Description of the weeping mulberry
Deciduous tree of the mulberry family. No more than 3 m in height. 17 species of mulberry tree are officially described, although there are more than 200 varieties of mulberry.
This is not only an ornamental plant, but also a fruit tree with tasty and aromatic berries. Its compact size makes it possible to grow weeping mulberries even in a small area. The crown reaches 2 m in width. The branches of the weeping mulberry are long and capable of growing to the ground.
The plant is a long-liver and can decorate a site for 200-500 years. The fruits are represented by a drupe, hidden by a fleshy perianth. Fruit length - 2-5 cm. Color - pink, dark purple, white. The fruits are edible, sweet and sour with a pleasant aroma.
The weeping mulberry in the photo attracts with its fruits. These are juicy berries with an unforgettable aroma and sweet taste. The fruits of the weeping mulberry are very healthy and contain vitamins and microelements. The tree is also suitable for decorative purposes.
The mulberry will ripen by mid-summer. In winter, after the tree has shed its leaves, the bend of the branches will please the eye and give the plant a special grace.
Trimming
In order to obtain the desired height of the weeping mulberry and correctly form its crown, it is worth pruning the “extra” branches. The mulberry on a trunk is formed about one and a half meters high. In this way, you can form a crown in the form of a broom or a ball.
Particular attention should be paid to young shoots, the thin bark of which is most susceptible to the influence of temperature changes. In winter, the branches freeze, and in summer they succumb to moisture deficiency. In this case, pruning is necessary. Moreover, it will not affect the quality and volume of the harvest in any way.
So, today the weeping mulberry has not only aesthetic significance. It is widely consumed as food. Unpretentiousness in cultivation and care, original appearance, the ability to propagate the plant in different ways and delicious fruits and berries - these are the main components of the popularity of the crop among gardeners.
Varieties of weeping decorative mulberry
Weeping mulberry is a common mulberry that has several varieties. They differ in fruit color, size, and ripening time.
The most popular variety is the weeping mulberry Black Baroness. This is a black variety of weeping mulberry with large fruits up to 4 cm. It easily tolerates frosts down to -30 °C. Productivity - up to 100 kg per tree. Weeping mulberry Black Baroness has the most positive reviews about its unsurpassed taste.
White weeping mulberry is another species. It has heart-shaped leaves. Flowering period is May-June. The fruits are white, sweet, and do not tolerate transportation well.
For the most part, weeping mulberries have lower yields than other mulberry varieties. Mainly used to decorate a site, it is often planted near gazebos, fences, and also as single plantings in the garden.
Application in landscape design
The appearance of the weeping mulberry is very aesthetic: the berries glisten in the light of the sun and their shadow beautifully falls on the branches and leaves, which can be whole or with many “holes.” The straight shape of the trunk creates an even more expressive “weeping” effect. Even in winter, without leaves, the variety attracts the eye with its elegance.
The weeping variety is often used in design: planted in parks, near gazebos, and in private areas. Both individual trees and those growing in groups look beautiful. The plant is also used to create a “hedge”.
Planting and caring for weeping mulberry
Weeping mulberry on a trunk does not require care. But there are points that should be taken into account when planting and cultivating crops. When it comes to planting and care, weeping mulberry is not a capricious plant.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
Loamy and sandy loam soils are optimal for planting weeping mulberries. The site is chosen to be as illuminated as possible, with plenty of sunlight. There should be no tall trees or buildings nearby that cast shadows.
It is better to plant decorative mulberries on the southern slopes of hills.
Mulberry grows poorly on saline soils, as well as in swampy areas. The seedling should not be exposed to cold winds.
Preparation of planting material
Weeping mulberry propagates through cuttings. They are cut at the beginning of summer from this year's growth. With proper planting and compliance with the rules of agricultural technology, such cuttings will take root by autumn. It is important to plant them at an angle of 45°.
If a seedling with a ready-made root system is purchased for planting, then when purchasing you should pay attention to the condition of the roots. The roots of young mulberries are weak. It is important that there are no sick or rotten specimens among them. It is optimal if the roots are not dry and packed in fertile soil. Then the weeping mulberry will quickly take root, and care will not be difficult.
Planting weeping mulberries
It is recommended to plant a tree in the spring. But it is advisable to prepare the hole for planting in the fall. The width and height of the recess is 50 cm. When digging, instead of the infertile layer, you need to fill in a couple of buckets of compost or humus.
Place 50 g of urea, 100 g of superphosphate and 50 g of potassium in the pit. Mix with fertile soil.
When planting, the roots are carefully straightened. If planting is carried out in the southern regions, then the seedling is buried to the root collar. In the Northern regions, it is recommended to deepen the neck 5 cm below the soil level. The distance between seedlings should be 3 m.
After planting, trees are immediately watered. Each seedling needs 2 buckets of water. Then, to preserve moisture, the root zone is mulched. This can be done with straw, peat, sawdust or leaves.
Watering and fertilizing
Weeping mulberry is a very moisture-loving plant. Young plants need especially a lot of water. Immediately after planting, 2-3 buckets of water are poured onto the seedling.
Young trees are watered once every 2 weeks. In too hot summers, watering becomes more frequent up to once a week. The watering rate for a young mulberry tree is 20 liters. During the rainy season, you should not water the mulberry tree.
At the end of September it is necessary to carry out moisture-charging irrigation. To do this, pour 3 buckets of water under the young tree at once.
An adult plant requires less moisture. Weeping mulberry can also tolerate drought. Therefore, in hot weather, you can water mulberry trees once every 2 weeks or even less often.
Young weeping mulberry does not need feeding. Nutrient soil is sufficient for the first 2 years of life.
As you grow older, you need to apply fertilizer 2 times per season:
- The first feeding is carried out in the spring, while still lying on the snow. Urea is spread on the snow layer at the rate of 50 g per square meter. Some gardeners use ammonium nitrate instead of urea.
- In mid-August, potassium and phosphorus are added. This will help the mulberry overwinter and increase its frost resistance.
With such a fertilizing system, the mulberry will look impressive and give a decent harvest.
Protection from diseases and pests
Disease resistance is not observed in weeping mulberries. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out preventive treatment. It is best to do this in April, before the buds bloom.
Professional insecticides and fungicides are used for treatment. In October, a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture is used.
Be sure to regularly carry out sanitary pruning to rid the plant of diseased shoots. They become the source of infection of the entire mulberry tree.
Preparing weeping mulberries for wintering
Preparation for winter begins in mid-autumn. For a young mulberry tree, it is necessary to press the branches to the ground. If mulberries are grown in a region with harsh winters, then for the first few years you need to wrap the trunk with warm material. It is also better to cover the root system and cover it with mulch on top.
In the southern regions, no special preparation is required, since mulberry tolerates southern winters without difficulty.
Preparation for the procedure
The most common time to graft a mulberry tree is mid-spring. The procedure is planned for April, when the buds have already swelled, but there are no flowers yet. During this period, plant juices circulate especially actively. The probability that the scion will take root tends to the maximum. Cuttings for the spring procedure are prepared at the end of winter or beginning of March:
Varietal mulberry is often grafted onto wild
- annual shoots are cut from the sunny side of the mulberry tree;
- wrap them with a damp cloth;
- placed in a cool place: cellar, basement, refrigerator.
Attention! When choosing cuttings, make sure that they are not caught in the frost. Some summer residents practice grafting in the summer using a single bud
This method is called budding and is justified if the spring procedure was unsuccessful. In this case, preliminary preparation of shoots is not necessary. Cuttings for grafting should be long, with large leaves and sufficiently developed buds. Green shoots take root better than those that have already become woody. The optimal time for summer events is from July 25 to August 25
Some summer residents practice grafting in the summer using a single bud. This method is called budding and is justified if the spring procedure was unsuccessful. In this case, preliminary preparation of shoots is not necessary. Cuttings for grafting should be long, with large leaves and sufficiently developed buds. Green shoots take root better than those that have already become woody. The optimal time for summer events is from July 25 to August 25.
When preparing for the procedure, keep in mind a few rules:
Sharpen and clean your tools well. The cuts should come out smooth and of high quality.
It is important that they turn out right the first time: the cut areas quickly oxidize, so you need to work quickly. Prepare a special garden varnish or oil paint in advance. The cuts will need to be treated with this putty.
Yield of weeping mulberry from one tree
The first harvest from the weeping mulberry, as in the photo, can be obtained only after 3 years. In the first year of harvest, the fruits will be small. There is no need to climb a tree when picking berries. It is enough to wait for ripening, then all the berries will fall to the ground. It’s just advisable to lay down any material in advance, preferably polyethylene.
From one tree, depending on the variety, you can collect up to 100 kg of mulberries.
BENEFICIAL FEATURES
We recommend that any gardener grow frost-resistant mulberry in order to regularly receive from it almost all the vitamins and unique beneficial substances that are not contained in other plants.
Its fruits contain a high content of vitamin C, all B vitamins, vitamins A, E, K, PP. Berries are rich in the minerals iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium, selenium, zinc. They contain organic acids, mono- and disaccharides, glucose, fructose, sucrose.
Only they contain morin, which is invaluable for the human body, as well as flavonoids, phenols, antioxidants, natural antibiotics, fatty oils, and many other useful substances.
In Chinese medicine, mulberry fruits and leaves are considered the most valuable components of many herbal preparations, decoctions and tinctures.
How to form a weeping mulberry
Mulberry pruning is carried out to form the crown, remove diseased shoots, and also to rejuvenate the entire tree.
For pruning, you need to prepare tools, including pruning shears and a hacksaw. All tools must be sharpened and of high quality.
To form it, you need to leave a standard one meter high and cut off all the shoots at this distance. This pruning is carried out in early spring before the buds open. The temperature should not drop below - 10 °C.
Weeping mulberry is characterized by the same height and length of shoots. The central shoot is not isolated during crown formation. It is necessary to prune the branches at the lower and lateral buds. This creates the desired bend, which is considered characteristic of this shape.
Reproduction of weeping mulberries
Weeping mulberry is a dioecious plant, with both male and female flowers on the same tree. Mulberry propagation is possible by several methods:
- seeds - a long and labor-intensive process;
- green cuttings - the most common method;
- layering and maternal shoots;
- vaccination.
Each method has its own nuances. By grafting on one tree you can get a harvest of berries of different colors. This makes the tree even more decorative.
Reviews of weeping mulberry
Kiriyak Ruslan, 40 years old, Bendery
In our city, mulberries are used for landscaping. It is located on the sides of roads, in all parks and squares. Even in winter, without leaves, it looks great thanks to its graceful curves. I planted Black Baroness in my yard. It produces an excellent harvest with large berries measuring 4-5 cm. Children eat it with pleasure, and I make wine from mulberries.
Sokolov Dmitry, 38 years old, Krasnodar
Mulberries are grown for decorative purposes. Great for decorating the yard. Easy to care for, if the summer is rainy, you don’t even need to water it. I fertilize twice a season - that's enough. The main thing when landing is to choose the right place. If there is enough sun, the tree looks gorgeous and is always pleasing to the eye. The fruits are black, large, tasty and tolerate transportation well.
