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Taking mulberry (also mulberry or mulberry) cuttings is not particularly difficult. This is one of the simplest vegetative ways to propagate mulberries, and cuttings can be harvested both in autumn and summer: green cuttings, semi-lignified, lignified. In spring, mulberry cuttings are combined with grafting. As for decorative varieties, only propagation by grafting is suitable for them. Regardless of the chosen propagation method, seedlings take root very easily.
Mulberry propagation methods
Mulberries are propagated in almost all available ways:
- layering;
- seeds;
- cuttings;
- vaccination.
Most often, mulberries are grown from cuttings.
In spring, mulberries are usually propagated by top grafting (copulation) before the sap begins to flow in the plants. Copulation with a germinating eye is considered the most effective.
How to propagate mulberries from cuttings
Propagation of mulberries by green and semi-lignified cuttings, as a rule, does not cause any difficulties. Cuttings with lignified planting material are a little more difficult and take longer.In addition, the yield with this dilution is less. If from semi-lignified cuttings, which are planted in June, full-fledged seedlings grow by autumn, then it will take at least a year to grow lignified cuttings.
How to propagate mulberries from cuttings in the fall
In autumn, mulberries are propagated through lignified cuttings. The process of preparing planting material looks like this:
- In the fall, before the onset of frost on the mulberry tree, a strong woody shoot is selected from the upper part of the plant.
- Cuttings of 15-18 cm are cut from it.
- The resulting cuts are treated in the lower part with any root formation stimulator (for example, “Kornevin”). This treatment of the lower cuts will ensure better rooting of the planting material in the future.
- Then the cuttings are planted on a previously prepared bed, deeply buried. There should be no more than 5 cm above the ground surface.
- Germination of cuttings in this place lasts for 2 years. After this, seedlings with a complete root system can be replanted.
How to propagate mulberry by cuttings in spring
In spring, mulberry propagation by cuttings is combined with grafting onto the rootstock. Preparation of planting material begins in the spring, in mid-March. It is important to get there before the buds begin to bloom.
The breeding procedure looks like this:
- Cuttings of equal length are cut from the mulberry tree.
- The day before grafting, the sections on the lower side of the cut cuttings are renewed.
- Then they are placed with their renewed ends in clean water at room temperature.
- Two cuttings are selected - scion and rootstock.They make an oblique cut and combine the cuttings together. The cuts are firmly fixed with a bandage or plastic wrap. This method is called simple copulation.
Mulberry propagation by cuttings in summer
In summer, it is best to propagate mulberries using green cuttings. The procedure for harvesting green cuttings is as follows:
- In June, a healthy shoot is selected from the mulberry tree, quite soft to the touch (herbaceous). It must be from the current year.
- Cuttings are cut from the selected branch so that each cut contains 2-3 buds.
- Each cutting is cleaned - the leaves at the bottom are removed.
- The remaining leaves are cut in half. This is necessary for the further development of the cutting.
- The resulting planting material is planted in a greenhouse to a depth of 3-4 cm.
- During growth, the cuttings are watered moderately, trying not to overwater - stagnant moisture is detrimental to mulberries.
- The greenhouse is ventilated from time to time, and as the planting material grows, this period is increased from several minutes to half an hour.
- A month after planting, the cuttings are fertilized with mineral fertilizers.
- After about 30-35 days, the planting material should form a full-fledged root system.
Propagation of mulberries using semi-lignified cuttings is an excellent alternative to green cuttings. In July, the mulberry already forms strong, healthy branches, but they do not have time to become lignified by this time. Such shoots are cut off in June. Caring for seedlings is similar to growing green cuttings. The only difference is the longer dilution period: the procedure takes 1.5 months.
Mulberry propagation by seeds
Compared to propagating mulberries by cuttings, the seed propagation method is not so popular. Despite its simplicity, it has one significant drawback - the loss of varietal qualities. The characteristics of the mother plant when propagated by seeds are not transmitted to the next generation. That is why seedlings grown from seeds are often used as rootstocks for grafting.
The algorithm for growing mulberries from seeds is as follows:
- Ripe mulberry berries are collected from the branches and placed in a container.
- The container with the fruits is placed in direct sunlight and kept there until the collected berries begin to ferment.
- Once the fermentation process begins, the fruits are crushed and ground in water.
- The raised layer of pulp is drained. Then the berry mass is again filled with water and wiped again until clean seeds remain.
- The resulting planting material is laid out on a tray or plate to dry.
- As soon as the seeds are dry, they are put away in a fabric or paper bag until spring. Planting material must be stored in a dry place at room temperature. The kitchen is not suitable for this due to sudden temperature changes.
- 35-40 days before sowing the seeds, they are moistened and placed in the refrigerator on the top shelf. This is necessary for stratification of planting material.
- Seeds are sown in open ground in late April - early May. It is not recommended to bury the planting material too deeply - a depth of 1 cm is sufficient.
- The seeds are sprinkled with earth and watered moderately so that the seeds are not washed away.
Advice from experienced gardeners
Conclusion
Mulberry cuttings usually do not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. This garden crop is very easy to propagate - it has good survival rate regardless of the propagation method. Mulberry can be propagated by seeds, cuttings, layering, and grafting. The most popular is cuttings - this method is not only simple, but also allows you to preserve the varietal qualities of the tree, in contrast to the seed propagation method. In order for a plant to take root in a new place, it is enough to strictly follow the basic requirements of agricultural technology.
You can learn more about how to cut mulberries from the video below:
