2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38
Mulberry (Latin Morus) Is a genus of deciduous trees of the Mulberry family. The genus includes 17 species. The plant is known under the names - here, mulberry, mulberry, mulberry, mulberry. In nature, it is found mainly in the subtropical and warm temperate zones of Africa, Asia and North America. On the territory of the Russian Federation, mulberry grows in the Belgorod, Voronezh, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov and Saratov regions, as well as in the Stavropol and Krasnodar regions.
Characteristics of culture
Mulberry is a deciduous tree 16-35 m high with a spherical or broadly ovate dense crown. The bark is fissured, brown in color. Leaves are dark green, leathery, glabrous or pubescent, ovate, alternate, asymmetrical, lobed or crenate, up to 15 cm long, equipped with early falling stipules. Flowers are dioecious, collected in ear-shaped inflorescences. The fruit is a false drupe, very juicy, fleshy, pink, white, purple or almost black, up to 5 cm long, has a pleasant aroma. On average, a mulberry lives about 200 years, although there are specimens 400-500 years old. The culture enters fruiting in the fifth year after planting. In the tenth year of life, up to 100-110 kg of berries can be harvested from one tree.
Growing conditions
Mulberry is a light-loving plant, undemanding to soil conditions. Areas for growing crops are preferable well-lit with fertile, drained, slightly acidic or neutral soil, protected from cold winds. Mulberries do not tolerate saline, heavy clayey, highly waterlogged and swampy soils. The optimum growth temperature is 18-25C. Mulberry is cold-resistant, withstands winter frosts down to -30C.
Reproduction and planting
Mulberries are propagated by seeds, layering, green and lily cuttings, root shoots and grafting. The latter method is most relevant for decorative forms. Reproduction by green cuttings is considered to be the most effective way, their rooting rate, even without the use of growth stimulants, is 80-90%. Propagation by lignified cuttings gives much worse results.
When propagated by grafting, a white mulberry is used as a stock. When planting a culture with seedlings, the pit is prepared in 2-3 weeks, their dimensions should be 80 * 80 * 60 cm. A third of the pit is filled with a mixture consisting of fertile soil, humus or compost, fertilized with potassium salt, superphosphate or any complex fertilizer. Planting seedlings is desirable in the fall, although spring planting is also appropriate.
Care
The main care for mulberries is weeding, loosening, watering and feeding. The soil in the near-trunk zone must be kept loose. Fertilizers are applied at planting, and then when the first fruits appear on the trees. For mulberries, one top dressing per season is enough. Nitrofoska as a fertilizer will be an excellent option. Secondary feeding is carried out as needed.
Periodically, you can feed the mulberry with slurry diluted 4-5 times. You can also use bird droppings diluted 10-12 times. In the second half of summer, feeding should not be carried out, otherwise the shoots will not have time to prepare for wintering. The crop needs annual sanitary and formative pruning. It is best to grow mulberries in bush form, in this case, plant growth is limited to 3-4 meters. Thickening branches are regularly removed from mulberries
Usage
Mulberry is widely used in cooking. The edible fruit is used to make fillings for pies, wine, and soft drinks. Mulberry wood is a valuable material; it is used for the manufacture of some musical instruments and construction ornamental materials. The culture is also suitable for landscaping personal plots. Mulberry looks great in group, single and alley plantings. Trees are also used to create hedges.
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Mulberry In The Suburbs. Varieties
For several decades now, a representative of the South of Russia has been successfully growing mulberry (mulberry) in the Moscow region. Incredibly, history knows the fact that this plant was cultivated by Peter 1 in Izmailovo. Maybe these trees are distant descendants of those pioneers?
Chrysanthemum Mulberry
Chrysanthemum mulberry (lat.Chrysanthemum x morifolium) - a large group of varieties and hybrids, characterized by a variety of forms, abundant flowering and high decorativeness. Used to decorate flower beds, as well as create bouquets. Nowadays it is actively used by Russian, European, Chinese and Japanese gardeners.
White Mulberry
White mulberry (Latin Morus alba) - a fruit crop belonging to the Mulberry family. Description White mulberry is a deciduous fruit tree with a spherical and incredibly spreading crown, the height of which varies from fifteen to eighteen meters.
Black Mulberry
Black mulberry (lat.Morus nigra) - a fruit tree belonging to the Mulberry family. Description Black mulberry is a deciduous tree, the height of which ranges from ten to thirteen meters. The length of the leaves of this plant pubescent from below is in the range from ten to twenty centimeters, and their width is in the range from six to ten centimeters.
Red Mulberry
Red mulberry (Latin Morus rubra) - fruit crop from the Mulberry family. It is much less common than black or white mulberry. Description The red mulberry is a relatively small, deciduous tree that boasts a luxurious tent-like crown. The average height of trees ranges from ten to fifteen meters, however, individual specimens sometimes grow up to twenty meters up.
