be able to recover normally. In the Moscow region, when caring for mulberry, the plant is pruned in order to give it the shape of a bush. Then, in case of severe frosts, it is possible to cover it in the winter. For this, it is customary to tie the crown with paper bandages or burlap. Fasteners are carried out using twine. This is done at a height of about a few meters.
Reproduction
It is possible to obtain mulberry seedlings in several ways – using seeds or cuttings.
When sown with seeds, the plants are more resistant to weather conditions that are typical for the area. In the case of planting black mulberry, it will be necessary to keep the growths on the site for a long time. Since before flowering it is not possible to determine whether it is male or female. Seeds are recommended to be sown immediately after separation from the fruit. When they germinate, the seedlings dive and plant on the site, maintaining a distance of up to 30 cm. It is permissible to transplant them to permanent places only in the second year. For fruiting, seedlings obtained from seeds become ready for 5 years from the moment of germination.
Reproduction can also be carried out by cuttings. This method provides an excellent opportunity to preserve all the best properties of the mother culture. Intensive growth of shoots falls on June – July.
It was during this period that it is customary to propagate mulberries through green cuttings. For this purpose, cutting of the shoots of the current year is carried out. Next, they need to be divided into cuttings having a length of 15 to 20 cm. Burying into the ground is carried out by a third of the entire length and maintaining an angle of 45 degrees. A couple of leaves should be left on each shoot, while the leaf plate should be cut in half. Rooting is usually carried out in a greenhouse. It is there that there is a sufficient level of humidity. In autumn, the plants already have normally developed roots. But it is customary to plant them in the spring, with the advent of heat. In order to reliably protect seedlings from exposure to low temperatures, they are advised to cover them with straw.
Video “Cultivation Features”
From the video you will learn how to grow mulberry.
