# Mulberry



## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

I was talking with my dad about elderberries and my mom was thinking mulberries ... 

So now I have two mulberry starts on the way and have no clue. lol

Well ... I know ... Here we go around the mulberry bush.  

Tips ... pros ... cons ... 

Help ... :flower:


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

Personally I don't think they have much flavor. Kinda like wild strawberries. I've eaten them but they're not on my list of top hundred foods to cultivate. YMMV.


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## SlobberToofTigger (Dec 27, 2011)

I love mulberries. Good ones are sweet goodness that melt in your mouth. If you pick them too soon or have a sorry variety they can be pretty blah. Do not plant them anywhere near things you do not want covered with purple bird poo. Other than that you plant and forget. They do the rest.


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## bacpacker (Jul 15, 2011)

I planted a tree last year. This year Ihave a few berries on it. Plant isnt 4' high yet. Cant wait till harvest.


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## SlobberToofTigger (Dec 27, 2011)

Put a bird net over it or they will eat them.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

We have a giant mulberry tree next to the chicken pens,well actaully we put the pensx there because of all the shade that tree provides.

But we also have a slew of squirrels and birds here who eat the berries,and many are on top of the tree which is several stories high. So we don't bother with the tree much.

I hear the jelly is very good.


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## 101airborne (Jan 29, 2010)

SlobberToofTigger said:


> I love mulberries. Good ones are sweet goodness that melt in your mouth. If you pick them too soon or have a sorry variety they can be pretty blah. Do not plant them anywhere near things you do not want covered with purple bird poo. Other than that you plant and forget. They do the rest.


I agree we have two trees that are well over 30' tall along with a couple about half that size. Ours produce decent size berries and are very sweet and juicy berries. A friend usually comes and gets 10-12 gallons of berries ever season ( still leaving us 3-4 gallons to freeze) and makes jelly,syrup, and a decent juice that she splits 50/50 with us.


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## rawhide2971 (Apr 19, 2013)

Down here they use to grow wild and were plentiful and as of right now I only know where there are only a couple, I thought about buying and planting a couple but I ran out of room in my new place and they can be quite messy and attract birds that will drop the fruit all over the place and after eating the fruit the poop is pretty aweful. I personally love the things, both red and black ones.


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## SlobberToofTigger (Dec 27, 2011)

rawhide2971 said:


> and attract birds that will drop the fruit all over the place and after eating the fruit the poop is pretty aweful.


The poop is one of the great advantages. Free fertilizer if you do not mind purple poop... Grin.


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## Onebigelf (Sep 17, 2011)

I just planted two. Love'em. If I have to fight the squirrels for them.... I love squirrel, too.

John


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

SlobberToofTigger said:


> The poop is one of the great advantages. Free fertilizer if you do not mind purple poop... Grin.


Thanks for the smile! :teehee:

And Thanks one and all for the info!


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

I've always liked them. sweet and free. I dug four 2' trees and planted them in our orchard 5 years ago. They are about 5' tall now.
A wild one came up next to where I park my boom truck 4 years ago and it is about 15' tall. I must have done something wrong when I dug them and transplanted.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Onebigelf said:


> I just planted two. Love'em. If I have to fight the squirrels for them.... I love squirrel, too.
> 
> John


You sound like my hubbys family,I was always suspect of their dishes.They ate squirrel perlow.

Our tree gets plenty of fertilizer since it shades the chicken pens and yard they free range in.This mulberry tree is huge,we planted it when it was just a small tree.Our donkey kept topping it for us,she'd top it then run from me screaming at her.I miss her she was lots of fun.


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## Onebigelf (Sep 17, 2011)

I'm not afraid of no squirrel... I know the secret!

John


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## dirtgrrl (Jun 5, 2011)

The mulberries I am familiar with come in male and female, so hopefully you'll get one of each? Or if you have males in the neighborhood, two females!


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## SlobberToofTigger (Dec 27, 2011)

dirtgrrl said:


> The mulberries I am familiar with come in male and female,


I believe that in general you are right. Or at least most of the things I have read say that "most" of the time you get flowers on one tree (female) and catkins (male) on another. But it also sounds like some trees within a species can be both male and female.

I am suspicious trees like this breed of black mulberries are both male and female.
http://willisorchards.com/product/Black+Beauty+Mulberry+Tree?category=250


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## rwrice (Dec 29, 2012)

My two mulberry trees are about 5years old and really producing berries in abundance now. Last year the black birds got them before we could get any fruit. This year we have harvested over 30 pints and I have now found my new favorite jam. When you shake the tree after covering the base with a tarp the harvesting is very quick and easy. Most recipes call for lots of sugar and pectin but I don't add anything to them and think they are sweeter than you would believe, just that the jam is a little thin but will still stick to a butter knife and spread super easy.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

I cut ours down to about 5 feet high, every two years or so. Keeps it manageable. Good berries for making wine.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Just discovered we have a mulberry tree, and thought about this thread! 

Actually, the tree is on the neighbor's property (the evil people - everyone else on our road is fantastic). But there is a large branch that hangs over our property, and I was considering trimming it when I noticed the berries. Had no idea - I don't remember seeing any berries last year. Upon further examination there appears to be the same species of tree on our side of the property line, but it has no fruit. A male? If we own the male of the species, I think we should be able to have half of the fruit.


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## Boomy (Mar 17, 2012)

I have one and it bears fruit every year.
Never seen another one around this area?


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## SlobberToofTigger (Dec 27, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> Just discovered we have a mulberry tree, and thought about this thread!
> 
> Actually, the tree is on the neighbor's property (the evil people - everyone else on our road is fantastic). But there is a large branch that hangs over our property, and I was considering trimming it when I noticed the berries. Had no idea - I don't remember seeing any berries last year. Upon further examination there appears to be the same species of tree on our side of the property line, but it has no fruit. A male? If we own the male of the species, I think we should be able to have half of the fruit.


If you can find a really good one graft it to the ones you have on your side of the fence. They do not breed true to the parent so to grantee regular tasty berries you need to graft the exact type you desire. Or you could buy a known good one from Stark or Willis and then get to grafting from that one...


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