Training my mulberry

[SocalKoop]

I love the fruits of my Morus nigra, but production seems concentrated on branches naturally bending down. I read that bending down branches promotes production and reduces vertical vigor. Any one know how effective this is on mulberry?

[achetadomestica]

I know someone who does it to all his trees but it is because he is short. I didn't realize it increased production.
I prune my trees heavy and they respond well and produce many new branches which increases production
Mike

[SocalKoop]

Some of what I've read says it induces hormones that increase production.

[TonyinCC]

As a practical matter in the average yard, I think the best course of action is not planting a mulberry tree... If you really like them, try to bonsai it into a multi stemmed bush no higher than you can harvest fruit from, unless you don't mind it taking up a 30-40 foot circle as a low, spreading tree. I guess you could bonsai a smaller spreading tree somewhere in between those sizes too.
 I would use a general strategy of making pruning cuts a half inch above buds facing the direction you want the branches to grow, which will usually be downward or outward, unless you need to replace a branch and want it to grow up. Take out vertical shoots and head back others to horizontal buds or bend them downwards.
Making pruning cuts just above a downward facing bud in order to force horizontal or downward growth decreases vigor and promotes fruiting in almost all fruit trees, as does taking out the central vertical leader and giving the tree several spreading trunks rather than one tall one. Many fruit trees in general will bear fruit a couple years earlier too and bear heavier crops once mature if pruned this way.  No worries about mulberries, they fruit quickly.
 
  You could successfully keep it at ladder reachable harvesting height of about 12-15 feet or so but it will then be a low spreading tree that makes a mess on a wider area. Mulberry trees get big and a picking pole wont help like with some other fruits. You will need to prune often. Training a mulberry tree can be almost as much work as training a cat.... Well at least you can train a mulberry tree IF you are determined. I have a 15 year old mulberry tree at my farm in South Carolina that has been successfully kept at about 12-15 feet height and 40 foot spread. In recent years I have pruned it to a somewhat more compact spread.

[FruitFreak]

Cool.  Way to experiment with training.  I've never trained mulberry but they seem to respond well to pruning.  The best training results I have seen were on peaches and loquat. 

[ScottR]

I love the fruits of my Morus nigra, but production seems concentrated on branches naturally bending down. I read that bending down branches promotes production and reduces vertical vigor. Any one know how effective this is on mulberry?

SocalKoop, looks like your on your way to training your branches down I would cut back up rite growth to nearest downward branch or horizontal branch and then keep with the program always cutting off up rite growth,that's one way. Your tree is a little to big now but another way to would be espalier mulberry to a Tee with one horizontal cordon about 5-6' off ground and just let horizontal or downward branch grow. Then train by trying down or prune to right facing bud. Just some idea's for you to mull over    

[SocalKoop]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I think I'll be cutting off most vertical growth, and keep 2 or 3 well placed new branches to train downwards each year. The M. Nigras, or at least this one, is a lot slower growing than the Albas I've seen, so I'm not too concerned about it becoming a monster any time soon.

[Sam]

SocalKoop,

How old were your mulberries before they started to fruit?

[greenman62]

this is my Pakistani i got about 6 months ago.
i used some string to pull down the branches
in the position i want them.

I plan on keeping it a lot shorter than 40ft width
i can get 20ft tall with no problem
its there mainly to shade the house in summer afternoons.

I shake my red when the fruit is ripe
and put a tarp down to collect the fruit.

My red is about 10yrs, the trunk is like my waist.
i severely cut it back several times.
its like a weed though. i plan on grafting 2 or 3 varieties to it,
and cutting back (eventually) all of the "red" itself.






i got this from a trade. i think its dwarf everbearing.
it just put out a ton of flowers this week.
i will try to keep it 10 to 12ft, but only 6ft wide or so
since i want to plant a tree 6ft behind it.








i actually have plans for a wild red (volunteer)
that i cut down twice, and is popping back up.
i want to train it about 3ft tall and 10ft wide. but with Nigra and Pakistani grafted to it.
i am wondering if that will work as a ground cover, but with fruit
a couple of feet above the soil line...

this is an 8in tall cutting i rooted
with several fruit.



this is the large red a few years ago
weighted down to make 1 branch reachable.