Black Mulberry - better grafted or on its own roots ?

[TheMidnightGrower]

1) I have a pair of small black mulberry trees both about 4 feet high. They were being sold off at a very good end of season price. They grew well last year and this year as well, so they have quite a few good shoots.

I am a bit uncertain about them being grafted. I don't really understand the advantages of this sort of tree being not on its own roots.

Do you think I would be better off trimming them back and using the trimmings to make cuttings with? I gather the traditional technique is to just stick a length of branch into the ground as it should sprout easily.

I ask partly because am not sure of the value of grafting (I gather traditionally mulberries are usually not grafted) and also because one of the grafts does not seem all that good to me (exposed core areas in places) and I am wondering if it will cause disease issues in a few years.

2) I am assuming my grafted trees will take years to fruit at all - am I correct?

Thanks for any advice.

[devonuk]

1) I have a pair of small black mulberry trees both about 4 feet high. They were being sold off at a very good end of season price. They grew well last year and this year as well, so they have quite a few good shoots.

I am a bit uncertain about them being grafted. I don't really understand the advantages of this sort of tree being not on its own roots.

Do you think I would be better off trimming them back and using the trimmings to make cuttings with? I gather the traditional technique is to just stick a length of branch into the ground as it should sprout easily.

I ask partly because am not sure of the value of grafting (I gather traditionally mulberries are usually not grafted) and also because one of the grafts does not seem all that good to me (exposed core areas in places) and I am wondering if it will cause disease issues in a few years.

2) I am assuming my grafted trees will take years to fruit at all - am I correct?

Thanks for any advice.

Don't be too confident about rooting cuttings, would be my main caveat. Gardening books do traditionally say as you say that you just stick a branch in the ground and off you go but I have never got a cutting to root, and I get on ok with cuttings generally.

I don't know what effect grafting will have on time to first fruiting. My black mulberry is 10 years old and has yet to fruit, but that may be because it was in a large pot till 2 years ago.

[TheMidnightGrower]

Thanks for the reply - handy to know the cuttings are not the easiest.

My plants too are both in large pots. I have read they can cope with being potted up to about 15 years, I presume because they are not rapid growers.

I cant put them in the ground as I am hoping to move house in the next couple of years and wish to take them with me.

I wonder what they are grafted on to?

I think I might try with a couple of cuttings, despite the trees being fairly small.

I saw a very old mulberry tree in a park yesterday, its berries forming. If there are any fallen ripe ones next time, I might try picking one up and trying for some seedlings. They are strange when old trees, a bit like giant bonzi.

I dont mind waiting for fruit as I like the trees themselves.

[Guest]

I have had a non- grafted mulberry several years and was bought a grafted one for Christmas. Straight off the grafted is more vigorous will be interesting to see if the grafted fruits first as well. Depends on your urgency or if you are just playing about.

[sparrow100]

For playing about's sake I wrapped a little fragment I'd broken off my Charlotte Russe in tissue & stuck in a ziplock bag. I've now got a potted up rooted cutting, about a foot high and growing really well.

I have stuck a grafted black mulberry onto my birthday list for later this year. Here's hoping....

[TheMidnightGrower]

So does anyone know what rootstock they are grafted on to?

[TheMidnightGrower]

For playing about's sake I wrapped a little fragment I'd broken off my Charlotte Russe in tissue & stuck in a ziplock bag. I've now got a potted up rooted cutting, about a foot high and growing really well.

How big was it? I might give this a try.

[sparrow100]

It was titchy. This is it just showing a new leaf forming.

[Ocelot]

They say it takes 10 years to fruit, so may take a while.

A few years ago I saw a prodigiously fruiting 8 foot plant at RHS Wisley plant shop for £44. I almost bought it (free delivery as I'm not that far away). Wish I had now.