Mulberry: photo of berries, cultivation

This article gives a description, a photo of berries and a mulberry (mulberry) tree – a unique plant that everyone who has been to the south of our country has come across. The mulberry tree is distinguished not only by its tasty and healthy fruits, it also provides valuable wood from which furniture, art objects and musical instruments are made. And mulberry is indispensable for breeding silkworms – butterflies, from the cocoons of which natural silk is obtained.

Where does mulberry grow in Our Country?

Mulberry is a heat-loving crop. It grows in the south of the European part of Our Country, as well as in the Khabarovsk Territory and in Primorye. Separate wild-growing mulberry trees come across at the latitude of the Kursk and Voronezh regions, in more northern regions only artificially planted mulberries can be found. Such plantings have been preserved since ancient times. In order not to bring raw silk from China, in the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries, the mulberry tree began to be planted throughout the entire European part of the Empire, since with the advent of silk-spinning manufactories, the issue of supplying raw materials became especially acute.

Attempts to breed mulberries in the central regions were made a large number of times, however, the main population of seedlings, as a rule, died, only a few specimens remained alive, which have survived to this day. Currently, a small population of mulberry, planted for technical purposes, is located in the Moscow region. Individual mulberry trees have survived even in the Nizhny Novgorod, Leningrad and Yaroslavl regions, although this is rather an exception to the general rule.

Attempts to artificially settle the mulberry tree in the Urals and Siberia were also made repeatedly, but they all ended in failure. Individual specimens of mulberry can still be found in the park areas of Barnaul, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and other Siberian cities. All of them are grown from mulberry seedlings growing in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories, in these regions the mulberry is found in the wild quite often.

Below in the photo – berries on a mulberry tree.

Despite the fact that mulberry is a southern tree, gardeners from other regions do not stop trying to grow it on their plots in order to obtain a harvest of berries. Partly contributes to this and climate warming. Severe winters in the European part of Our Country happen less and less, so the number of successful attempts to grow mulberry in the middle lane is becoming more and more.

Botanical description of mulberry

Mulberry (mulberry tree, mulberry – it’s all the same) – a separate genus of plants, uniting 17 species. It is found in free form in the territories of North America, Eurasia, Africa. The main characteristics of mulberry are shown in the table below.

How does mulberry grow

Mulberry is characterized by rapid growth only in the first years of life. By the age of 5, the main skeleton of the tree is formed, after which the rate of its growth slows down significantly, and after 10 years only a one-year growth is formed. The mulberry tree is a real long-liver. Under normal conditions, it lives up to 200 years, and in natural conditions of a subtropical climate – from 300 to 500 years.

If no measures are taken to form the crown, the mulberry tree often grows not as a tree, but as a sprawling bush, consisting of a large number of equivalent trunks on a short trunk.

How the mulberry blossoms

Mulberry blossoms in April-May. Its flowers are dioecious, male and female, small in size, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Pollination is done by wind and also by insects. Blooming mulberry is shown in the photo below.

When does mulberry begin to bear fruit?

Mulberry begins to bear fruit only 5 years after planting the seedling in open ground. This is quite a long time. To shorten the waiting period, some gardeners graft mulberry seedlings with cuttings or cultivar buds, taking grafting material from a fruiting tree. This method makes it possible to get the first crop in the 3rd, and sometimes in the 2nd year of life. Re-grafting will also help if all the seedlings are of the same sex.

How does mulberry bear fruit?

Most mulberry varieties ripen in the second half of July. In place of each of the inflorescences, false berries-drupes appear – small fruits fused together. Unripe berries are green in color, but in a ripe state, the color depends on the variety and can vary from white to red and dark purple, almost black. Ripe mulberry is very easily separated from the stem.

What does mulberry taste like

The taste of mulberry is very individual and is not like any other berry or fruit. Unripe mulberry fruits have a pronounced sour taste, which almost disappears after the berries reach full ripeness, especially in white varieties. The taste of ripe mulberries is sweet, in black and red varieties – sweet and sour. The aroma of mulberry berries is peculiar, memorable, although not very pronounced.

The difference between blackberries and mulberries

Blackberries and mulberries are similar only in appearance. In both cultures, these are elongated drupes, similar in color and size. However, this is where the similarity ends. Unlike the mulberry, which is a deciduous tree and belongs to the Mulberry family, the blackberry is a subshrub and belongs to the Rose family. The age of the mulberry can exceed several hundred years, blackberry shoots live only two years. But blackberries, unlike mulberries, have much better keeping quality and transportability.

How to plant a mulberry

In the middle lane, planting mulberries in open ground requires subsequent care and is associated with a certain risk. After all, this is a southern plant. Nevertheless, under favorable conditions, the mulberry tree will grow and bear fruit well even in such a far from subtropical region. Planting and caring for mulberries do not differ in any particular complexity.

Selection and preparation of the landing site

The mulberry is afraid of the north wind, so the southern slope of the hill would be an ideal place to plant. Mulberry does not impose special requirements on the composition of the soil, it grows well on black soil and loam, only highly saline and heavy clay soils are not suitable for it. You should not plant mulberries in wetlands where melt or rainwater accumulates, or in places where groundwater comes too close to the surface.

Mulberry seedlings are planted in early spring, while planting pits are prepared in the fall so that the soil becomes loose and saturated with air. The root system of mulberry seedlings does not differ in significant sizes, therefore, planting pits are dug small, about 0,5 m deep, 0,7 m in diameter. The excavated earth is preserved. Before planting, a bucket of humus is added to it and the roots of the seedling are covered with such nutrient soil.

Preparation of planting material

When choosing mulberry seedlings, it is worth paying attention, first of all, to its origin. A tree brought from the south is unlikely to feel good in changing conditions, for example, in the Moscow region. Therefore, it is better to give preference to zoned varieties. In addition, the seedling should look healthy, have a well-developed root system and show no signs of the beginning of the growing season.

It must be remembered that the mulberry tree is dioecious. In order to be guaranteed a harvest, it is better to choose grafted three-year-old seedlings, since fruits have already appeared on them. Planting younger mulberry trees carries the risk that they will all be of the same sex and will not bear fruit.

Rules of landing

You can start planting mulberries after the soil warms up to + 5 ° С. An earth mound is poured at the bottom of the planting pit, on top of which a seedling is placed strictly vertically, spreading the roots along the slopes. Nearby, a peg is driven into the bottom of the pit, which will serve as a support for the future mulberry tree for the first time. After that, the pit is covered with prepared soil, lightly tamping it, otherwise voids may form in the ground and some of the roots may simply hang in the air. The root neck of a mulberry seedling is leveled according to the level of the soil, the trunk is tied to a peg – a support. Then the trunk circle is abundantly spilled with water and mulched.

To prevent plants from competing with each other, it is necessary to observe the intervals between adjacent mulberry trees when planting. The mulberry crown is wide and spreading, so there should be a distance of at least 5 m between neighboring mulberry trees, and if the mulberry tree is formed in a bush form, at least 3 m.

How to care for mulberry

Many gardeners in the southern regions of the country consider caring for mulberry redundant, but in Central Our Country it will be quite difficult to grow a healthy fruit-bearing mulberry tree without special events. And the more complete and better the events are, the more chances the gardener has to get the desired crop of mulberries.

Watering and top dressing

Mulberry watering is not required, except perhaps only in the driest time. Starting from July, any artificial soil moistening should be stopped. When grown on fertile soil, top dressing, as a rule, is not applied. If the land is rather poor, the mulberry tree needs to be fed. This can be done once a season, in the spring. To do this, use organic matter, for example, manure, scattering it in the root zone. You can also feed the mulberry tree in early spring with complex mineral fertilizers, for example, nitrophoska or urea.

Trimming and shaping

The further north the mulberry growing region, the lower in height the tree should be formed. Based on this, they make a pruning. In the southern regions, the mulberry tree is not cut at all; in the more northern regions, a sprawling cap-shaped crown is formed on a low stem. In the northern regions, preference is given to bush forms, which, as a rule, are more winter-hardy.

Many gardeners grow mulberries as an ornamental tree. This is especially true for varieties with a weeping crown. Such trees are pruned in accordance with the chosen crown shape, shortening the annual growth and maintaining the required dimensions. In addition, mulberries are cut for sanitary purposes, removing old, dried and broken branches, cutting out diseased and pest-damaged shoots. Such pruning is carried out, as a rule, at least 2 times per season, after winter and at the end of leaf fall.

Protection against diseases and pests

Mulberry is quite often invaded by pests, and diseases on it are not uncommon. Of the diseases on the mulberry tree, the following are most common:

1. Verticillium wilt (wilt). It manifests itself in twisting of the leaves, drying of the shoots and ultimately leads to the complete death of the tree. There is no cure for this fungal disease. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to use disease-resistant varieties, as well as to apply nitrogen fertilizers in a timely manner, which increase plant immunity. The diseased mulberry tree is uprooted and burned, the soil at the place of their growth is treated with a 40% formalin solution. Within 10 years after the detection of the disease, no fruit trees can be planted in such a place.
2. Bacteriosis A disease that affects exclusively the mulberry tree. It is found in all regions where mulberry grows. Manifested in the appearance of spotting on leaves and young shoots. Then the spots turn brown, the leaves rot through. This disease has no cure. The diseased mulberry tree is pruned, severely affected trees are uprooted and burned, while neighboring plantations must be sprayed with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture. The same spraying as a preventive measure must be done in early spring.
3. Cylindrosporosis. A fungal disease that affects mulberry leaves. It appears as small brown spots that grow over time. The disease leads to leaf death and premature leaf fall. The spread of the disease is promoted by high humidity, therefore, as a preventive measure, it is necessary to ventilate the crown of the mulberry tree, to prevent its thickening. In early spring and after leaf fall, it is necessary to treat plantings with preparations containing sulfur. The spores of the fungus overwinter in the fallen leaves, it must be collected and burned.

Of the insect pests, the mulberry is most often attacked by the following:

1. Spider mite. It feeds on the juices of young leaves, on the reverse side of which it lives. With a sufficiently large population of the mite, the mulberry tree is strongly oppressed, the leaves turn brown, dry out and fall off. The tick is especially dangerous in drought. A protective measure is the collection and destruction of plant residues in which the tick hibernates, whitewashing boles. In case of severe damage, the mulberry must be treated with Aktofit.
2. Comstock worm. It is quite rare in the territory of modern Our Country, with the exception of certain regions of the Caucasus. The worm larvae stick to young leaves, damage the bark of young shoots and mulberry buds. With a large population of the mealybug, the mulberry is strongly oppressed and may die. Pesticides against this insect are ineffective. Fight it with pheromone traps. The biological method based on the use of pseudoficus is also effective. This insect is a natural enemy of the worm. Prevention is the cleaning and whitewashing of boles, especially in those places where the bark of the tree trunk has moved away from the mulberry, as well as strict adherence to the rules of agricultural technology.
3. American white butterfly. The caterpillars of this insect feed on mulberry leaves, entangling them with a thin cobweb. With a sufficiently large population, the entire crown of the tree can be entangled in the web. They fight the pest with the help of permitted insecticides (Decis, Karate, etc.). Light traps are installed for butterflies, trapping belts are put on the mulberry tree. Spider nests, egg-laying places are cut off and burned.
4. Khrushti. The larvae of these insects live in the soil and feed on young roots. Young mulberry seedlings are especially affected by them. They fight against the beetles with the help of preventive spraying of the mulberry tree with Bombardir, Confidor, etc. Agrotechnical measures are also widely carried out aimed at reducing the number of both insects and their larvae, for example, sowing alkaloid lupine at the site of future plantings of mulberries.

Preparation for winter

The most important thing is to protect the mulberry roots from freezing. Therefore, for the winter, the root zone must be covered with a thick layer of mulch. To do this, you can use sawdust, peat, humus. An additional layer of spruce branches is laid on top and covered with snow. Mulberry seedlings up to 3 years old in autumn must be insulated with spruce branches, additionally wrapping a layer of covering material on top.

It is better to bend the long young shoots of the mulberry to the ground and cover, otherwise they are guaranteed to freeze.

Features of growing mulberries in different regions

Mulberry care is highly dependent on the climatic conditions of the growing region. Literally everything matters: annual rainfall, prevailing winds, maximum and minimum temperatures. The harsher the conditions, the greater the need for care.

Growing and caring for mulberries in the Moscow region

Mulberry plantings in the Moscow region are becoming more and more commonplace. The climate of this region has changed a lot in recent years, and the thermometer in winter rarely drops even to -20 °C. Despite this, measures to protect the mulberry tree in the winter must be carried out. Mulberry in the Moscow region is most often grown in a low bush. Young shoots for the winter are bent to the ground and covered. The trunk circle must be mulched, and with the onset of winter, covered with a thick layer of snow.

Planting and caring for mulberries in the Urals

Planting mulberry in the Urals does not differ from other regions, but it is grown in this area in a bushy form. Without shelter for the winter, even on a short trunk, mulberry branches are prone to freezing. The slate method allows you to bend all the branches to the ground for the winter and cover them with covering material. Its layer should be thick enough. Remove it only after the complete end of frost, in May.

Growing and caring for mulberries in Siberia

Thanks to the development of new frost-resistant varieties, mulberry cultivation is also possible in the southern regions of Siberia. It is very important when planting mulberries in this region to choose a good place. It should be as sunny as possible and protected from the north wind. The tree is formed by a bush or mulberry is grown on a low trunk. In winter, the ends of the shoots, as a rule, freeze slightly, which leads to increased lateral branching. Therefore, in Siberia, mulberry must be cut regularly to prevent thickening of the crown.

Why the mulberry does not bear fruit

Mulberries may not bear fruit for several reasons. The most common of them is that only one sex grows on the site. You can correct the situation by planting trees of different sexes or grafting. The harvest may also be absent due to an unsuccessful choice of location, as well as due to spring freezing.

Mulberry varieties for the middle lane

For planting and growing in the middle lane, it is necessary to choose frost-resistant types of mulberry tree. The mulberry varieties recommended for cultivation in central Our Country include the following:

1. White Staromoskovskaya.
2. The dark woman.
3. Admiralskaya.
4. Royal.
5. White honey.
6. Ukrainian-6.
7. Black Baroness.

Reviews about growing and caring for mulberries in the Moscow region

More and more gardeners of the Moscow region are sharing their experience in growing mulberries. Here are some of them regarding the experience of working with mulberry trees:

Conclusion

Photos of berries and a mulberry tree evoke nostalgia for the south, the sea and vacation for many. However, the situation is gradually changing, and more and more of these seemingly purely southern trees begin to appear on the sites of amateur gardeners in the Moscow region and other central regions. And this is evidence that global warming has not only a negative effect.