How to Prune Mulberry?

(Morus alba)

Mulberry, also known as Common mulberry

Characterized by its heart-shaped leaves and bearing nutritious fruit, mulberry benefits from specific pruning practices. Thinning cuts maintain shape and boost fruit quality by improving sunlight penetration and air circulation. Removal of dead or diseased wood and crossing branches enhances tree health. Pruning is best done in late winter when the tree is dormant, minimizing stress and infection risks. Regular pruning of this plant ensures balanced growth and abundant fruit production.

What Are the Benefits of Pruning Mulberry?

Pruning mulberry boosts its harvest, promotes vigorous growth, and maintains a desirable shape. This practice encourages healthier and more productive branches, ensuring a better yield of mulberry's fruits.

What Is the Best Time for Pruning Mulberry?

Winter

Late winter is considered the ideal time for pruning mulberry for several reasons. This period is when the plant is dormant, which minimizes sap loss and stress on the plant. Additionally, since the leaves have fallen, the structure of the plant is more visible, allowing for more precise cuts. Pruning at this time helps to stimulate new growth in the spring, can improve fruit production, and also helps to maintain the desired shape and size of the plant. It is also less likely for pruning cuts to become infected by pathogens, as many pests and diseases are less active during the cold weather. The dormant season trimming aligns with mulberry's growth cycle, ensuring the plant's robust recovery and vitality in the upcoming growing season.

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What Tools Do I Need to Prune Mulberry?

Hand Pruners

Ideal for cutting small branches and twigs on mulberry, these should be of bypass-type for clean cuts without crushing plant tissues.

Loppers

With long handles, they provide leverage to cut through branches of medium thickness, which mulberry may have, especially during shaping or controlling its size.

Pruning Saw

A necessity for larger branches that hand pruners and loppers can't handle, ensuring clean cuts without damaging mulberry's structure.

Pole Pruner

For mulberry's higher branches, use a pole pruner to reach and trim without using a ladder, enhancing safety and efficiency.

Hedge Shears

Useful if mulberry is trained into a hedge or topiary form, hedge shears help maintain a neat, even shape over broad leaf areas.

Pruning Gloves

Essential for protecting hands from thorns and rough bark when pruning mulberry.

Safety Glasses

To prevent injury from flying debris while cutting branches and twigs of mulberry.

Step-by-Step Approach

Identify which branches to prune, then use hand pruners for the smallest, loppers for medium-sized, a pruning saw for the largest, and pole pruners for those out of reach. Finish with hedge shears for shaping hedges of mulberry. Always use personal protective equipment.

How to Prune Mulberry

Step1: Tool Sanitization

Sanitize your pruning tools before starting to prevent the spread of disease. Use a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water to clean your shears and saws.

Step2: Dead Wood Identification

Identify the dead wood on mulberry by looking for branches without leaves, with dark, brittle wood or bark. Dead wood will not bend, unlike living branches.

Step3: Dead Wood Pruning

Prune dead wood by making clean cuts just outside the branch collar to encourage proper healing. Do not leave stubs, as they can invite pests and disease.

Step4: Sucker Growth Removal

Locate suckers, which are vigorous vertical shoots growing from the base or roots of mulberry. These divert energy from the main tree.

Step5: Removing Suckers Flush to Base

Cut the suckers at ground level or as close to the base of mulberry as possible for a flush cut, which reduces the chances of regrowth.

Step6: Diseased Branch Inspection

Inspect mulberry for diseased branches. Signs of disease may include discoloration, cankers, or oozing.

Step7: Diseased Branch Pruning

Prune diseased branches by cutting several inches into healthy wood beyond the diseased tissue. Disinfect your tools after each cut to prevent spreading disease.

Step8: Damaged Limb Assessment

Look for damaged limbs, which may occur from weather events or mechanical injury. Identify limbs that are broken, split, or otherwise structurally compromised.

Step9: Removing Damaged Limbs

Remove damaged limbs by cutting just outside the branch collar to promote healing. Larger limbs may require a three-step cutting method to prevent bark tear: undercut the branch, cut from the top slightly farther out, then remove the stub.

Step10: Shaping and Thinning

Finally, step back and examine the overall shape of mulberry. Remove any remaining branches that disrupt the desired form or that cross and rub against each other, possibly leading to wounds and disease.

Step11: Debris Cleanup

Clean up all pruned material from the ground to prevent any pests or diseases from harboring in the debris.

Step12: Post-Pruning Watering

Water mulberry adequately after pruning to help the tree recover and to encourage healthy growth.

Step13: Post-Pruning Monitoring

Monitor mulberry after pruning for signs of disease or pest problems and address as needed.

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Post-Pruning Care for Mulberry

Immediately after pruning mulberry, irrigate adequately to ease stress; avoid waterlogging. Maintain moderate light exposure, shielding mulberry from intense sunlight. Ensure ambient temperature and humidity are stable, replicating mulberry's preferred growing conditions. Apply a balanced fertilizer to replenish nutrients and encourage healthy regrowth. Regularly inspect for signs of distress, such as wilting or discoloration. At infection signs, promptly apply appropriate fungicides or bactericides, and remove affected areas to prevent spread.

Common Pruning Mistakes with Mulberry

Over-Pruning Shock

Pruning too much at once can shock mulberry, potentially leading to stunted growth or reduced fruit production.

Indiscriminate Branch Cutting

Cutting branches indiscriminately without considering the natural shape of mulberry can result in a poorly structured tree and weakened branches.

Ignoring Unhealthy Branches

Ignoring dead, diseased, or damaged branches during pruning could lead to spreading diseases or pests, which can be detrimental to the overall health of mulberry.

Unsterilized Pruning Tools

Neglecting to sterilize pruning tools before and after use might introduce or spread disease across mulberry or between different plants.

Improper Cut Placement

Making cuts too close to the trunk or main branches could cause damage to the collar and impede the plant's natural healing process.

Leaving Branch Stubs

Leaving stubs when removing branches can lead to decay and disease entrance points that may affect the health of mulberry.

Common Pruning Tips for Mulberry

Use Sharp, Clean Tools

Use sharp, clean pruning tools to make precise cuts, which will help mulberry to heal faster and reduce the risk of disease.

Create Open Canopy Framework

When thinning out mulberry, aim to create an open framework that allows light and air to penetrate the canopy, promoting healthier growth and fruit production.

Prune Above Outward Facing Bud

Prune just above a bud facing the outside of the canopy to direct new growth outwards and maintain the shape of mulberry.

Remove Crossing/Inward Branches

During the pruning of mulberry, make an effort to identify and remove any branches that cross one another or grow inward to prevent future structural issues.

Sealant on Large Wounds

Apply a thin layer of pruning sealant on large wounds to protect mulberry from pests and diseases, though smaller cuts are typically best left untreated to heal naturally.

Three-Cut Technique for Large Branches

When removing larger branches, use the three-cut technique on mulberry to prevent bark stripping: make a notch on the underside of the branch, then cut from the top down a few inches away from the notch, and finally make the final cut just outside the branch collar.