Different fruit trees grow in the garden. These are apple trees, pears, cherries, plums and cherries. However, it is quite rare that a mulberry tree is found in it. But in the recent past, it was very popular and affordable. The older generation of gardeners can tell a lot about the useful plant, which is now exotic.
Varieties
An amazing long-liver from China. It has long been grown as a forage crop. The leaves of the tree served as food for the silkworm - a manufacturer of raw materials for the manufacture of unique fabrics. Gardeners grow a mulberry tree belonging to the genus Morus, not for silk production, but as a decorative and fruit crop. The genus consists of twenty-four species. Of these, mulberries are white and black, the distinguishing characteristic of which is the color of the bark of an adult plant. Many gardeners mistakenly believed that mulberries distinguished by the color of berries. However, this is not at all true.
White mulberry has a light bark color. But the berries can be white, cream, pink, purple or completely black. The numerous genus Morus is represented by dioecious and rarely monoecious trees. Most of them are thermophilic plants that can be grown in the southern regions. Only white mulberry in the middle lane does not freeze, grows well and bears fruit.
Description
Not every fruit plant can boast of its durability. Within two hundred or even three hundred years, mulberry will give birth, over time, without changing its qualities. A sprawling tree reaches a height of twenty to thirty-five meters. Often it is formed in the form of a two- or three-meter bush. The bark is light. The spherical crown is densely covered with oval foliage.
The spike-shaped inflorescences of the mulberry tree are small. They have a light green color. A dioecious or less commonly monoecious plant is pollinated by the wind. Drupe fruits form in the form of small fruit. They have a pleasant sweet taste. Depending on the variety of berries can be painted in different colors. White mulberry ripens from May to July. It bears fruit in the fifth year after planting. Productivity is high. The period of picking berries is somewhat stretched due to unripe ripening. They are non-transportable and poorly stored, used immediately after removal.
This mulberry tree is winter-hardy and drought-resistant. These qualities characterize the plant as quite hardy and unpretentious. It is suitable for plots with any type of soil. In addition to these advantages, the mulberry tree is a medicinal plant. Fruits are high in vitamins. In addition, they contain flavonoid, morin, carotene, fatty acids, iron salts. Not only berries possess medicinal properties. The bark and leaves of the tree are also used for medicinal purposes.
Mulberry Varieties
White mulberry can act as a fodder, fruit and ornamental crop. They are represented by various varieties that differ in their individual properties.
So, among fruitful varieties, white honey mulberry is quite attractive. She is characterized by relative frost resistance and unpretentiousness, resistance to diseases. Tall deciduous tree has a wide crown. Simple oval leaves are light green. Inflorescences are spike-shaped. Juicy fruits have a white color.
Taste good. Long-term harvesting begins in late June. Uneven fruit ripening lasts until early August. Fresh berries are stored for no more than six hours. They practically do not tolerate transportation.
White Mulberry Baroness cultivar is a deciduous dioecious plant. The thick, well leafy crown has a spherical shape. Flowers are dioecious. They have a light color and form a spike-shaped inflorescence. Large berries, the size of which is 3.5 cm and a diameter of 1.5 cm, are densely colored black. The aromatic complex drupe has a sweet, pleasant taste. Unlike the previous variety, the fruits are relatively transportable. Shelf life is twelve hours. The variety is high-yielding.
The period for picking berries falls on June-July. This mulberry is an unpretentious plant with high frost-resistant indicators. Mulberry in the central zone of Russia is a great winter.
Mulberry Smuglyanka is a tall, sprawling tree that has a pyramidal crown. Large fruits reach three centimeters. Black berries are very juicy. Taste is excellent. A slightly acidic taste does not spoil the berries. This variety is less hardy than Baroness. In winter, twigs can freeze. Unpretentious plant has a high yield. Ripening occurs in early July.
In addition to fruit species, there are more than four hundred decorative forms. Mulberry varieties differ in the shape and color of the crown and foliage. These are spectacular plants that are used in landscape design. Trees and shrubs are beautiful, alleys and hedges, which include mulberries. Their openwork crown goes well with evergreens.
White weeping mulberry
A stunted tree or shrub reaches a height and a width of up to three meters. It has a very decorative appearance. Elongated mulberry branches hang down. This form is indispensable in landscape design and will be an adornment of any garden.
Dark green large leaves, the length of which can be from eight to twenty centimeters, are heart-shaped. In the autumn, they turn yellow. The flowering period falls on May – June. Fruits mulberry in few fruits. They are edible and have a pleasant sweet taste.
In addition, there are spherical, dissected, Tatar and golden forms of white mulberry. Each of them has its own advantages and is widely used for single or group landings.
Landing
Often, summer residents do not dare to plant mulberries, since in a small area the space is limited. "Is my garden suitable for fashionable exotic?" - such a question arises among gardeners when choosing a particular sort of long-lived giant.
Mulberry cultivation provides several ways to form a plant, which will limit the height. Tall, powerful, sprawling tree requires a larger area of nutrition. Planting of mulberry is carried out according to the scheme 5 x 6 m. When limiting the height of the mulberry tree and growing in the form of a bush, the scheme is different and is 2 x 3 m. White mulberry is unpretentious. It grows equally well in adverse urban conditions, and in suburban summer cottages. A well-lit corner should be a garden in which mulberry will grow. Planting and caring for mulberries comply with generally accepted rules for fruit trees. Seedlings are planted in early spring. The seat should be such as not to damage the root system. For better rooting, a mixture of humus and sand is added to the hole. Abundantly watered and sprinkled with soil the landing hole. Around the trunk of the seedling, the soil is mulched with peat. In the autumn, planting is performed one and a half months before the onset of frost.
Agricultural technology
Leaving consists in removal of weeds, loosening of the soil and regular watering. It is especially important to monitor newly planted plants. The presence of weeds, which are harmful to plants, is not allowed in near-stem circles . Regular weeding and mulching with humus or peat will contribute to their normal and rapid growth. Organic and mineral fertilizers are added during the summer season. This agrotechnical technique is very important for the normal development of mulberry and obtaining good yields. Fertilizing is carried out during budding. Fifty grams of nitrophoska is needed per square meter. After fertilizing, the soil is watered intensively. In early July, watering is stopped. In this period, top dressing should also not be carried out. Enhanced nutrition will contribute to the growth of young shoots that will freeze in the winter.
Pruning
So that the tree does not grow tall and looks well-groomed, its crown is formed, limiting the growth to three meters. In addition, last year's young growth in the winter can freeze. They must be deleted. Mulberry pruning has no individual characteristics. Sanitary and anti-aging techniques are carried out, which are carried out following the generally accepted recommendations for fruit trees and shrubs. Mulberry tree tolerates a haircut. This technique should be regular. Thinning of the crown is carried out annually. At the same time, diseased, damaged and weak branches are subject to removal. Crossing shoots are also cut.
Seed production
White mulberry ripens in the summer. Ripe fruits are suitable for seed production. After harvesting, some of the berries are left in the sun. They are slightly overripe. Then for several days they are placed in a container.
Juicy fruits should turn sour. Then they are ground in water. Full seeds fall to the bottom of the tank. This mass is wiped through a fine sieve. The resulting seeds are dried. They must be used throughout the year. They quickly lose their germination.
Seed propagation
Several methods are used to produce young plants. Perhaps seed reproduction. Begin this method by stratification. Seeds are kept at a temperature of zero or five degrees for a month. Pre-cooked greenhouse. In early April, mulberry will be sown in it. Reproduction in this way allows already in the autumn period to have forty centimeter seedlings.
Vaccinations on a frost-resistant stock
In order to preserve the maternal characteristics of a particular variety, vaccination will be more effective. This method is more complicated. It requires careful selection of material for reproduction. Quite often, winter mulberry vaccination is used. As a stock, young plants of frost-resistant mulberry varieties grown from seeds are used. They are dug up and stored in moist sawdust. Storage temperature should be zero degrees. The sculls are also stored in wet sawdust. After vaccination, planting material is placed in boxes and kept at a temperature of twenty-five degrees. After that, they are stored in wet sawdust at zero temperature until spring.
In the spring, mulberry grafting is carried out on last year's stock. This event falls on the period before the buds open. Used cuttings cut in the fall. They are stored throughout the winter in wet sawdust at zero temperature.
You can vaccinate in the summer. For this, use the blanks of the current year.
Propagation by green cuttings
Planting material is harvested in the second decade of June. Suitable green shoots, the length of which is at least fifteen centimeters. They are cut from non-lignified branches. Billets are processed by removing the lower leaves and shortening the upper half. Before rooting cuttings incubated for six hours in an aqueous solution of heteroauxin.
Or they are placed in a mixture of sand and peat, which is moistened with this solution. Green cuttings root in a closed ground. The main condition is high humidity. To create a greenhouse effect, cover with a plastic wrap.
Diseases and Pests
Like any culture, white mulberry is susceptible to infection. It can be affected by diseases such as bacteriosis, powdery mildew, and root rot.
In the spring, preventive spraying of the tree with special preparations is carried out.
A lot of pests in the mulberry tree. Crush, bear, mulberry barbel, wireworm and spider mite damage various parts of the plant. To combat them, mechanical and chemical methods are used. In the autumn period, the fallen leaves are always cleaned and burned.
Harvest Features
White mulberry is characterized by an extended fruiting period. Berries ripen unevenly. On the one hand, it’s good. For a longer period, the mulberry tree will delight with ripe juicy fruits. However, ripened fruits should be removed in a timely manner. Almost all varieties of white mulberry are poorly stored. They are non-transportable. If the collection is delayed, the berries fall off, which leads to their spoilage. After removal, the fruits are immediately processed or consumed fresh.
Useful properties of white mulberry
The healing properties of the mulberry tree have long been known. Eating fresh berries helps to improve the general condition of a person. White mulberry contributes to the normalization of the nervous system. It is included in diets for weight loss. Low-calorie berry perfectly normalizes metabolism. In addition, the plant cleanses the intestines and helps to eliminate toxins. Mulberries are most often consumed fresh. It is also cooked. It is suitable for future use. You can make juices, syrups, preserves and marmalades. Wines and tinctures have an exquisite taste. It is also dried. In this form, it is used instead of sugar. Irreplaceable white mulberry in cosmetology. It is included in various masks for hair, face and body.
However, with all the advantages, one should not forget about the individual characteristics of the body. Like any medicine, the use of mulberry has contraindications. Excessive consumption can be harmful. Berries are not recommended for diabetics. For them, dried mulberry leaves will be more beneficial.