Leatherback starting Mulberry from cutting

[leatherback]

So.. I have been seeing quite a few small mulberry bonsai and am considering starting one from cutting. We have a decent sized (10ft tall or so) in the garden, and I could quite easily look for and try to fine a branch to cut.

I am led to believe they root easily from cuttings. However, what is unclear is whether larger sized cuttings also root well, and whether that is only in winter, or also in summer.
I do not intent to go the airlayer route.

If anybody has suggestions or experience growing larger cuttings in summer, would be great to hear.

 

[JoeWilson]

I’m a noob when it comes to cuttings, but have been doing a lot of research on the topic as I’m trying to propagate some mountain mahoganies. So I’ll try to answer, but take it with a grain of salt.

The green, new growth should root faster and more reliably than older growth that has hardened off. But it may be more difficult to keep the cutting alive in the warm weather (assuming you’re keeping them outside). So there are some trade-offs. I would recommend taking dozens of cuttings rather than one or two. From the studies I’ve read, the success rate varies dramatically.

In my experience, mulberries are easy to grow from seed and tend to freely volunteer. As the old saying goes, “wherever a bird poops, a mulberry tree grows”. So if the cuttings don’t work out, maybe try from seed, or just wait until your yard is filled with saplings.

 

[leatherback]

I’m a noob when it comes to cuttings, but have been doing a lot of research on the topic as I’m trying to propagate some mountain mahoganies. So I’ll try to answer, but take it with a grain of salt.

The green, new growth should root faster and more reliably than older growth that has hardened off. But it may be more difficult to keep the cutting alive in the warm weather (assuming you’re keeping them outside). So there are some trade-offs. I would recommend taking dozens of cuttings rather than one or two. From the studies I’ve read, the success rate varies dramatically.

In my experience, mulberries are easy to grow from seed and tend to freely volunteer. As the old saying goes, “wherever a bird poops, a mulberry tree grows”. So if the cuttings don’t work out, maybe try from seed, or just wait until your yard is filled with saplings.

Thx. I have grown dozens of species and hundreds (thousands?) of cuttings. So in general I know how to root cuttings. I have however never done mulberry and online information is not conclusive as to whether thick trunks work.
In the 15 years we have had this tree, never have we had volunteer seedlings, so waiting for that to happen will probably have me old and grey before I have a sapling.

 

[JoeWilson]

It sounds like you know way more about cuttings than I do, so my first piece of advice would be to trust your instincts and ignore me. Having said that, one thing you might consider is looking for propagation information on related species in the moraceae family, fig or ficus, for example.

I wonder if you have a seedless variety? Here in North America, mulberry is considered a bit of a nuisance due to how aggressively it grows from seed. When I lived in Iowa, it was a pain in the butt. Here in Colorado, the thorn in my side (literally) is Buckthorn (a seemingly impossible to manage invasive tree that drops a million berries every year) and choke cherry (a native plant with some redeeming qualities, but just as aggressive, I'm sure I have over 100 on my property).

 

[Shibui]

I read that Mulberry cuttings were easy, that they should strike from large cuttings. I tried a number of times, with large and smaller cuttings, without success. Not sure if that was related to the cultivar I was trying with, my methods or conditions.

Interesting that I've never seen a Mulberry seedling down here either.

 

[leatherback]

Mulberry seedling

a seedless variety

Mulberry is dioecious -separated sexes- as far as I know. So that means that you would have to have a male plant in the area to get fertilized fruit. I imagine that in areas where this species is out of control there might be plenty of male plants. In my region it is an uncommon plant, and those that are around would mostly be from nurseries: Female plants (Why would you plant a male plant in your garden, you grow is for fruits, right?). That could be a reason.

Well.. Deed is done. I have ...

• taken a handfull of this years tips at maybe 15cm/6inches in length
• taken a handfull of 3 to 5 year old stems
  • (I just cut one older branch out of the tree and chopped it in pieces)
• sealed every cut over half a cm (1/5 of an inch) with cutpasteliquid
• removed all leaves by cutting the petiole
• smoothened bottom cuts with a sharp knife, and covered them in rooting hormone gel
• planted all in my reguler bonsai substrate, with 1/3 or more of the stem in the substrate
• Encased some of the young cuttings in a baggie.

Now the waiting game starts. These will get a sliver of sunlight for maybe half an hour in the early morning. For the rest, full shade, against a wall. Keep humid and leave alone for the rest of the growing season I suppose.

 

[Zac]

I never tried to take cuttings. In my area they are a weed tree. They pop up in my parents hedge row and I cut them down and they just send up hundreds of new trees. Anyway a couple months back a storm blew a large one over at my parents house and with my work schedule it took time for me to get over there to cut it up. Where one branch was on the ground it had started rooting in just 2 weeks. Now it was still attached to trunk that still had a couple roots in the ground so was more like a ground layer. So I think they should root easily for you. Good luck!

 

[Russ1]

I have found one of the best rooting mix is 4 parts medium to fine perlite (typical Lowes or Home depot stuff) and 1 part Coco or Peat.
I have used everything over the years, all grades of sand, Bonsai soil mixes, etc. Plants i have had problems rooting in the past have rooted in this mix.

 

[minkes]

If it is in your garden, why not to try air layering? I love your videos

 

[Michael P]

(Why would you plant a male plant in your garden, you grow is for fruits, right?).

In the USA, male clones were marketed as a "fruitless" fast growing shade tree for many years. Americans hate messy things LOL. Then people realized that they are short-lived and very prone to storm damage, eventually making a huge mess.

 

[leatherback]

If it is in your garden, why not to try air layering?

Do not feel like entering discussions on this with my wife, who initially wanted to get the tree. She does not really like bonsai, nor pruning trees. So not a route I initially wish to take if there are viable alternatives.

 

[shohin_branches]

So.. I have been seeing quite a few small mulberry bonsai and am considering starting one from cutting. We have a decent sized (10ft tall or so) in the garden, and I could quite easily look for and try to fine a branch to cut.

I am led to believe they root easily from cuttings. However, what is unclear is whether larger sized cuttings also root well, and whether that is only in winter, or also in summer.
I do not intent to go the airlayer route.

If anybody has suggestions or experience growing larger cuttings in summer, would be great to hear.

I have 1.5" piece (3.8cm) that I hammered into the ground for a wattle fence in the spring that's growing.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

I grow them from cuttings and they are easy.

 

[JoeWilson]

Mulberry is dioecious -separated sexes- as far as I know. So that means that you would have to have a male plant in the area to get fertilized fruit. I imagine that in areas where this species is out of control there might be plenty of male plants. In my region it is an uncommon plant, and those that are around would mostly be from nurseries: Female plants (Why would you plant a male plant in your garden, you grow is for fruits, right?). That could be a reason.

Well.. Deed is done. I have ...

• taken a handfull of this years tips at maybe 15cm/6inches in length
• taken a handfull of 3 to 5 year old stems
  • (I just cut one older branch out of the tree and chopped it in pieces)
• sealed every cut over half a cm (1/5 of an inch) with cutpasteliquid
• removed all leaves by cutting the petiole
• smoothened bottom cuts with a sharp knife, and covered them in rooting hormone gel
• planted all in my reguler bonsai substrate, with 1/3 or more of the stem in the substrate
• Encased some of the young cuttings in a baggie.

Now the waiting game starts. These will get a sliver of sunlight for maybe half an hour in the early morning. For the rest, full shade, against a wall. Keep humid and leave alone for the rest of the growing season I suppose.

Good luck! Since someone else mentioned it, I realized I watch your YouTube all the time too. I hope we see progress on the cuttings on your channel.

 

[leatherback]

Good luck! Since someone else mentioned it, I realized I watch your YouTube all the time too. I hope we see progress on the cuttings on your channel.

there might be a video in 1-3 years.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

Where do you place your cuttings?

 

[shohin_branches]

Here is my sprouted mulberry wattle fence stake. It's 1.5" (3.81 cm) at the top and I haven't watered it all summer the one in the back has also sprouted. It's just hammered into the dirt. I warned my partner to strip the bark first!

 

[leatherback]

I warned my partner

haha, they never listen do they.

But.. ommon wisdom tells us.. Big branches often resprout without roots present. You might be in luck it is just doing this on reserves!

 

[shohin_branches]

haha, they never listen do they.

But.. ommon wisdom tells us.. Big branches often resprout without roots present. You might be in luck it is just doing this on reserves!

It sprouted once before. I think I pulled the sprouts off in May or June. It's time to cut back all my other mulberry stumps anyway so hopefully if I pull the sprouts off again it will go back to being a stick.

 

[TrimmyWhimmy]

Large winter cuttings have been successful for me. Never tried summer cuttings. They are related to figs so you might have a chance.