How to Grow Mulberry (Shahtoot) at Home From Winter Cuttings (Video)

Transcript

Ever wonder why some mulberries never fruit?

Ever wonder why some mulberries never fruit?

Mulberry from Cuttings

I'll walk you through turning a simple winter cutting into a thriving mulberry tree at home, and at the end I'll share the one trick that guarantees you'll get fruit, so you can enjoy fresh berries in your backyard.

Pick the right mulberry

First, decide which mulberry you want. White mulberry, or Morus alba, grows fast and gives sweet white or purple berries, great for quick harvest. Black mulberry, Morus nigra, is slower but the fruit is intensely flavored, often taking eight years to bear. And avoid paper mulberry entirely; it’s a pollen nightmare and won’t fruit.

Root six cuttings

Now comes the practical part, rooting. Take six healthy hardwood cuttings about the thickness of a pencil, plant them together in a wide pot at least 50 centimeters across, and keep the pot in light shade through the first summer. In July, pick the two strongest shoots, separate them, and give them more space.

Black mulberry fruit time

If you’re aiming for the classic, intensely flavored Shahtoot, remember that black mulberry trees often need around eight years before they start producing fruit. That’s why many gardeners prefer the faster white variety, but patience can pay off with those deep, dark berries.

Pot size & mix

A mulberry loves space, so give it a pot at least 50 centimeters wide and deep, roughly 60 to 100 litres of volume. Mix two parts garden soil, one part compost, and one part sand for good drainage. Keep the soil slightly acidic to neutral; salty patches will hurt the roots.

Seasonal watering

Watering changes with the seasons. From February to April, when the tree flowers and sets fruit, keep the pot evenly moist, dry spells can drop young berries. May and June, especially in 45-degree heat, need daily watering in pots and every few days in the ground, plus a thick mulch layer. During the monsoon, only water when the soil feels dry, and in winter, water sparingly as the tree rests.

Feed & prune

Feeding is simple: scratch in some compost in February and again after harvest, then give a liquid organic feed every two weeks throughout the growing season, plain compost tea works fine. Prune only while the tree is leafless, between leaf fall and mid-winter, to avoid a torrent of sap. In a pot, trim long shoots back to a few buds each winter to keep the tree compact and productive.

The one trick for fruit

The one trick that makes the difference is to start with a cutting taken from a known fruiting mulberry, not a male or a paper variety. Look for a tree that already bears sweet berries, and cut a pencil-thick hardwood branch in winter. That simple choice dramatically raises the odds of getting fruit within a few years.

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Read the full guide

Read the complete guide on thecareonline.com. This is general information, not medical advice.