Dwarf mulberry

Dwarf mulberry - candy from the branch

For many years now I have been growing a wonderful tree - mulberry, the royal berry, as it is called in the East. First, from resentment: why in Ukraine it grows like a waste, not cultivated by anyone, a tree found in every square, but here, very close, they never heard of it ?!

Planted. I heard ridicule, even of this kind: “What is this? Mulberry?"- "How delicious!"- "Well, it won't grow with us!"

And in one case it does not grow- if you don't plant it. I recently read a note of one northern "producer" of mulberry seedlings and felt a shame for the tree. Firstly, the price: 700 and even 1000 rubles for such an easily propagated plant is at least immoral and absolutely nothing, except for its greed, is not justified. He also has the color of berries: red, white, black- all on the same tree and they differ not in the color of the berries, but in the color of the bark of the tree itself. And it grows up to 30 m- these are the main absurdities of the article.

I would like to make it clear: it may grow up to 30 m, but it happens in the south, in the subtropics, and moving northward, the mulberry paid for it with its size: already in Ukraine- it is 6-7 meters tall, spreading tree. In Central Russia, you will not find more than 5 m, but you can grow a dwarf one. Here's how we did it: we rooted cuttings of a 5-meter- the plant grew only 2.5-3 m. They began to root, they are 8 years old, they are the size of a short person (1.50-1.60 m), and they begin to bear fruit literally in the second year.

And the color of the berries: they really first appear on one tree of all colors, but this is only a gradation of their ripening and only on a tree with black berries at the end. Reds do not reach the black stage- turn into juicy reds, almost burgundy, and whites increase in size and at the end turn into yellow, the sweetest- real sweets from a low branch!

I stretch one berry to my neighbor's granddaughter through the net - she cautiously takes it (nevertheless, it looks very much like a fat caterpillar), puts it in her mouth with no less caution, and then only because, probably, she sees how I eat them,- and immediately stretches out boldly handles: “Sweet! Come on, Aunt Nina, more! "

The plant is unpretentious, almost weedy (it is not for nothing that in the south snow-protection strips, parks and squares are formed from it) and extremely frost-resistant- under laboratory conditions, the mulberry branch remained alive even after minus 60 degrees. And she also has one plus sign- it is the ability to withstand changes in winter temperatures from plus to deeply minus. In 2006, for example, we had a temperature of minus 43 degrees for a month. And there were winters, but even this one, when honeysuckle bloomed in January, and then frost again. So, of all horticultural crops, one mulberry has neither frostbites, nor attacks, even flower buds have not suffered. In a word, she is the only crop that bears fruit in the garden annually and abundantly.

Especially white. Come in the morning- there is nowhere to step, everything is white under the tree, and in the hollows there are 2-3 layers of berries- whole drifts swept over the night!

For 12 years now I have been growing and sending this wonderful plant across Russia, as well as to Siberia and the Urals, and even to Yakutia, and not a single gardener has ever written to me that it has not taken root or is frozen out. This means that it lives there and bears fruit!

Many people ask about agricultural cultivation techniques. So, I believe that you do not need any! What kind of agricultural technology, say, has an oak tree in the forest ?! Any fertilizers only weaken the natural vitality, pamper- give it the opportunity to grow and develop as nature intended; no need to artificially spur and stimulate rapid growth, fruiting. He dug a hole, spread the roots, planted and watered. And watered it again until it takes root, and then you can forget it until it blooms.

What vitality can a pampered, greenhouse tree give a person? Indeed, in nature it grows on rocky talus, poor soil without artificial stimulants, and from this land it draws vital and healing power, which it extends to us.- use, they say, people, be treated with my fruits!

Nina Aleksandrovna Vyazemskaya , Lipetsk region

(Gardens of Siberia, No. 7, 2014)

In the south, black mulberry has long been grown in gardens for the sake of a bountiful harvest of sweet berries, which are especially popular with children. Gardeners appreciate this culture for its unpretentiousness to the soil and high drought resistance. V recent decades mulberries are increasingly beginning to grow not only in the south, but also in central Russia.

Which mulberry has black berries

Many gardeners mistakenly call black mulberry absolutely any mulberry that produces dark-colored fruits. In reality, at least half of the black-fruited varieties (including the well-known Smuglyanka, Black Baroness, and Black Prince varieties) belong to a completely different botanical species - white mulberry, which has fruits of very different colors, from pure white to black-violet.

Mulberry is divided into black and white depending on the color of the bark, and not on the shade of the berries.

Table: comparative characteristics of black and white mulberry

Sign	Black mulberry
Fruit color	Violet black.	White, lilac-pink, purple-black.
Tree bark coloring	Dark brownish brown.	Light brownish gray.
Leaf shape and size	Broad-hearted, very large.	Medium in size, ovate-pointed or dissected-lobed, often different shapes on the same tree.
Winter hardiness	Low (up to -15 ... -20 ° С).	Relatively high (up to -30 ° C).
Origin	Iran	China

Real black mulberry has large broad-heart-shaped leaves

Mulberry is one of the oldest cultivated plants, originally domesticated for feeding silkworm caterpillars, from the cocoons of which natural silk is obtained. In the regions of industrial sericulture, mulberry trees of fodder varieties prevail, rather than fruit trees. They are more hardy, so they are often used in forest shelter belts and urban landscaping.

Mulberry leaves - food for silkworm caterpillars

Mulberry blooms in the south in April-May, in the middle lane - in May-June. Pollinated by wind and insects. In nature, mulberry - dioecious plant, in which male and female flowers are located on different trees... Among cultivated fruit varieties, monoecious ones prevail, having both types of inflorescences on the same tree. When the seeds are sown, the traits are split, and there are many male plants among the seedlings. Therefore, valuable fruit varieties of mulberries are propagated only vegetatively.

Blooming mulberry is pollinated by wind and insects

Mulberries ripen in the south in May-July, in the middle lane - in July-August. The fruiting period is very extended. Ripe fruits easily fall to the ground. Under normal pollination, mulberry trees bear fruit annually and very abundantly. If the flowering was good, during this period there were no frosts (which can damage not only the flowers, but also the leaves), and there are no berries or very few berries - this means that the problem is the lack of pollination. It is necessary to plant a different type of tree nearby or to inoculate suitable cuttings in the crown.

Sweet mulberries do not ripen at the same time

Dark-colored mulberries stain hands and clothes badly, stains are difficult to wash off.

Ripe berries become soft, juicy, sweet, they wrinkle easily and do not tolerate storage and transportation at all. Therefore, the harvest is processed on the day of harvest. Mulberries can be eaten fresh, dried, boiled jam, made wine.

In good conditions the mulberry bears fruit annually and is very abundant.

In the south, the mulberry grows up to 15 m in height, and in favorable conditions lives for a couple of hundred years, and sometimes longer. In the north, the young growth freezes almost every year, and the plant often takes on a bushy form. Mulberry tolerates urban conditions well and is not afraid of automobile exhaust gases.

Large mulberry trees are rarely found in Moscow, and in the form of a bush it is grown up to the Leningrad region.

Large mulberry trees are rarely found even in Moscow.

Mulberry varieties with black fruits

The word "black" in the name of the variety means only the color of the berries, but not the botanical species of mulberry.

Of the black-fruited varieties, the most frost-resistant are those that belong to the botanical type of white mulberry. This is the Black Baroness, the Dark Lady, the Black Prince. They can withstand frosts down to -30 ° C. Large-fruited varieties of mulberry Black Pearl and Istanbul Black Pearl found in private nurseries in Ukraine and southern Russia have low winter hardiness and can grow only in southern regions with warm winters.

Admiral's

This is the only botanical variety of black mulberry that is currently officially included in the State Register of Breeding Achievements approved for use on the territory of the Russian Federation. The variety was bred at the Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K.A. Timiryazev. The tree is large, tall, with a wide spreading crown. Fruits are sweet, weighing 1.5–1.7 g, ripen late. The variety is winter-hardy, drought-resistant and heat-resistant.

Dark girl

Black mulberry variety, bred in the Belgorod region. Medium-sized tree with a pyramidal crown. Berries up to 3.5 cm long, early term ripening, sweet with slightly noticeable sourness. The variety is monoecious, productive and unpretentious. Winter hardiness - up to -30 ° С.

Black Baroness

Black mulberry variety, bred in the Belgorod region. The crown is spherical, of moderate density. Fruits 3.5-4 cm long, very sweet. Ripening period - from medium to medium late. Monoecious, unpretentious variety with high productivity. Winter hardiness - up to -30 ° С.

Black Prince

Another black mulberry variety. The berries are very large, up to 4–5 cm long, and sweet. Ripening period is average. Winter hardiness - up to -30 ° С, high drought resistance.

Black Pearl

Large-fruited medium early variety for the southern regions. The tree is medium-sized. Fruiting lasts up to 2 months. Fruits are large, up to 4 cm long, weighing up to 6-9 g. Average winter hardiness.

Istanbul black

The fruits are very large, up to 5 cm long, ripen late. The tree is tall, with a spherical crown. A very productive variety for the southern regions. Average winter hardiness.

Photo gallery: mulberry varieties with black fruits

The best mulberry seedlings are obtained from rooted cuttings.

In the south, mulberries are planted in spring or autumn, in the middle lane and to the north - only in spring. For large trees in the south, the planting distance is 7–8 m, for bush formation in more northern regions, it is enough to leave 3 m between plants.

There are two opposite points of view regarding the preparation of planting holes:

• dig a hole up to 1 m deep and wide, fertilize abundantly with humus at the rate of 2-3 buckets for each plant in order to provide the seedling with food for the next couple of years. This is how rapid and rapid growth of the aboveground part of the seedling is achieved in the first years after planting;
• dig a small hole so that the roots fit in a straightened form. Do not put fertilizers at all. This method provokes a more active and deeper growth of the root system. At the same time, the aboveground part grows very slowly, but the plant turns out to be stronger and more resilient, thanks to its deep powerful roots, it withstands frost and drought better.

Planting mulberries in poor soil encourages deeper root development

Mature mulberry trees are very resistant to dry air and soil. Young trees need watering 1–2 years after planting, and only in the absence of rain. Dampness in late summer and autumn interferes with the ripening of the shoots and worsens the wintering of plants.

Pruning and wintering

Mulberry tolerates pruning well. In the south, it is usually grown in the form of a tree, and all pruning comes down to removing excess thickening branches and limiting the height. The first years after planting, the plant can not be cut off at all.

In regions with frosty winters, a multi-barreled bush-like formation is advisable:

1. In a young seedling, immediately after planting, the top is cut off in order to cause abundant branching in the lower part of the trunk.
2. In the first years of a tree's life, it makes sense to pinch the tops of actively growing shoots in mid-August for their better ripening.
3. In the future, a multi-stem bush is formed with branches of different ages extending almost from the soil level. The places of origin of the main skeletal branches should be under snow in winter so that they do not freeze out in severe frosts.
4. Every spring, all frozen tops of the branches are cut out, cutting them to a healthy part. Large sections are covered with garden pitch.

With a bush-like formation, all the main forks hibernate under the snow and are less damaged by frost

In spring, especially in the middle lane and to the north, mulberries awaken much later than most other trees. Therefore, it is necessary to wait until June to determine the winter damage. Frozen specimens recover well in most cases.

Very young trees 1–2 years after planting can be wrapped in agrofibre for the winter, and the soil under them can be insulated with spruce branches. Wrapping mature mulberry trees does not make sense.

Mulberries are usually not affected by diseases and pests. The berry harvest can be significantly damaged by birds (starlings, blackbirds, sparrows), for protection from which trees with ripening fruits can be covered with a protective net.

Video: growing mulberry

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Mulberry (mulberry tree) - evergreen, tall plant growing in regions with a warm climate. The leaves of this tree serve as food for silkworms that produce natural silk threads. The fruits are famous for their valuable medicinal properties... In the East, the mulberry tree is called the king-tree, and the old people are fed mulberry trees in order to prolong their life.

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As for the classification, it is very confusing.

The Mulberry family includes 200 species of trees, and only a little more than 15 of them are generally recognized.

There are 2 main forms of mulberry - black and white, which are divided into varieties. Let's get acquainted with the most remarkable representatives of a large family.

White honey

One of the most famous varieties obtained by domestic breeders. Bred by crossing several types of white mulberry. The tree is short. The crown of the pyramidal shape is rather thick. Fruits are elongated white drupes up to 3 cm long. They attract with an extraordinary taste - sweet, with a honey flavor. Berries are soft and require extra care during transportation. The variety has a consistently good yield and withstands low temperatures.

Smolensk pink

A great option for beginner gardeners.

The variety is easily adaptable to the environment and easy to care for. Differs in good frost resistance. Begins to bear fruit in the first year after planting.

Fruits are medium in size, pink or red in color. Fragrant and sweet. The beautiful shape of the leaves allows trees to be used as a spectacular decoration of the land.

Fruit-1

An early ripe variety that gives large and juicy fruits. Harvesting can begin in June. The main advantages are long-term fruiting and bright taste. The berries are sweet with a pleasant sourness. The mulberry tree is of a dense consistency; it does not wrinkle during transportation. A distinctive feature is that white seedlings turn pink in rainy weather. Do not be afraid - this is normal.

Merezhevo

If, when choosing a suitable variety for growing, your goal is taste, then pay attention to Merezhevo. The hybrid obtained as a result of grafting white mulberry has many undeniable advantages. Fruiting lasts 1 month. Fruits are large, attractive pinkish-cream color. The taste is sugary sweet. However, there were some drawbacks. The berries crumble quickly, do not tolerate transportation well and are stored for a short time.

Fruit-4

Good productivity is hidden behind the short growth and compact size of the tree. The fruiting period is long, the yield is good. Fruits are large (4 cm), color is black. The taste is sweet, with light refreshing notes. The variety is resistant to low temperatures and is great for commercial purposes. The mulberry tree does not lose its original characteristics during transportation.

Mulberry Black Baroness

The variety fully lives up to its original name. Obtained as a result of experiments of domestic breeders. Fruits are large (4 cm), deep black. Fragrant and very sweet. Ripen in July. Stored - 12 hours. Yield indicators are also at the "height" - one tree gives up to 100 kg. The Black Baroness easily tolerates temperatures as low as -30 degrees. Adapts to any environment if necessary.

Shelley

A variety familiar to many gardeners. It is characterized by high decorative effect. Produces large fruits (5.5 cm). Begins to bear fruit at the end of June. The berries are long, dark, with a characteristic shine. The taste is dessert.

The dense consistency makes it possible to transport large quantities without loss.

Those who want to grow mulberry trees for resale should choose this particular variety.

Black Prince

Another priceless piece. It seems to be comprised of only merits. Easy to care for, resistant to drought, frost and disease. It is appreciated for the beauty of large and glossy berries, reaching a length of 5 cm. Color - black. The taste is unusual, honey. It is noteworthy that the mulberry tree is juicy, but at the same time it does not wrinkle during transportation and is stored for a long time.

Hartut

Fans of mulberry wine should plant this variety in their country house. Begins to bear fruit in the 3rd year of life. Yields are high and stable. The berries are large (5.5 cm), black. The thick juice obtained from them tastes like Cahors. The variety is actively used in winemaking and cooking. Easy to grow and disease resistant.

Ukrainian-6

It is appreciated for its high decorativeness and excellent taste. Fruiting begins in June. Fruits are elongated, large (4 cm). Color - matte black. The taste is sweet. The tree tolerates frosts down to -30 degrees without consequences. During transportation, the berries do not lose their original appearance. Stored - more than 2 weeks.

Above are the varieties intended for human consumption. However, there are many decorative varieties designed to embellish the environment. These include weeping mulberry, golden, pyramidal, Tatar, spherical. There are varieties that can be grown in small containers or pots. That is, the choice of a variety will directly depend on what goals you are pursuing.

The mulberry tree, or as it is also called, the mulberry tree, was known even during the reign of Tsar Ivan 4. Then, for the first time in Russia, the tsarist manufactory began to cultivate beautiful natural silk for the royal court. Mulberry leaves were food for the silkworm, from the cocoons of which silk was obtained. Mulberry was also very fond of Peter I, by a special decree he forbade the felling of mulberry trees. In many countries, to this day, mulberry trees are used to make real silk, but in Russia such production is not developed.

Mulberry belongs to the mulberry family, which is represented by a genus of tall trees and shrubs. Its berries are actually not berries, but the fruit of mini-nuts with accrete pericarp. White and black mulberries have gained their fame in our country, but fodder mulberries also grow in the wild, they are also satin, and in America there is an inedible red mulberry with valuable wood.

White mulberry- the same one that silkworm caterpillars ate in China. Her leaves are delicate, the silk is of the highest quality. The fruits are usually white, yellowish or pinkish, juicy, sugary-sweet, however (!) There are also dark ones. White mulberry is quite hardy, widespread everywhere. The tree has a thick gray bark.

Breeders have bred about 400 varieties of mulberry trees. Oddly enough, the photo below is also one of the varieties of white mulberry.

Black mulberry that came to us from the South, from Iran, is not suitable for capricious silkworms for food - its leaves are too coarse. But for people, its purple-black fruits are of undoubted gastronomic interest. Sweet, with sourness, outwardly resemble blackberries with an oblong berry shape. Flavoring nuances are richer than that of white mulberry. The tree is thermophilic, although frost-resistant varieties appear. The bark of black mulberry is reddish-brown.

Mulberry cultivation

A mulberry tree can reach 35 m in height, but in a garden it is necessary to form the crown so that the tree is no higher than 2-3 m. The mulberry lives for an extremely long time, 200-300 years. For 5 years after planting, you can wait for the harvest, and even earlier from grafted trees. A 10-year-old tree gives up to 100 kg of fruits,

Mulberry plants can be either self-pollinating (monoecious - there are male and female flowers in one inflorescence on the same tree) or have a female and a male plant (dioecious), depending on this, one tree is planted or a pair is obligatory (male and female).

Mulberry is often used in landscape design due to its excellent fruiting and good vitality within the city. It looks great in group plantings and in the form of hedges. Now they choose more decorative forms of mulberry, for example, weeping, whose branches gently slope towards the ground itself. Low mulberry trees with a spherical crown have also gained popularity. In group plantings, a pyramidal or narrow-pyramidal crown is most often used. The height of such trees can reach 6 m.

Mulberry propagation

Seeds

The seed method is used by breeders to adapt mulberries to the harsh northern regions or to grow rootstock for grafting. To do this, take seeds and stratify them within 2 months. If sown without stratification, then soak them before planting for 3 days. Sowing is done in early spring.

2. Vegetatively

Mulberries can be propagated undergrowth, layering(for weeping form), green cuttings, vaccination.
Cultivars are usually propagated by grafting using budding. White mulberry is taken as a stock. The bark of the rootstock should separate well, and the buds of the scion should ripen well - this means they are ready for inoculation!

Mulberry planting

It is preferable to plant mulberries on sandy loam and loose loamy soils. If you plant a mulberry on sandy soil, then it will begin to form additional roots (adventitious) in order to fix the sand in this way. It can also grow on saline soils.

Decide in advance whether you will form trees with a trunk or use a bush form, which is very convenient in the garden. With a bush form, the distance between plants in a row should be about 0.5 m, and about 3 m is left between rows. The distance between mulberry trees is about 5 m, and about 4 m is left between rows.

The rest of the planting process follows the general guidelines for planting trees and shrubs. Please note only that the roots of the mulberry are very fragile, you need to handle them carefully.

Mulberry care

Watering

In order for the tree to withstand frosts well, in the first half of summer until July, the mulberry must be watered and nourished with mineral and organic fertilizers, and starting in July, it is necessary to stop fertilizing and watering the plant. This will help the mulberry, being in a dormant period, tolerate temperature drops and frost well.

Pruning

The tree is formed with a stem of 0.5-1.5 m, the crown height will be 2-4 m, and its shape is broom-shaped or spherical.

Young growths of the last year often freeze over, because they still have a weak bark and it loses moisture very quickly, in contrast to old shoots covered with cork bark. In this case, they need to be cut, this operation will not affect the harvest.

Harvesting and using mulberries

Mulberries, depending on the climate and variety, ripen from late May to August. Ripening is very uneven, on one branch there may be already fully ripe berries that are just starting to grow. Ripe berries crumble quite easily, so at the beginning of ripening, spread a cloth or film under your mulberry in advance to make it easier to harvest.

Traditional medicine of many Asian countries has been using mulberry for a long time as a cure for many diseases.
When brewed, the bark of a mulberry tree is a powerful anthelmintic, the infusion of berries helps with coughing. Berry juice helps to cope with stomatitis, sore throats and many mucosal inflammations. Infusion of leaves is a godsend for hypertensive patients.
But even the use of berries in food raw or in cooking does not diminish the merits of this wonderful delicacy.

Mulberry varieties

White mulberry "Black Baroness"

Here is such a paradox: although it is white, it is still black. The variety was bred in the gardening "Rostock", the berries are large, up to 3.5 cm long and up to 1.5 cm in diameter, sweet with a weak aroma. Productivity is high, harvested in June-July. The tree can withstand frosts down to -30 ° C, and if it does freeze, it quickly restores shoots and the yield practically does not fall.

Black mulberry "Shelley No. 150"

This variety and two more below belong to Leonid Ilyich Prokazin from the Poltava region. Shelley berries are very large, up to 5.5 cm, with high taste, a very high-yielding variety. It is considered one of the best and most famous mulberry varieties.

One leaf of Shelley mulberry 150 reaches a length of half a meter with a petiole!

White mulberry "White tenderness"

Very delicate and large watery white fruits up to 5 cm long. Not transportable. The yield is very high, the fruiting is extended.

White mulberry "Luganochka"

Fruits are creamy pink, sweet, up to 5.5 cm long, the yield is very high.