Content
- 1 Where does mulberry grow in Russia?
- 2 Botanical description of mulberry
- 3 How to plant mulberries
- 4 How to care for mulberries
- 5 Features of growing mulberries in different regions
- 6 Why does mulberry not bear fruit?
- 7 Mulberry varieties for the middle zone
- 8 Reviews about growing and caring for mulberries in the Moscow region
- 9 Conclusion
This article provides a description, photo of the berries and mulberry tree - a unique plant that everyone who has visited the south of our country has encountered. The mulberry tree is not only distinguished by its tasty and healthy fruits, it also produces valuable wood from which furniture, art objects and musical instruments are made. Mulberry is also indispensable for breeding the silkworm, a butterfly from whose cocoons natural silk is obtained.
Where does mulberry grow in Russia?
Mulberry is a heat-loving crop.It grows in the south of the European part of Russia, as well as in the Khabarovsk Territory and Primorye. Some wild mulberry trees can be found at the latitude of the Kursk and Voronezh regions; in more northern regions, only artificially planted mulberries can be found. Such plantings have been preserved since ancient times. In order not to transport raw silk from China, in the 16th–17th centuries, mulberry trees began to be planted throughout the entire European part of the Russian Empire, since with the advent of silk-spinning manufactories, the issue of supplying raw materials became especially acute.
Attempts to breed mulberries in the central regions were made a large number of times, but the main population of seedlings, as a rule, died, only a few specimens survived, which have survived to this day. Currently, a small population of mulberries, planted for technical purposes, is located in the Moscow region. Individual mulberry trees have survived even in the Nizhny Novgorod, Leningrad and Yaroslavl regions, although this is rather an exception to the general rule.
Attempts to artificially plant mulberries in the Urals and Siberia were also made several times, but they all ended in failure. Individual specimens of mulberry can still be found in the park areas of Barnaul, Irkutsk, Krasnoyarsk and other Siberian cities. All of them were grown from mulberry seedlings growing in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories; in these regions, mulberries are found growing wild quite often.
Below in the photo are berries on a mulberry tree.
Despite the fact that mulberry is a southern tree, gardeners from other regions do not give up attempts to grow it on their plots in order to obtain a harvest of berries. Climate warming is partly contributing to this.Severe winters in the European part of Russia are becoming less and less common, so the number of successful attempts to grow mulberries in the middle zone is becoming more and more.
Botanical description of mulberry
Mulberry (mulberry tree, mulberry - it's all the same thing) is a separate genus of plants, uniting 17 species. It is found freely in North America, Eurasia, and Africa. The main characteristics of mulberries are shown in the table below.
Parameter | Meaning |
Plant type | Deciduous tree |
Growth rate | At a young age, the growth rate is high, but slows down with age |
Mature tree height | 10-15 m, sometimes up to 20 m or more |
Crown | Wide, spreading, weeping in some species |
Leaves | Heart-shaped with a jagged edge, lobed, bright green |
Flowering time | April May |
Fruit | Infructescences from achenes from overgrown perianths (false drupes), 2-3 cm long, fruit color from white to red and dark purple |
Keeping quality and transportability of fruits | Very low |
How does mulberry grow?
Mulberry is characterized by rapid growth only in the first years of life. By the age of 5, the main skeleton of the tree is formed, after which the rate of its growth slows down significantly, and after 10 years, only an annual annual growth is formed. Mulberry is a real long-liver. Under normal conditions, it lives up to 200 years, and in natural conditions of a subtropical climate - from 300 to 500 years.
If you do not take any measures to form the crown, the mulberry often grows not as a tree, but as a spreading bush, consisting of a large number of equivalent trunks on a short trunk.
How mulberries bloom
Mulberries bloom in April-May.Its flowers are dioecious, male and female, small in size, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Pollination is carried out by the wind and also by insects. A blooming mulberry is shown in the photo below.
When does the mulberry tree begin to bear fruit?
Mulberries begin to bear fruit only 5 years after the seedling is planted in open ground. It's quite long. To shorten the waiting period, some gardeners graft mulberry seedlings with a cutting or bud of a cultivated variety, taking grafting material from a fruiting tree. This method makes it possible to get the first harvest in the 3rd, and sometimes in the 2nd year of life. Re-grafting will also help if all the seedlings are of the same sex.
How does mulberry bear fruit?
Most mulberry varieties ripen in the second half of July. In place of each inflorescence, false drupes appear - small fruits fused together. Unripe berries are green; when ripe, the color depends on the variety and can vary from white to red and dark purple, almost black. Ripe mulberries are very easily separated from the stalk.
What does mulberry taste like?
The taste of mulberry is very individual and unlike any other berry or fruit. Unripe mulberry fruits have a pronounced sour taste, which almost disappears after the berries reach full ripeness, especially in white varieties. The taste of ripe mulberries is sweet, while black and red varieties have a sweet and sour taste.The aroma of mulberries is unique and memorable, although not very pronounced.
The difference between blackberries and mulberries
Blackberries and mulberries are similar only in appearance. In both cultures these are elongated drupes, similar in color and size. However, this is where the similarities end. Unlike the mulberry, which is a deciduous tree and belongs to the Mulberry family, the blackberry is a subshrub and belongs to the Rosaceae family. The age of a mulberry tree can exceed several hundred years; blackberry shoots live only two years. But blackberries, unlike mulberries, have much better shelf life and transportability.
How to plant mulberries
In the middle zone, planting mulberries in open ground requires subsequent care and is associated with a certain risk. After all, this is a southern plant. However, under favorable conditions, the mulberry tree will grow and bear fruit well even in such a non-subtropical region. Planting and caring for mulberries is not particularly difficult.
Selection and preparation of a landing site
The mulberry tree is afraid of the north wind, so the ideal place for planting would be the southern slope of the hill. Mulberry does not have any special requirements for soil composition; it grows well on chernozem and loams; only highly saline and heavy clay soils are not suitable for it. You should not plant mulberries in wetlands where melt or rainwater accumulates or in places where groundwater comes too close to the surface.
Mulberry seedlings are planted in early spring, while planting holes are prepared in the fall so that the soil becomes loose and saturated with air.The root system of mulberry seedlings is not significant in size, so the planting holes are dug small, about 0.5 m deep, 0.7 m in diameter. The excavated soil is saved. Before planting, a bucket of humus is added to it and the roots of the seedling are covered with such nutritious soil.
Preparation of planting material
When choosing mulberry seedlings, you should first of all pay attention to its origin. A tree brought from the south is unlikely to feel good in changing conditions, for example, in the Moscow region. Therefore, it is better to give preference to zoned varieties. In addition, the seedling must look healthy, have a well-developed root system and show no signs of the beginning of the growing season.
It must be remembered that the mulberry tree is dioecious. To guarantee a harvest, it is better to choose grafted three-year-old seedlings, since they have already produced fruit. Planting younger mulberry trees carries the risk that they will all end up being the same sex and will not bear fruit.
Landing rules
You can start planting mulberries after the soil has warmed to + 5 °C. An earthen mound is poured onto the bottom of the planting hole, and the seedling is placed strictly vertically on top of it, spreading the roots along the slopes. Nearby, a peg is driven into the bottom of the hole, which will serve as a support for the future mulberry tree for the first time. After this, the hole is filled with prepared soil, compacting it slightly, otherwise voids may form in the ground and some of the roots may simply hang in the air. The root collar of the mulberry seedling is leveled to the soil level, the trunk is tied to a peg - a support. Then the tree trunk circle is shed generously with water and mulched.
To prevent plants from competing with each other, when planting, it is necessary to maintain intervals between neighboring mulberry trees. The crown of the mulberry is wide and spreading, so between neighboring mulberry trees there should be a distance of at least 5 m, and if the mulberry is formed in a bush form - at least 3 m.
How to care for mulberries
Many gardeners in the southern regions of the country consider caring for mulberries unnecessary, but in Central Russia it will be quite difficult to grow a healthy fruit-bearing mulberry tree without special measures. And the more comprehensive and high-quality the activities carried out, the greater the gardener’s chances of getting the desired harvest of mulberries.
Watering and fertilizing
Mulberries do not require watering, except perhaps during the driest times. Starting in July, any artificial soil moisture should be stopped. When grown on fertile soil, fertilizing is usually not applied. If the land is quite poor, the mulberry tree needs to be fed. This can be done once per season, in the spring. To do this, use organic matter, for example, manure, spreading it in the root zone. You can also feed the mulberry tree in early spring with complex mineral fertilizers, for example, nitrophoska or urea.
Trimming and shaping
The further north the mulberry growing region, the lower in height the tree should be formed. Based on this, pruning is done. In the southern regions, the mulberry tree is not pruned at all; in the more northern regions, a spreading, cap-shaped crown is formed on a low trunk. In the northern regions, preference is given to bush forms, which, as a rule, are more winter-hardy.
Many gardeners grow mulberry as an ornamental tree.This is especially true for varieties with a weeping crown. Such trees are pruned in accordance with the chosen crown shape, shortening the annual growth and maintaining the required dimensions. In addition, mulberries are pruned for sanitary purposes, removing old, dried and broken branches, cutting out diseased and pest-damaged shoots. This pruning is usually carried out at least 2 times per season, after winter and at the end of leaf fall.
Protection from diseases and pests
Mulberry is quite often attacked by pests, and diseases on it are not uncommon. The most common diseases on mulberries are:
- Verticillium wilt (wilt). It manifests itself in curling of leaves, drying of shoots and ultimately leads to the complete death of the tree. There are no treatments for this fungal disease. As preventive measures, it is recommended to use disease-resistant varieties, as well as timely application of nitrogen fertilizers that increase plant immunity. Diseased mulberries are uprooted and burned, and the soil at the site of their growth is treated with a 40% formaldehyde solution. For 10 years after the disease is detected, no fruit trees can be planted in such a place.
- Bacteriosis. A disease that exclusively affects mulberries. Found in all regions where mulberry grows. It manifests itself in the appearance of spotting on leaves and young shoots. Then the spots turn brown and the leaves rot through. This disease has no cure. Diseased mulberries are pruned, severely affected trees are uprooted and burned, and neighboring plantings must be sprayed with a 3% solution of Bordeaux mixture. The same spraying as a preventative measure should be done in early spring.
- Cylindrosporeosis. A fungal disease that attacks mulberry leaves. It appears in the form of small brown spots that grow over time. The disease leads to the death of leaves and premature leaf fall. The spread of the disease is facilitated by high humidity, so it is necessary as a preventive measure to ventilate the mulberry crown and prevent it from thickening. In early spring and after leaf fall, it is necessary to treat the plantings with preparations containing sulfur. The fungus spores overwinter in fallen leaves, which must be collected and burned.
The most common insect pests that attack mulberries are:
- Spider mite. It feeds on the juices of young leaves, on the reverse side of which it lives. If the mite population is large enough, the mulberry tree is severely suppressed, the leaves turn brown, dry out and fall off. Ticks are especially dangerous during drought. A protective measure is the collection and destruction of plant debris in which the tick overwinters and whitewashing the trunks. In case of severe damage, the mulberry must be treated with Actofit.
- Comstock's worm. Quite rare in the territory of modern Russia, with the exception of certain regions of the Caucasus. The mealybug larvae attach themselves to young leaves and damage the bark of young shoots and mulberry buds. With a large population of scale insects, the mulberry tree is severely suppressed and may die. Pesticides are ineffective against this insect. They fight it using pheromone traps. The biological method based on the use of pseudoficus is also effective. This insect is a natural enemy of the mealybug. Prevention is cleaning and whitewashing the trunks, especially in those places where the mulberry bark has come off the tree trunk, as well as strict adherence to the rules of agricultural technology.
- American white butterfly. The caterpillars of this insect feed on mulberry leaves, entangling them in a thin web. If the population is large enough, the entire crown of the tree can be entangled in cobwebs. They fight the pest using approved insecticides (Decis, Karate, etc.). Light traps are installed for butterflies, and hunting belts are put on mulberries. Spider nests and egg laying sites are torn off and burned.
- Khrushchi. The larvae of these insects live in the soil and feed on young roots. Young mulberry seedlings suffer especially badly from them. They fight beetles with the help of preventive spraying of mulberries with Bombardir, Confidor, etc. Agrotechnical measures are also widely carried out aimed at reducing the number of both insects and their larvae, for example, sowing alkaloid lupine at the site of future mulberry plantings.
Preparing for winter
The most important thing is to protect the mulberry roots from freezing. Therefore, for the winter, the root zone must be covered with a thick layer of mulch. For this you can use sawdust, peat, humus. An additional layer of spruce branches is placed on top and covered with snow. Mulberry seedlings up to 3 years old must be insulated in the fall using spruce branches, additionally wrapping them with a layer of covering material on top.
It is better to bend long young mulberry shoots to the ground and cover them, otherwise they are guaranteed to freeze.
Features of growing mulberries in different regions
Caring for mulberries greatly depends on the climatic characteristics of the growing region. Literally everything matters: annual precipitation, prevailing winds, maximum and minimum temperatures. The harsher the conditions, the greater the need for care.
Growing and caring for mulberries in the Moscow region
Planting mulberries in the Moscow region is becoming increasingly commonplace. The climate of this region has changed greatly in recent years, and the thermometer rarely drops even to -20°C in winter. Despite this, measures to protect the mulberry tree in winter must be carried out. In the Moscow region, mulberry is most often grown as a low bush. Young shoots are bent to the ground and covered for the winter. The tree trunk circle must be mulched, and with the onset of winter, covered with a thick layer of snow.
Planting and caring for mulberries in the Urals
Planting mulberry in the Urals is no different from other regions, but it is grown in this area in a bush mulberry form. Without shelter for the winter, even on a short trunk, mulberry branches are prone to freezing. The slate method allows you to bend all the branches to the ground for the winter and cover them with covering material. Its layer should be thick enough. It is removed only after the frosts have completely ended, in May.
Growing and caring for mulberries in Siberia
Thanks to the development of new frost-resistant varieties, mulberry cultivation is also possible in the southern regions of Siberia. It is very important to choose a good location when planting mulberries in this region. It should be as sunny as possible and protected from the north wind. The tree is formed as a bush or mulberries are grown on a low trunk. In winter, the ends of the shoots, as a rule, freeze slightly, which leads to increased lateral branching. Therefore, in Siberia, mulberries must be regularly pruned to prevent thickening of the crown.
Why does mulberry not bear fruit?
Mulberries may not bear fruit for several reasons. The most common of them is that only one sex of mulberry grows on the site.The situation can be corrected by planting trees of different sexes or grafting. The harvest may be absent due to poor choice of location, as well as due to spring freezing.
Mulberry varieties for the middle zone
For planting and growing in the middle zone, it is necessary to choose frost-resistant types of mulberry tree. The mulberry varieties recommended for cultivation in central Russia include the following:
- White Staromoskovskaya.
- Dark-skinned.
- Admiral's
- Royal.
- White honey.
- Ukrainian-6.
- Black Baroness.
Reviews about growing and caring for mulberries in the Moscow region
More and more gardeners in the Moscow region are sharing their experience in growing mulberries. Here are some of them regarding experience with mulberry trees:
Conclusion
Photos of berries and a mulberry tree evoke nostalgia for the south, sea and vacation for many. However, the situation is gradually changing, and more and more of these seemingly purely southern trees are beginning to appear on the plots of amateur gardeners in the Moscow region and other central regions. And this is evidence that global warming has more than just negative effects.
