(143) Fruitless Mulberry

Fruitless mulberry.

[trwent]

If you are looking for a good shade tree, this is it! The downside is that they have very shallow, far-reaching roots, which can be a problem for sidewalks, patios, sewers, and septic tanks if the tree(s) are planted too close.

[brianandersen]

Good to hear from someone that knows the proper way to prune a fruitless mulberry. I'm so tired of seeing scarred mulberries from years of butchering (pollarding). Possession of chainsaw and loppers do not a tree trimmer make.

[Peldyn]

I have 4 mulberry trees on my property. I have never pollarded them. I think they are about 35 years old now. They are huge! The best shade ever. My children loved climbing them and so do my grandchildren.

[qtpie]

Thank you for this video because I have seen everyone on my block trim theirs all the way back and I remember hearing somewhere along the lines NOT to do that so again, thank you for posting this video. Now I just need to find a video that kinda tells us how we should be trimming it because our branches are going every which way, thankfully it is not near the house.

[GrowSomethingGreen]

Thanks for the info and camera shots, I actually just bought one of these. And can't wait for it to grow.

[ffakr]

question.. My Mulberry is well established, probably 40'+ tall.  There is some clubbing along some established branches w/ some decay there that I'd like to remove.

One branch in particular has a swing tied to it so I'd like to keep some of it, but I'd like to remove the distal end about 6 feet from trunk because of scaring/rot and inconvenient placement over yard.

Should I, under any circumstances, cut a ~6-8" diameter limb mid-branch?  If so, how  do I leave cut to best heal?  
I've seen debate about tarring/sealing pruned large branches. When my Elm lost a very large branch (2'+ d. at girdle), the tree company left it exposed and the tree remains healthy years out.  Would sealing be more appropriate if cut mid-branch?

[sarag]

Beautiful. I'm debating between a mulberry and a Chinese Pistache Keith Davey. If I choose the mulberry, I will not top it. I think it looks terrible whenever any tree is butchered. They are beautiful living things.
Thank you for the video

[robrich]

Ok it sounds like their are legitimate fruitless mulberry trees and I wanted to try pruning some old codgers like 2’ wide diameter however the one tree was fruiting and read you need to prune it back. ? How much needs to be cut? Is it a specified percentage? Because the trees that were fruiting it sounds like pruning could get them fruiting again. ?

The unknown mulberry trees that possibly never fruited will never fruit by pruning or is it a myth? Sounds like it’s true according to this video. Used for shade purposes.

I’m not a arborist expert and glad to have stumbled upon your video.

I asked already but reformat the questions in sequential fashion: Also wanted to know your recommendations on pruning fruiting large mulberry trees. How much is recommended in trimming down when a tree is 25-35’ tall with a 2’ + diameter trunk. ? The most impressive trunk I’ve seen is a tree with at least a 30’ tree trunk with 2’ diameter!! It is healthy and no disease either!! Not messing with that amazing specimen.

Also your your opinion on why separating stem from fruit on some will not pull apart on fruiting mulberry trees whereas other species you gently tap on a branch or limb and even the unripe fruits come crashing down? Is this a water drought problem or nutrient deficiency issue or something altogether different? I’m sorry I’m always thinking outside the box but love troubleshooting and solving complex problems by research and other investigative means.

I know of in the state I go foraging for black and white mulberries of 200 trees. Some are scrawny with 1.5” - 6” diameter trees but the fruit taste imho surpasses black raspberries by a landslide. So I want to keep these trees healthy and noticed many old ones are either diseased with lots of dead branches on them. What do you also recommend in cutting off in winter time large branches or a larger size cut off of 2” or more? Is their something used that mainly arborists are familiar with? I want to do this right on the places I have permission going to. I only know of one native red mulberry tree and wanted to transfer the cuttings over to my friends farm. Those were the native species from what I read. How can a person find out what kind of disease a tree has? Call a local arborist and send photos and samples?

[PeoriaNewsJunkie]

We had these trees while living in the San Francisco bay area. Now we live in Phoenix, AZ. Do you think they would survive the heat and intense sun? We're looking for a good shade tree that will help keep our house shaded/cooler. Thank you for your response.

[jcever]

Hi great info, i was about to prune my fruitless mulberry (late winter early spring) but noticed a lot of buds and some look like they opened. Should i wait till next year? Thank you.

[RandomGeorge]

My fruitless mulberry roots like to get into the waste lines, lots of surface roots also, and cracked concrete. How is it for firewood?

[lovhybrid]

do they have one that just grows about 8 ft ? for california.

[kitisabuebos]

Me 2 I just bought 1 boy morus tree 7'tall hope he grows high

[kcnfv]

My friend trim his tree it not get big I tell him don't trim it let the leaf fall off the tree