Norms

Canadian mulberry. Mulberry or mulberry tree: cultivation and main types

If you look at this tree from afar, in the same perspective as in the photograph above, then you can hardly say that it is fruit-bearing, much less berry-bearing. The photograph shows a black tree - a fruit tree from the mulberry family.

This type of mulberry is the closest relative of the famous “silk tree” white mulberry. Differences between species in the taste of berries and leaves. The berries are tastier and more aromatic, which is very pleasant for people, and the leaves are more tender and softer in white mulberry varieties, which is more to the liking of the silkworm.

Biological characteristics of the plant

Black mulberry is a tall deciduous tree. In the warm conditions of the Russian South, it can grow to a height of over 30 meters, so in cultivation its growth must be regulated by timely shortening pruning.

The leaves of black mulberry are very large, up to twenty-five centimeters in length and fifteen in diameter.

The fruit of the mulberry is a multi-drupe berry, reaching a length of three, and in some varieties, more than four centimeters. In the next photo, black mulberry berries are shown against a centimeter ruler in the background, so you can really estimate their size. The berries ripen unevenly depending on the amount of sunlight they receive from June to August. By planting mulberry plants in different parts of the garden, you can subsequently enjoy the taste of the berries almost all summer long.

The berries are eaten fresh, dried, and prepared into compotes, jams, jelly and other homemade sweet preparations. Mulberry fruits are also used as food coloring. It must be said that the calorie content of black mulberry is low, only 43 kilocalories per hundred grams of berries.

An interesting feature of the plants is the presence of three types of flowers. On one tree there are both separate male and female, and bisexual flowers.

Health tree

Let's move on to the story about the benefits of black mulberry. It turns out that all parts of the plant are used for medicinal purposes.

Berries

The medicinal properties of black mulberry berries differ depending on their degree of ripeness. In their unripe form, mulberries are an excellent astringent, which allows them to be used for diarrhea, and when overripe, they are already used for constipation. Ripe fruits are a diuretic used for renal edema. Mulberry berries also help with some diseases of the genital area in both men and women.

Leaves

Decoctions of fresh leaves are used as an antipyretic and analgesic. In addition, fresh juice of the leaves perfectly relieves toothache. The beneficial properties of black mulberry leaves are also recognized by official medicine; preparations made from them are prescribed for diabetes mellitus in its initial stage.

If you want to have soft and silky hair, then a decoction of mulberry leaves will help you with this.

Roots

A decoction of mulberry roots is used for bronchial asthma and cold coughs; it is useful for hypertension and other diseases of the heart muscle. Fresh mulberry root juice is used to treat worms.

Bark

The bark of small twigs is used for kidney diseases. Mulberry bark powder is used to treat wounds and burns.

Mulberry varieties

When talking about varieties of black or white mulberries, you need to remember that the differences between the species lie not in the color of the berries, but in the color of the bark of mature trees; in the black variety it is darker. Meanwhile, it may have black berries, but varieties of black mulberry that would bear light fruits have not yet been developed.

Black Prince

A variety with pronounced large shiny black berries that reach a size of five (!) centimeters. Mulberry variety “Black Prince” is undemanding to growing conditions; it tolerates both summer heat and winter cold equally well. This mulberry variety is recommended for cultivation in risky farming areas, including Siberia and the Moscow region.

Hope

A very productive variety with large purple-black tasty sweet and sour berries, up to five centimeters in size. The tree of the “Nadezhda” variety blooms in May, and fruiting begins in July. The variety is winter-hardy and drought-resistant. The first fruiting of self-fertile black mulberry occurs already in the second year of cultivation. “Nadezhda” grows up to ten meters in height.

Shelley #150

The variety is distinguished by the size of not only its berries, which reach five and a half centimeters, but also its leaves. The sheet "Shelley No. 150" reaches half a meter in length. Interestingly, the variety was bred from a random seedling by breeder Prokazin. In terms of large-fruitedness, it surpasses all varieties cultivated in the post-Soviet space.

Black mulberry propagation

It is carried out by seeds, layering, root shoots or cuttings. Moreover, the popularity of the methods is exactly the same as in our listing.

Seed method

In order for mulberry seeds to germinate better, the stratification method is used. To do this, seed material is sown in the soil of a seedling bed for the winter. When sowing in spring, they are kept in the refrigerator for a couple of months, placing the container once a week for several hours in a warm room.

The seeds are planted shallowly, and the soil is mulched with compost or humus. In the future, the seedlings are cared for in the usual way, and by autumn they receive seedlings ready for grafting.

Root growth

When using root shoots as a seedling, it is simply separated from the mother bush, being careful not to damage the roots.

It should be noted that there is no guarantee of varietal characteristics for either seedlings obtained from seeds or root shoots, which is due to the mentioned presence of three types of flowers on an adult tree. In order not to get a plant with purely male flowers, and such specimens in the south are called “shovkunami”, seedlings are grafted.

Vaccinations

To obtain varietal seedlings, the methods of budding and grafting with cuttings under the bark are used. In the summer, budding is carried out with a dormant bud, and in the spring a germinating one is used.

In the spring, grafting is carried out directly in the field, on a growing seedling, with two-bud cuttings under the bark. The rootstock is cut at an angle of 35 degrees. On the cutting, the upper cut above the bud is almost flat, the lower one is oblique.

Attention! The grafted cuttings on mulberry, unlike other plants, are inserted with a cut to the bark, and not to the wood!

Otherwise, grafting with cuttings is carried out in the usual way: the cutting is stripped down to the splint layer and inserted behind the carefully removed bark of the rootstock.

Layerings

It is very difficult to get layering from a tree by bending it to the ground, unlike shrubs that have long flexible branches. Therefore, to simplify this process, you can use two ways.

You can make air layering directly on the tree. The sequence of actions is as follows:

In the spring, we remove the bark in a ring shape from a branch of an adult tree.
We put a plastic bag without a bottom on the branch - a sleeve - and tie its lower part ten centimeters below the bare spot.
We pour loose, moistened soil into the sleeve and tie it above the place where the bark was removed.
Shade the sleeve from the sun.
By autumn, roots should grow in the bare place, after which we separate the seedling from the tree and replant it in the ground.

The second method is simpler, but requires more time.

In the first year, we cut off a powerful branch into a stump.
Over the course of the season, long flexible shoots will appear in this place.
In the spring of the second year, we bend these shoots to the ground, peel off the bark in a ring shape, pin them down and cover them with soil. High hilling of shoots is also carried out if a branch located close to the soil is cut off.
In the fall we get ready-made layering.

Cuttings

Oddly enough, black mulberry cuttings take root very poorly. To root them, artificial fog installations are used, which is very difficult to create at home.

Landing

When choosing a place to plant black mulberry, you need to take into account that the flowering and ripening of berries very much depends on the amount of solar energy. The more light the planting site receives, the earlier the tree will bear fruit. There is no need to place the tree in places with stagnant groundwater.

When purchasing, you need to pay attention to the color of the lignified branch in order to distinguish between black and white mulberry seedlings; the bark of the white variety will be lighter, and the darker bark of the black mulberry.

Mulberry trees should be planted at least six meters apart from each other or other large plants such as apple or pear trees. Planting is done either in the spring before the buds open, or in the fall a month before the onset of frost, so that the seedling has time to take root before winter.

Another feature of planting black mulberry is its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, including soil conditions. That is, there is no need to add nutrients specifically when planting.

Advice! If manure, compost or other additional nutrition is added to the mulberry planting hole, the tree may become fatty and poorly prepared for winter.

Growing

When growing mulberries, all the most important activities must be carried out in the first seasons after planting. At this time, watering is carried out during dry periods, and most importantly, formative pruning. The future appearance of your tree depends on it. If you do not trim the mulberry on time, it can reach the height of a three-story house, which will further lead to inconvenience in handling the tree. And in the conditions of central Russia and Siberia, this, among other things, can lead to freezing of the branches.

You should start feeding the tree only from the third year of cultivation, and then only if external manifestations of a lack of nutrients are visible. Excessive fertilization reduces fertility and frost resistance and leads to rapid vegetative growth.

Berry picking

Mulberry berries are collected by shaking, after laying some fabric or non-woven material under the tree. This process is very well demonstrated in the video presented.

Tell us about mulberries. How to care for a tree, does it need to be pruned?

Three thousand years ago, mulberry was known in China. It came to Ukraine more than five hundred years ago; it was propagated in the gardens of Kyiv monasteries. The mulberry leaf is fed by the silkworm caterpillar, which creates silk.

But here we grow it as a fruit plant. Mulberries grow in public gardens and residential areas, and children feast on their berries in the summer. They are not only tasty, but also healthy, they contain a lot of organic acids and sugar. Various types of jams and compotes are prepared from them.

There are three types of mulberries: red, white, black. The last two differ not so much in the color of the fruit as in the shade of the bark of large trees. White mulberry may have white, pink, yellow and, according to gardeners, almost black berries. In black mulberry they are distinctly black or purple-black.

At the red mulberry the fruit is purple-dark or red. It is less common than white and black. Black mulberry is usually grown for its berries; they are larger than those of its white sister, richly juicy, sweet and sour. These trees can grow up to 15 meters high, and the red variety is even larger. Already at the age of five or seven they produce their first harvest.

Mulberry grows well on chernozem soils, but in general it may not be very demanding if the proper conditions are not created. It is believed that in severe winters it can freeze slightly, but in the spring it begins to grow back. Increasing its winter hardiness, some gardeners use such agrotechnical techniques as pinching shoots and crown formation. The tree tolerates pruning painlessly. To keep the crown so thick, you can remove excess branches. Before planting a tree, you should think about the place where it will grow.

Mulberry is light-loving, and it is undesirable for it to shade other plantings. And at a height of 15 meters, it is capable of doing this. Therefore, she needs some kind of separate place, perhaps behind a fence. It should be remembered that its ripe berries fall off and can stain clothes. They also attract flies.

Mulberry propagation.

I like mulberries. I would like to start one on my site. But how does it reproduce?

The plant can be propagated by seeds. To obtain them, fresh berries are used. You just need to take into account that overripe ones in which fermentation has begun are unsuitable for this purpose.

Crushed mulberries should be passed through a metal sieve and rinsed in fresh water, then dry the seeds in the shade. It is best to sow them before winter to a depth of one or two centimeters. Before sowing, experts advise keeping them in running water for two days, and then mixing them with fine sand (1:10) and placing them indoors for four days.

Most often, seedlings do not retain their parental characteristics. This also applies to one of the best varieties of mulberry - Shaltut (royal berry). Therefore, they will have to be grafted with cuttings from high-yielding, large-fruited forms behind the bark or eye. With the second method (summer budding), the harness will need to be removed with the onset of autumn frosts. Taking this into account, it is still preferable to propagate mulberries by layering and cuttings.

Cuttings root easily if they are first kept in a heteroauxin solution, and organic matter is added to the soil and watered regularly. Mulberries come in different varieties -1 white, black, red. The plant loves the sun very much, winters well and is not afraid of drought.

Mulberry beneficial properties.

Now a few words about its use. Mulberry is used in Chinese medicine; the bark of the roots was used for hypertension, bronchitis, the bark of the branches was used as a wound-healing agent and for heart disease, and the leaves were used as an antipyretic. Modern herbalists recommend mulberry leaf infusion for vitamin deficiencies and as a means to improve health. It has been proven that preparations based on mulberry leaves have beneficial, unsurpassed properties - a sugar-lowering effect in the initial stages of diabetes.

The biochemical composition of the fruit is rich. They contain about 20% Sugars, pectin and tannins, up to 7% iron (black mulberry). Unripe fruits have astringent properties, ripe ones have diuretic properties, and overripe ones have laxative properties. Mulberry syrup is drunk for colic in the kidneys and as an expectorant.

An infusion of fruits or juice diluted with water is used to gargle. Mulberries are eaten freshly picked or dried by boiling the juice to obtain bekmes - black honey, ground dried fruits are added to flour, the dried ones replace the properties of sugar and are stored for a long time. Mulberries are useful, so it makes sense to have mulberries on your property.

Mulberry berry.

Our mulberry ovary falls off every year. How to care for this tree, what are its berries useful for?

Mulberry seeds were once exported from China secretly, on pain of death. The plant turned out to be generally unpretentious and began to spread widely as an ornamental and fruit tree. True, mulberries also have their own preferences. She likes to grow in a sunny place, on fertile soil, and does not tolerate places with standing groundwater.

If these conditions are taken into account, then in gratitude it grows and bears fruit even along roads, in parks, behind the fence of personal plots. Mulberries not just delicious. They are useful for stomach and heart diseases, improve vision and the process of blood formation.

Eastern medicine believes that they prolong human life. Traditional medicine of Georgia recommends the unripe fruits of black mulberry for diarrhea, and the tincture of ripe berries as a diaphoretic for colds, as a diuretic.

White mulberry juice is an expectorant for coughs and also a mild laxative. The fruits can be used fresh or dried, and can be used to make jam and syrups.

The annual shedding of mulberry ovaries suggests a lack of pollination. The mulberry is pollinated by the wind, beyond which in your area in the spring, as they say, things didn’t stop. The problem is different. There are not only monoecious mulberries, in which bisexual flowers are present on one inflorescence, but also dioecious ones, when female and male flowers are present on different trees.

This happens especially often when propagated by seeds. Most likely, you have a tree growing that needs a “married couple”, and the male half, once the ovary is formed. Try an experiment in the spring when the mulberries are blooming.

Cut a few mulberry branches from friends in the park, immediately place them in jars of water and secure them in the crown of your tree. If this helps, you will need to think about vaccination.

Mulberries have been grown in Russia for hundreds of years. Today, the number of varieties of this family actively cultivated in the world is about 15. In total there are more than 150. In general, the tree was used for breeding silkworms and obtaining natural silk or because of the value of the wood of certain varieties. Later, people paid attention to the fruits of the plant, which, in terms of the content of microelements and vitamins, give a head start to many vegetables and fruits. Such varieties have especially taken root in Russia. The article will describe one of them - the Black Baroness: how this mulberry is useful, how to plant and care for it, whether it is necessary to select a pollinator, and also how to form a low crown for the plant.

Mulberry Black Baroness: description

Mulberry tree varieties are divided into fruit, fodder and ornamental. In domestic areas you can find the so-called. white, black and red mulberry. Black Baroness, despite its name and the corresponding color of the fruit, belongs to the white variety. This contradiction is explained simply: the mulberry species is called white because of the whitish (gray) tint of the bark. It was on such trees that silkworms were bred in ancient China, since the plant has soft leaves. This variety, southern in origin, adapts well to northern regions and grows well in central Russia.

Attention! The Black Baroness variety can withstand even short-term temperature drops down to –30°C.

The fruits of the mulberry tree contain a rich set of useful substances and elements that help the body fight age-related manifestations and the risks of diseases and have a rejuvenating effect:

fructose and glucose;
beta-carotene;
organic acids;
vitamins B (complex), C, E, K, as well as PP;

Black mulberry is very useful for children and adults

macroelements – calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.;
trace elements - iron, zinc, copper and selenium.

Attention! The idea that berries grow on mulberries is a myth. In fact, these are infructescences of small nuts in which the pericarp is connected to each other.

Among the mulberry family, Black Baroness is considered an early variety. The fruit ripening period is June-July. The harvests are consistently rich, up to 100 kg per season. The whole tree is literally strewn with grapes:

The fruits are large. Average dimensions: 1.5x3.5 cm.
Black color.
The fruits are fleshy and sweet. They have a weak but pleasant aroma.

Planting and caring for a mulberry tree

The mulberry tree reaches an average height of 18-20 m and has a dense, tent-shaped crown. In addition, it is long-lived. Based on these characteristics, choose a location on the site. True, the mulberry tree lends itself to crown formation - it can be made small, spherical or “weeping”.

The Black Baroness variety requires an abundance of light, but is unpretentious to the composition of the soil. It grows well and produces a tasty harvest on saline soils. Sandy soils can even be further strengthened due to the peculiarities of the branched root system. Only waterlogged soil will have a negative impact on the tree.

Natural mulberry varieties are dioecious. Male trees do not produce fruit, although they bloom beautifully. In this case, it is necessary to plant two different-sex plants on the site at a close distance or graft a branch of a male tree onto the female one. Most modern varieties are monoecious (including Black Baroness) or do not require pollination at all.

The Black Baroness variety produces consistently high yields

The hole for planting must be prepared in the fall. The size is 50x50x50 cm, but after winter it can be further increased. In all regions except the southern ones, mulberries are planted only in spring. Fertile soil is prepared for backfilling: soil mixed with half a bucket of humus and phosphorus-potassium fertilizer (2 matchboxes per tree).

Attention! At the bottom of the hole you need to make a small tubercle and carefully spread the roots of the plant over it. This is the most vulnerable part of the mulberry tree; it is important not to damage it.

When planting, pour a bucket of water under the seedling and then mulch the soil. The tree will need regular hand watering for up to 5 years. Usually during the first half of summer once a day (in drought - 2 times). The mulberry tree will need feeding starting from 3 years of age. Organic matter and mineral fertilizers are applied together with watering and mulching. The types and standards of substances are standard for horticultural crops.

Formation of a low crown

Today, the formation of a decorative crown of a mulberry tree is becoming popular: spherical and flowing. It is necessary to trim all side shoots to a height of 0.5-1 m. This is best done in the spring, before the buds open. The temperature should not be lower than -10°C. Next, you can trim the crown, forming “ball”, “broom” or “bowl” shapes up to 4 m high.

It is difficult for beginners to immediately master pruning technology. Invite a specialist and visually look at the process. To maintain shape, trim the central shoot to a third or quarter of its length. Sanitary and anti-aging pruning of branches is carried out every few years in late autumn.

Growing mulberries: video

The mulberry tree or mulberry can truly be called a long-liver. It lives on average 200-300 years, but the age of individual specimens reaches 500-1000 years. And in Jericho (Israel) a mulberry tree was discovered that was already 2000 years old!

The tree grows well within the city and, due to its excellent fruiting, is often used in landscape design. The plant looks great as a hedge, as well as in group plantings. The most popular are decorative types of mulberry (for example, weeping mulberry), as well as dwarf varieties of mulberry with a spherical crown. The mulberry tree with a narrow pyramidal and pyramidal crown is more often used in group plantings. Such trees can reach a height of up to 6 meters.

People call mulberry mulberry, click beetle, shah-tuta, here etc.

Types of mulberry, photo

There are 17 species of mulberry trees in the mulberry family. It grows in subtropical and warm temperate zones of America, Africa and Asia. One tree 10 - 15 meters high can produce a harvest of up to 200 kg. Its fruits (berries) are similar to blackberries and raspberries and are also a collective drupe. Mulberry berries are black, purple or white-pink in color.

In Russia the most Two types of mulberries are popular:

used in many industries. The most common product of this plant is its fruit - mulberry. In the production of musical instruments, mulberry wood is used, and silkworms feed on its leaves, whose cocoons serve as raw materials for the production of natural silk.

Procurement of mulberry raw materials

The leaves of the plant can be collected during the entire period of growth and development of the mulberry and dried in attics or under a canopy, the bark is harvested at the beginning of sap flow (early spring), the roots - in late autumn. At the end of June and beginning of August, mulberries can be harvested. After harvesting, they must be immediately sent for processing, since yeast fungi located on the surface of the fruit cause fermentation within a day. It is for this reason that drying the berries is very problematic, but if you still succeed, they must be stored in a tightly closed container, since they absorb water very quickly, which, in turn, leads to spoilage of the raw materials.

Medicinal properties of the mulberry tree

Although the mulberry is not a medicinal plant, its roots, bark and berries have long been used to treat various diseases. Mulberry has a wide range of beneficial properties and rich mineral and vitamin composition, thanks to which the berry has found use in folk medicine. In addition, mulberries are used in cooking: various syrups, jellies and compotes are prepared from the berries.

Chemical properties of raw materials

Mulberry fruits synthesize almost all the vitamins necessary for the human body, and also accumulate micro- and macroelements that contribute to the normal functioning of all systems and internal organs. According to traditional healers, mulberries help improve immunity, as well as 1 glass of mulberry fruit eaten during the season will serve as reliable protection against diseases of the pancreas and kidneys.

The chemical composition of white and black mulberries has some differences. Thus, white fruits have a higher concentration of carbohydrates, while black berries accumulate more organic acids and iron.

Pharmacological properties of mulberry fruits

Organic iron compounds contained in black mulberry promote the formation of hemoglobin, so the fruits are successfully used in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia. If anemia is caused by a lack of B vitamins, black mulberries will also have a beneficial effect on hematopoietic activity.

All fruits, regardless of type, have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, therefore they are widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

Mulberries provide positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. It is noteworthy that unripe fruits, which have a high concentration of tannins, are successfully used for diarrhea, and ripe berries help improve intestinal motility and are used as a gentle laxative.

Mulberry has a positive effect on the pancreas, helping to increase its enzyme activity. In addition, the berries have a diuretic effect and stimulate bile secretion.

Due to the high content of zinc and chromium, mulberry leaves are widely used in the treatment of prostate diseases, and are also included in antidiabetic preparations.

The bark of mulberry branches has a stimulating effect on tissue regeneration processes, the bark from the roots of the plant helps lower blood pressure and also has expectorant properties.

Traditional medicine recipes

Mulberry raw materials are widely used to treat various diseases.

Mulberry has virtually no contraindications for use. The only obstacle to using mulberries may be individual intolerance of the body. In addition, it is not recommended to use mulberry raw materials collected near roads.

The mulberry tree reproduces in the following ways:

So, the raw materials of the mulberry tree are widely used in almost all sectors of the national economy, and the medicinal properties of the mulberry tree are well known and are often used by doctors all over the world. By following the above tips and recommendations, you will not only be able to enjoy delicious mulberries, but also with their help gain health and good mood.

Mulberry is a heat-loving plant, so it is relatively rare in the gardens of Russian gardeners. But its berries are not only remarkably tasty, but also very healthy. The crop is also valued for its abundance of fruiting and long productive period. The tree cannot be called capricious and demanding to care for - even a not very experienced gardener can carry out the necessary agrotechnical procedures.

What does mulberry look like?

Mulberry, also known as the mulberry tree, is a small genus of deciduous trees belonging to the Mulberry family. According to various sources, there are from 10 to 16 of its representatives in nature. Most of them can be found in Central Asia and the Mediterranean coast.

Mulberries in nature reach considerable heights and form a wide crown.

A mature tree reaches 10–30 meters in height. The young seedling grows quickly, then the growth rate slows down. Mulberry leaves are of different sizes, can be either simple or cut in the shape of “blades”, smooth or with jagged edges.

Mulberry is a long-lived tree. The average lifespan is 200–250 years. But 300–500 years is not the limit for a plant. There are known specimens that are more than one thousand years old.

In countries with a suitable climate, mulberry is widely used in landscape design.

The mulberry fruit is formed from a growing bract. Its average length is 2–4 cm. It consists of many fused round drupes. They are not connected too tightly to each other. The skin is colored in shades from white to crimson-pink, red-violet and blue-black.

Most varieties have tasteless fruits, but edible mulberries have a pleasant sweet taste with slight sourness and a pronounced specific aroma.

Mulberry fruits are similar to raspberries or blackberries, but their drupes are less tightly connected to each other.

Fresh berries do not last long. Even in the refrigerator they will last for a maximum of 2-3 days. The fruits also do not tolerate transportation, even over a short distance. The berries need to be processed quickly.

The yield of the crop is high: on average, 100–200 kg of fruits are harvested from an adult tree. The mulberry reaches such indicators by 10–12 years. And the first berries can be tasted 5–6 years after planting the tree in the ground. In addition to being consumed fresh, mulberries are frozen, used as a filling for baked goods, and made into compotes, jams, and preserves.

Mulberry jam is very tasty, especially if the fruits are not cloyingly sweet, but with sourness

Benefits and harms of fruits

Mulberries are extremely beneficial for health. They contain high concentrations of vitamins B, C, PP, as well as carotenoids, malic and citric acid, unsaturated fatty acids, essential oils, and iron. Mulberry is widely used in folk medicine. Its berries are an effective remedy for anemia and low levels of hemoglobin in the blood. Their use is also recommended for problems with the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder and liver. Practice shows that mulberry berries have a positive effect on heart function in cases of hypertension, tachycardia, and shortness of breath.

You should not overuse mulberries. If consumed in excess, it can cause a sharp jump in blood pressure (especially in hot weather) and contribute to an increase in blood sugar levels. Stomach and intestinal upset are also possible. The rich color of the skin and juice turns mulberry into a strong allergen. The first time you use it you need to be very careful, especially if you are aware of your own body’s hypersensitivity. It is not advisable to eat mulberries on an empty stomach and wash them down with something cold.

Male and female plants

Depending on the species, mulberry can be either a monoecious or dioecious plant. This determines whether the gardener will need one or more trees. In the second case, “male” and “female” plants are needed for fruiting. “Female” flowers are small, greenish, collected in a spike-shaped inflorescence. “Men’s” are larger, almost white, and look like drop earrings.

“Male” specimens are widely used in landscape design; they grow faster and have larger leaves.

Before the first flowering, it is impossible to determine whether a mulberry plant is “female” or “male”, so it is recommended to purchase seedlings no younger than 3 years old

Varieties and varieties popular among gardeners

Most “natural” mulberry species have practically tasteless fruits. Those most often grown in gardens are those whose berries have a distinct taste - from sour to sickly sweet. Breeders have developed many varieties of decorative mulberries.

White mulberry

It is most common in Russia and is highly frost-resistant (-30ºС or more). On its basis, domestic breeders have developed many new varieties and hybrids. The leaves are about 15 cm long, smooth, heart-shaped. In optimal conditions, the height of the tree reaches 18–20 m; if they are far from ideal, the white mulberry turns into a shrub.

The crown is dense, in the shape of an almost regular ball. The tree is very hardy, survives and bears fruit even in cities. It blooms in the last ten days of May, the harvest ripens at the end of August. The bark is grayish-whitish. It is because of this that the white mulberry received its name. The fruits can be colored not only white, but also yellowish, pink, reddish and even almost black. Of all the types of mulberry, white is the sweetest.

The following varieties are most popular among gardeners:

White honey. Hybrid of Russian selection. Tree up to 10 m high. The crown is dense, shaped like a pyramid. The length of the drupe is about 3 cm. The berries are white, very juicy and sweet, with a pronounced honey aroma. Productivity is consistently high - up to 200 kg per mature tree. It tolerates frost easily and quickly recovers from damage;
White tenderness. Valued for frost resistance down to -40ºС and abundant fruiting. The berries are snow-white, elongated, 3–4 cm long. If the summer is good in terms of weather, the fruits ripen very sweet, but in damp and rainy weather the taste practically disappears. The first berries ripen in mid-June, fruiting lasts 6–8 weeks;
Pink Smolenskaya. One of the new selections. It begins to bear fruit in early June. Even 2-3 year old trees produce a harvest. Leaves of unusual decorative shape. The tree itself also looks elegant due to the fact that white, pinkish, and pale scarlet berries hang on it at the same time. They are small (2–3 cm long), but this does not affect the yield in any way. Frost resistance - up to -35ºС;
Fruit-1. The variety is from the early category, the harvest ripens in June. Fruiting lasts for 4–6 weeks. The drupes are white, but if spring and early summer are rainy, the skin takes on a pastel pink hue. The average length of the fruit is 2.5–3 cm. Productivity is up to 150 kg per mature tree. The fruits are sweet and juicy, but the flesh is quite dense. Of all the mulberry varieties, this one tolerates transportation best and is stored for the longest possible time;
Ukrainian-107. The berries are large, 3–3.5 cm long. The skin is pale pink. The taste is sickly sweet, the flesh is juicy and dense. The tree is frost-resistant and rarely suffers from diseases and pests. A significant drawback is low yield (15–25 kg);
Merezhevo. Another new Russian hybrid. The harvest ripens in early July, and fruiting lasts for about a month. The drupes are cream or pinkish, 3.5–4 cm long. The berries are very sweet. Overripe fruits quickly fall off;
Black Baroness. The harvest ripens in the second decade of July. Valued for its unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The berries are large, 4 cm or more long, the skin is bluish-black. The taste is sweet, dessert. The aroma is light, almost imperceptible. Fruits are stored for no more than 12 hours;
Dark-skinned. Self-fertile hybrid, does not require pollinating varieties. The tree is tall, 15 m or more. The crown is wide and spreading. The berries are 3–4 cm long and taste sweet and sour. The skin is almost black. Productivity is 150–200 kg, fruiting is annual. The shelf life of fresh berries is 12–18 hours;
Ukrainian-6. It is mainly used for feeding silkworms or in landscape design, although the berries have a sweet, dessert taste, and the fruits are large (4–4.5 cm). The skin is colored black and purple. Frost resistance - up to -35ºС.

Photo gallery: white mulberry varieties

White honey mulberry is a fairly large plant; it will need a lot of space on the site. In mulberry White tenderness, ripe fruits are painted in a rare snow-white color, not found in nature Pink mulberry Smolenskaya is one of the latest achievements of Russian breeders Mulberry Plodovaya-1 ripens in June Mulberry Ukrainian-107 produces very tasty berries, but there are few of them on the tree Merezhevo mulberry is practically not stored Mulberry Black Baroness is characterized by low maintenance and frost resistance Mulberry Smuglyanka is a self-fertile hybrid; it does not need a “male” pollinator plant Ukrainian mulberry-6 is mainly used as food for silkworms

Black mulberry

In nature, it is found mainly in Afghanistan, Iran, and less common in Italy. The average height of the tree is about 15 m, the crown is wide, spreading, the shoots are slightly drooping. The bark is rough and dark brown. The leaves are large, up to 20 cm long. The underside is covered with thick soft hair. The average length of the fruit is 3–5 cm, the skin is inky purple or almost black.

The plant is undemanding to soil quality, is drought-resistant, and tolerates prolonged heat well. But black mulberry has difficulty surviving frosts. Therefore, in Russia it can only be grown in the south, in a warm subtropical climate (Crimea, Caucasus, Black Sea region). From the countries of the former USSR, the culture has taken root in Ukraine and Moldova. But even in such conditions, it is recommended to play it safe and build a winter shelter for the plant.

The following varieties of black mulberry are most often found in gardens:

Fruit-4. The tree is not tall, 3–5 m, the crown is compact, spherical. The drupes are elongated, 4–4.5 cm long. The pulp is juicy, the taste is pleasant and refreshing. The yield is very high - 250 kg per tree or more, fruiting is annual. Frost resistance at -25ºС. This variety is most popular among those who grow mulberries on an industrial scale. Thanks to the dense pulp, the berries tolerate transportation well;
Istanbul. One of the largest-fruited varieties, the length of the drupe is 5–5.5 cm. The skin is dark purple, the flesh is juicy and sweet. Frost resistance - about -25ºС. Productivity is consistently high, fruiting is annual. The variety is a late variety; the harvest ripens in the first ten days of August. The fruits are harvested 4 years after the seedling is planted in the ground;
Shelly-150. One of the most popular varieties not only in Russia, but also in the world. Belongs to the early category. The fruits are harvested in the last ten days of June. The average length of the drupe is 5–6 cm. The skin is black, glossy. The taste is sweet, but not cloying;
Galicia-1. The hybrid is widespread mainly in Ukraine. The drupes are very large, 6.5–8 cm long. The skin is purple-red, the taste is sweet, with a slight refreshing sourness. The yield is not too high - 35–50 kg;
Black Prince. The variety is valued for its ease of care and resistance to adverse environmental factors (heat, drought, frost). The average length of the drupe is 4–5 cm. The skin is black, the flesh is sweet, with a slight honey flavor. It tolerates transportation well and can be stored for 2–3 days;
Hartut. The variety is widely used in home winemaking. These berries have very thick juice with a high (18–20%) sugar content. Even without processing, it tastes very much like a dessert fortified wine. The variety is self-fertile, bears fruit regularly and abundantly. The first fruits are born 3 years after planting;
Hope. The average height of the tree is 8–10 m. The berries are very dark purple in color and appear black from a distance. The drupes are large, about 5 cm long, the flesh is sweet and sour. Ripe fruits stick well to the tree. The harvest is harvested in early July. An adult tree produces more than 100 kg of fruit annually.

Photo gallery: varieties of black mulberry

Istanbul mulberries - presentable and tasty Mulberry Shelly-150 is one of the most popular varieties in the world Mulberry Galicia-1 stands out for its fruit size Mulberry Black Prince is one of the new varieties, devoid of significant disadvantages Mulberry Hartut is held in high esteem by amateur winemakers Mulberry Nadezhda has good yield and frost resistance

The homeland of this species is North America. The average height of the tree is 10–12 m, the crown is shaped like a tent. The leaves are about 10 cm long, rough to the touch.

Young leaves are cut into “blades”, then the shape is gradually smoothed out.

The fruits are sweet and sour, dark scarlet. The taste of red mulberries is extremely similar to blackberries. The plant is undemanding and hardy and is dioecious. Valued for its high frost resistance.

Red mulberry is practically not found in Russia and the countries of the former USSR

Decorative mulberry

Widely used in landscape design. It looks best in single plantings; it is often used to form hedges. The tree tolerates pruning well; the crown can be given almost any desired shape.

Popular varieties:

Crying. The average height of the tree is 3–4 m. The branches are thin and drooping. The leaves are small;
Large-leaved. The leaves are heart-shaped, light green in color, with long petioles. The average length is 22–25 cm. The variety is heat-loving, quite rare;
Globular. The crown, even without formative pruning, turns into an almost regular ball. Tree height - 2–3 m;
Pyramidal. The crown resembles a tall and narrow pyramid. The leaves are small;
Tatar. More likely not a tree, but a shrub or subshrub. The growth rate does not differ, reaching a height of 2–2.5 m. The leaves are small. Winter hardiness is very high;
Golden. Young shoots are indeed golden in color; as they mature, it changes to brownish. The average height of the tree is 2–3 m. Newly opened leaves also have a pale golden hue;
Red felt. A natural “mutation” of the red mulberry. The front side of the young leaf is red, the back is whitish. The fruits are edible, purple-scarlet in color, but there are not many of them;
Narrow-leaved. Most often grown as a bush. The leaves are small, rough to the touch, highly elongated and deeply dissected.

Photo gallery: decorative varieties and hybrids of mulberries

Weeping mulberry looks impressive, but you can’t expect a big harvest from such a tree Large-leaved mulberry is thermophilic, so it is practically not found in Russia Globular mulberry forms a neat crown with virtually no gardener intervention Pyramidal mulberry has small, frequently spaced leaves. Tatarian mulberry is a decorative, but at the same time frost-resistant variety Golden mulberry looks very impressive The fruits of the red felt mulberry are edible Mulberry angustifolia stands out for its unusual leaf shape

Landing procedure and preparation for it

Mulberry is deservedly considered an unpretentious plant that successfully adapts to not the best conditions. But obtaining the maximum possible yields can only be ensured if you “listen” to the requirements of the tree and, if possible, satisfy them.

Selecting a location

Like most other plants, mulberries love warmth and sunlight. An open, well-heated area is ideal for it. At some distance from the plant, it is desirable to have a barrier that does not shade it, but protects it from gusts of cold northern and northwestern wind.

The optimal soil option is light fertile sandy loam or loam. And by planting a mulberry in a sandy substrate, you can kill two birds with one stone, strengthening the soil due to the developed root system of the tree. The plant has a negative attitude towards heavy soil, but this problem can be dealt with by building an embankment about 0.5 m high or creating a drainage layer 10–15 cm thick at the bottom of the planting hole. Mulberries can grow even in swampy and highly saline substrates, but with abundant water The yield in this case should not be calculated. It is also undesirable for groundwater to be located closer than 1–1.5 m from the soil surface. This can trigger the development of root rot.

When choosing a place for mulberries, it is worth considering that this is a long-lived tree, and it is also quite large. If a single planting is planned, it must be placed at a distance of at least 5 m from other plants. When forming a hedge, seedlings are placed 1 m from each other.

Mulberry is a large plant, this must be taken into account when choosing a place for it in the garden plot.

Landing dates

In most of the territory of Russia (regions with a temperate climate), it is best to plant mulberries in a permanent place in the spring, when the tree has not yet woken up from hibernation (the leaf buds have not opened). Over the summer, the seedling will form a developed root system and adapt to new living conditions. This will allow him to survive the winter with minimal damage.

Autumn planting (early September to mid-October) is suitable for areas with tropical and subtropical climates. Winters in Crimea, the Caucasus, Kuban, Krasnodar Territory, and Ukraine are mild and almost always occur in accordance with the calendar. When planning planting, it is worth considering that the tree needs at least 6 weeks to adapt. Practice shows that a seedling that has successfully survived the first winter will live a long time and bear fruit abundantly.

Pit preparation

A planting hole about 70 cm deep and about the same diameter is filled by a third with a mixture of fertile turf with humus or rotted compost. You can also add sifted wood ash (0.7–1 l), 20–30 g of potassium and phosphorus fertilizers, or approximately 50 g of a complex product (Nitrophoska, Azofoska). This mixture is sprinkled with a thin layer of ordinary soil so that the roots are not damaged. The pit is prepared approximately 2 weeks before planting, if the procedure is planned for autumn, and if for spring, then at the end of the previous season. A drainage layer is desirable at the bottom (expanded clay, clay shards, brick chips).

It is advisable to create a drainage layer at the bottom of the mulberry planting pit so that moisture does not stagnate at the roots

Landing

The landing procedure itself has no special features. The only caveat is that you do not need to shorten the roots before planting. If necessary, a support is placed in the hole in advance. The roots of the seedling need to be carefully straightened without damaging them; they are quite fragile. The most important thing in the process is not to deepen the root collar. The soil is carefully trampled down, the tree is watered, using 10–15 liters of water. When it is absorbed, the tree trunk circle is mulched with peat or humus, freshly cut grass.

There is nothing complicated in planting mulberries; even a novice gardener can cope with the procedure.

Video: how to properly transplant mulberries

Nuances of crop care

Care comes down to maintaining the tree trunk circle in proper condition, periodic watering and fertilizing several times a season. The most difficult thing for a not very experienced gardener is the procedure for pruning a tree.

Watering

This crop does not require frequent and abundant watering. It is recommended to water the tree only if the weather is very hot and there is no rain. An adult mulberry needs 15–20 liters of water every 7–10 days.

Experienced gardeners do not advise watering the tree in the second half of summer, thus preparing it for the upcoming winter dormant period and sudden temperature changes. This is especially true for mulberries growing in the Moscow region and other regions with a temperate climate.

Only young mulberries are watered, and for an adult tree, if there is no abnormally intense heat outside, natural precipitation is sufficient

Particular attention should be paid to watering young trees under 5 years of age. Then the mulberry forms a developed root system and can provide itself with moisture independently, drawing it from the depths of the soil.

If there is a lack of moisture, the fruits on young plants become smaller, and annual shoots may freeze in winter before they have time to ripen.

Fertilizer application

If the planting pit has been prepared in accordance with all recommendations, the available nutrients will last for 2-3 years. But even after this, you should not get carried away with fertilizers, especially nitrogen-containing ones. Their excess negatively affects the plant’s immunity. Two feedings per season are quite enough.

Immediately before the leaf buds bloom, 45–50 g of any complex fertilizer (Nitrophoska, Diammofoska, Azofoska) is added to the tree trunk circle. It is scattered on the surface of the soil in dry form or a solution is prepared by diluting the specified amount in 10 liters of water. Once every 2–3 years, you can additionally distribute 15–25 liters of humus or rotted compost in the tree trunk circle.
2-3 weeks before the fruits ripen, the mulberries are watered with an infusion of fresh manure, bird droppings, nettle leaves, or dandelion leaves diluted with water (proportion 1:15 for droppings and 1:8 for everything else).
If the condition of the tree is not too good, it grows slowly, in early September the soil in the tree trunk circle is sprinkled with sifted wood ash (0.5 l).

Nettle infusion - natural fertilizer for mulberries

Trimming

Since mulberries in nature reach significant dimensions, pruning is a mandatory procedure. The plant tolerates it easily, quickly recovering, even if the gardener has “overdone it” a little.

Pruning has a positive effect on the yield of the plant, the size of the fruit increases noticeably.

In regions with a temperate climate (Moscow region, Volga region, North-West), it is better to form a mulberry not as a tree, but as a shrub or subshrub no more than 3 m high. To do this, most of the shoots of a plant that has reached a height of 1.5 m are cut off, leaving 8 –10 most powerful and developed. This will be the main “skeleton” of the structure. Then, every year, 2–3 of the oldest branches are cut off to the growth point, replacing them with younger ones. Each skeletal shoot should have 3–4 branches of the second order and 10–15 branches of the third order.

It will take 3-4 years for the configuration to take its finished form.

To trim mulberries, only sharply sharpened and disinfected tools are used.

Where the climate for mulberries is close to optimal (Ukraine, Moldova, southern Russia), a tree that has reached a height of 1 m is shortened by cutting off the central shoot 25–30 cm above the last lateral shoot. The side shoots (with the exception of the three or four most powerful) are cut off to the growth point. The remaining ones are shortened to 4–5 growth buds. Then, over the next 2–3 years, several more tiers are formed in a similar way. Each of them should have 4–5 branches of the second and 12–15 branches of the third order. It is recommended to limit the total height of the tree to 4–5 m.

It is also easy to form a spherical crown. To do this, the lower and upper shoots are shortened more than the middle tier - by about a quarter and a third, respectively.

After the tree begins to bear fruit, the main attention should be paid to sanitary pruning. It is carried out twice a year - in the spring until the growth buds “awaken” and in the fall, after the end of leaf fall. The air temperature in both cases should be above 0ºС. It is imperative to get rid of broken, dried out, frozen shoots affected by diseases and pests. Also, deformed, weak and poorly placed branches are cut off to the growth point: those that thicken the crown, those that grow downward, and those that deviate sharply from the given configuration.

Mulberries need rejuvenating pruning every 10–15 years. All shoots are shortened by about a third, 2-3 skeletal branches are completely removed, replacing them with younger ones.

The fact that it is time to carry out the procedure is indicated by a decrease in yield, smaller fruits, and curvature of shoots.

Harvesting

The fruiting period of mulberries is extended; the berries often ripen within 1.5–2 months. Due to such uneven ripening, both completely green and blue-black fruits can be observed on one branch.

Mulberry berries are small and there are a lot of them on the tree. Since they still do not differ in keeping quality, some gardeners save time on harvesting by spreading a film, a piece of fabric, or newspapers under the mulberries. Then the tree needs to be shaken vigorously several times.

Mulberry has a very high yield, but its berries are practically not stored

Preparing for winter

Most mulberry varieties popular with gardeners can withstand frosts down to -30ºC without much damage. But only if the winter is snowy. Otherwise, the roots of the tree may be damaged, even if the temperature drops to only -7–10ºС. Therefore, it is advisable to build a shelter for the winter not only in regions with a temperate climate, but also in the subtropics.

The tree trunk circle is cleared of plant debris and shallowly loosened.
The layer of mulch from peat or humus is renewed, bringing its thickness to 12–15 cm. A mound 25–30 cm high is poured near the trunk.
As soon as enough snow has fallen, it is raked up to the trunk, constructing a snowdrift.
Young trees can be covered entirely by wrapping them in burlap or other air-permeable covering material.
In those mulberry varieties that are characterized by the presence of thin, drooping shoots, the branches are bent to the ground, covered with straw and spruce branches.

Mulch will help protect mulberry roots from freezing if there isn't enough snow.

You should not be surprised if mulberries growing in the Moscow region and other regions with a temperate climate shed not only leaves, but also shoots in the fall. Due to the fact that daylight hours in these areas are shorter than the crop requires, it has two growing seasons. In autumn, the mulberry independently forms a layer of cork-like tissue between the ripened and immature parts of the shoot, thus getting rid of wood that will definitely not withstand the cold.

Reproduction methods

Mulberry propagates quite easily, both vegetatively and generatively. The latter is used less frequently because it is more labor-intensive, takes longer and does not guarantee the preservation of the varietal characteristics of the “parent”.

Germination of seeds

The seeds are extracted from ripe berries, the color of which has acquired the color typical of the variety. They are thoroughly cleaned of pulp, dried and stored in a dark, cool place until spring, poured into linen or paper bags. The optimal time for sowing seeds is the end of April or the first ten days of May.

Mulberry seeds must be thoroughly cleaned of pulp and dried to avoid the development of rot during storage.

They are sown directly into the garden bed, deepening them to a maximum of 1–1.5 cm. In order to increase germination, you can soak them in Heteroauxin, Zircon, or Kornevin for several hours.
Before emergence, the garden bed is watered with a solution of any biostimulant (potassium humate, succinic acid, aloe juice, Epin) once every 2–3 days. Afterwards, they switch to daily moderate watering with heated water.
A canopy of white covering material is built over the seedlings to protect them from direct sunlight.
When 4–5 true leaves are formed, the plantings are thinned out, leaving at least 10–12 cm between them.
After 2 years, the grown seedlings can be transplanted to the chosen location. You will have to wait at least 7–8 years for a harvest from such a mulberry.

Video: mulberry from seeds

Cuttings

This is the easiest method of propagation, the success rate is 80–90%, even if you do not use special root formation stimulants. Mulberry stalk - the upper or middle part of a green shoot about 20 cm long, cut obliquely. Cuttings are prepared throughout the growing season. If the climate allows, they are planted in the ground in the fall. Otherwise, until spring, the cuttings are dropped into a box with damp sand or peat and kept at a temperature of 3–5ºС.

The cuttings must have at least 2-3 growth buds. Semi-lignified branches can also be used, but the rooting process in this case is delayed for a long time.

Cuttings are the easiest and fastest way to get a new mulberry

The cuttings are planted in a greenhouse or in a garden bed, positioned at an angle of about 45º, deepened by 3–4 cm. The lower leaves are completely removed, the remaining ones are cut in half. Cuttings planted in open ground are covered with glass caps cut from plastic bottles. It is imperative to maintain very high humidity, but make sure that rot does not appear.

If technical possibility allows, it is advisable to create a “suspension” of small droplets of water in the greenhouse, reminiscent of fog.

Graft

This method is used to propagate the most valuable and decorative mulberry varieties. White mulberry is most often used as a rootstock. This is due to its ease of care and frost resistance.

The simplest method of grafting is copulation. The top of the rootstock tree and the base of the scion seedling are cut at an angle, the cuts are combined and the structure is tightly wrapped with electrical tape, adhesive tape or a special grafting tape. If the procedure is successful (new leaves begin to form on the scion), the binding can be removed. A prerequisite is that the scion and rootstock must be approximately the same thickness.

When copulating, the scion and rootstock should be approximately the same in diameter

Budding requires the gardener to have some experience. What is used here as a scion is not a whole branch, but one growth bud, cut together with a “shield” from the tissues surrounding it, no more than 2–3 mm thick. This “shield” is inserted into an X- or T-shaped cut in the bark of the rootstock. The entire structure is securely fixed. If the growth bud hatches after 2–3 months, the rootstock is cut 10–15 cm above the grafting site, removing all side shoots.

When carrying out budding, try to touch the growth bud as little as possible.

Diseases, pests and their control

Mulberry has good immunity; this crop suffers relatively rarely from diseases and pests. But she is not immune, so you need to be able to recognize suspicious symptoms and know what to do in each specific case.

Diseases typical for the culture:

powdery mildew. Leaves, shoots, and fruits are covered with a grayish-white “hairy” coating. Gradually it darkens and thickens, the affected tissues die. Thickening of the crown and intense heat contribute to the spread of the disease. For prevention, mulberry and soil in the tree trunk circle are dusted with crushed chalk and sifted wood ash. Fundazol or Fitoverm-M will help to cope with the problem. It is advisable to shed the trunk circle with a pale pink solution of potassium permanganate;
cylindrosporiosis. The leaves are covered with multiple clearly defined dark scarlet or purple spots. Then the affected areas turn yellow, the leaves dry out and fall off. If characteristic symptoms are detected, the tree and soil in the tree trunk circle are sprayed with a 1% Silite solution. After 12–15 days, the treatment is repeated;
bacteriosis The first symptom is dark, blurry spots of irregular shape on the leaves and shoots. Gradually they turn into depressed “ulcers”. Damaged leaves curl into a tube and fall off, and gum is released on the shoots. You can cope with the disease only in the early stages of its development by cutting off all minimally affected parts of the plant and treating it with Fitolavin, Gamair;
leaf curl. The surface of the leaf wrinkles and “nodules” appear on it. The leaf plate becomes smaller and deformed. It is impossible to cure this viral disease with modern means. Particular attention should be paid to prevention, primarily to the fight against carriers of the pathogen (aphids, thrips, spider mites);
tinder fungus. Fungal spores penetrate tissue through mechanical damage in the cortex. Growths appear on the shoots, destroying the wood. They need to be cut off with a sharp sterile knife, the wound should be washed with 5% copper sulfate and covered with garden pitch or a mixture of fluff lime, cow dung and powdered clay. You can also cover the cut with several layers of oil paint.

Photo gallery: symptoms of common mulberry diseases

The most common pests:

Ifantria americana (white American butterfly). The larvae of this butterfly are capable of completely eating leaves in a matter of days, leaving only veins. For prevention, unblown leaf buds and the soil in the tree trunk circle are sprayed with Nitrafen or Karbofos. To scare away adults from the plant, use Chlorophos, Phosfamide, Antio, Cyphos. One treatment every 3–4 weeks is sufficient;
mealybug. A whitish coating appears on the leaves, shoots, buds, and fruits, reminiscent of scattered flour. The affected parts of the plant turn yellow, dry out and fall off. For prevention, mulberries are sprayed with infusion of onion, garlic, and any strong-smelling herbs about once a week. To cope with the pest, they use Mospilan, Tanrek, Konfidor-Maxi. Usually 2-3 treatments with an interval of 8-12 days are enough;
spider mite Young leaves, tops of shoots, and buds are intertwined with thin threads, similar to a cobweb. The affected parts of the plant become discolored, deformed and dry out. For prevention, mulberries are sprayed weekly with an infusion of onion or garlic pulp, or a decoction of cyclamen tubers. They fight the pest using acaricides (Aktellik, Apollo, Neoron, Omite). It will take 3-4 treatments with an interval of 5-12 days. The hotter it is outside, the more often the plant is sprayed.

Photo gallery: what pests dangerous to crops look like

The main damage to mulberries is caused by the caterpillars of American Ifantria General insecticides are mainly used to control mealybugs. To combat spider mites, special preparations are used - acaricides

Until recently, growing mulberries in temperate climates was impossible. But breeders corrected this situation by developing several frost-resistant varieties. Now nothing prevents the spread of this tasty and healthy berry in Russia. The rapid growth of its popularity is facilitated by consistently high productivity, ease of care, and decorative properties of the tree.