Air Layering a Mulberry Tree

[farendwoman]

For about five years I have tried to propagate a HUUUUGE mulberry tree in my garden.(At least twenty feet tall)
It’s so tall that it’s impossible to net and so the birds take all the fruit as soon as they start to go pink, so they never get to ripen. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it produces a couple of hundred pounds of pink mulberries every year - and we get almost none!
Every time I go into the garden at fruiting time a cloud of birds take to the air, only to return to the tree again as soon as they realise that it’s just me and that I present no harm!
My husband says it’s my fault for feeding the birds all year and encouraging them into the garden!!
Anyway enough waffle - the question is .....
I have succeeded with air layering a small cutting. Yippee.
When shall I sever it from the main tree ??
Now - or leave it till Spring?
Will it have a better chance of survival if it remains attached to parent plant, or should I pot it up and put it in a cold greenhouse?
Thanks

[Lardman]

Id be worried about the roots freezing over winter. If there are enough roots to support the layer Id cur it now and get the root in a pot away from the frost as nothing will happen until spring. If they're not developed enough, is there a way you can provide frost protection to them where they are?

[farendwoman]

Hi Lardman
I agree with you - so I’ve cut it off!
A very good rootball as you can see.
Hopefully this one will grow and I’ll be able to keep it small enough to put a net over it and keep the blackbirds off.
Here’s the rootball


And here it is potted up in its new home

[Lardman]

Looks good. Oodles of roots on it and certainly time to cut off the mother plant.

It might take a few years for it to fruit. I have to admit what I know about Mulberry bushes can be written on a postage stamp with a large wax crayon, but at least you've propagated it.

I'm a big fan of formally training trees can you do that with a mulberry? it would help with your bird problem.