Pruning Mulberry Trees

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
This is how I trim back the mulberry trees to get larger leaves for Walker my adult Sulcata.Picture 008.jpgPicture 009.jpgPicture 010.jpgPicture 011.jpgPicture 012.jpgI have a couple that I don't cut back to get the normal size leaves for the smaller tortoises. It takes a little longer for the leaves to come, but it's worth the wait and don't have to worry about the berry's because new growth doesn't produce any.
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
Wow.

Do you cut them in winter or spring?
Ubut we didn't have a real w
Wow.

Do you cut them in winter or spring?
January or February before they start sprouting. The ones I didn't cut are getting leaves now and I can see some new limbs starting on the cut ones.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Wow. I haven't pruned mine at all for the last couple of years.
 

bouaboua

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Dec 7, 2013
Messages
11,809
Location (City and/or State)
San Jose CA
WOW! ! !

We do prune our trees every year. But not at that low...
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Wow! My fruitless mulberry trees have taken 5 years just to get too a size that they actually give some shade
I notice without ever having pruned them that each year comes bigger leaves. Last summer the leaves were very large for still a small tree. They are the dwarf kind going to 10 feet. They are approximately 3 1/2 feet or so now with a canopy of approximately 5 feet diameter.
My luck if I pruned they would never come back.
 

Lemonade

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2014
Messages
141
So are those miniature/dwarf trees? And if so, regular fruitless mulberry have invasive roots so can't be near foundations. Do you know if the miniature trees also have invasive roots?
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
So are those miniature/dwarf trees? And if so, regular fruitless mulberry have invasive roots so can't be near foundations. Do you know if the miniature trees also have invasive roots?
I believe they are one of the dwarf type. Not fruitless but doesn't produce many berries on the old growth limbs. I'm not sure about the roots being invasive on all types of the dwarf trees but the ones growing here are not. More tap root than out runners.
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
WOW! ! !

We do prune our trees every year. But not at that low...
I remember a while back you posted a pic (if I remember correctly) of one of your mulberry trees, if I could get enough berries to use for baking like you do I wouldn't cut mine back as far as I do. I just have them for the leaves.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I remember a while back you posted a pic (if I remember correctly) of one of your mulberry trees, if I could get enough berries to use for baking like you do I wouldn't cut mine back as far as I do. I just have them for the leaves.
We had some very large mature fruiting mulberries at the zoo where I went to school. Holy cow did those things produce tons and tons of fruit. I use to take my baboon over there and let her fill her check pouches as a reward for being a good girl. We students would eat them by the handful and we fed them to all the fruit eating animal on the zoo.
 

Len B

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 3, 2010
Messages
4,986
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
They are coming back and in a couple months they will be full of large leaves.Picture 023.jpgPicture 024.jpgI have 5 other trees that I didn't cut back like these and are already full of leaves for feeding.
 
Top