How to train/prune a mulberry bush into a proper tree?

[AnitaRL]

Hi All,

I have a black mulberry bush/tree which I planted in the garden about 18 months ago. It's now approximately 2 metres tall. I bought it as a tree, but it looks like a bush, with several branches radiating out from a central point/stem in the ground.

I would like to grow this plant as a tree, but at the moment it has no single stem/trunk. Do I need to prune it myself for it to take on a tree shape or will it eventually start looking like a tree on its own?? Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as at the moment I've no idea what to do with it. Thanks! Anita

[rustylady]

Would probably help if you could upload a photo or photos Anita.

[AnitaRL]

I'll try to post some photos very soon!

[Feral007]

Well my mulberry tree is doing it's impression of a stick. A very lovely stick, but not a tree! I think my problem is that it's just too cold and windy here. I'll persevere and if it every looks like growing into a tree I'll have some idea now how to prune it.

[orangepippin]

Mulberries are quite slow growing, so things tend to happen at a leisurely pace. Pruning is usually not needed. I'm surprised if it is multi-stemmed, usually they are quite definitely tree-like and you just leave them to get on with it.

The RHS Pruning and Training Guide (Brickell) is has some detailed information on training mulberries.

[yummersetter]

Mine from ART are definitely standards, about 5ft of clear stem before the branches form.
I'm going to give you a brutal suggestion. Because they grow slowly and live for decades you need to have it right to start with. Can you rehome your bush mulberry? Then buy one that's in the form you want ( tell the nursery) and it'll save you the years you'll wait till the one you have has been pruned to one shoot, grown a proper upright stem, then branched.