skip to main content

Florida Gardening

Mulberry tree/bush pruning

12 years ago

Hi I'm Janine, I've only posted a few times here, so I thought I should introduce myself. Hello! I have a Mulberry Bush/tree that grows very spindly here. The trunk is only about 2 1/2 feet out of the ground when it starts branching out with 10-20 foot weeping limbs. It has been in the ground since April 2002, and fell over in the hurricanes 2004, and started to do it again in the storm the other day. Is there a way to prune it to get the trunk more stable and tree more compact? If I just keep it at say 10-12 foot would the weeping effect stop? I think it just is like a sail in the wind up there and it pulls the tree right over :( It is a favorite in the yard for the kids and birds....so help in maintenance is greatly appreciated.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

brute
12 years ago
Hi Janine!
I RADICALLY prune my Mulberry tree every winter, and it grows back like CRAZY in the spring. I'm not sure you can even hurt a Mulberry by over-pruning it. Mine seems "bullet-proof". If there's a way to kill it, I haven't found it yet!
saldut
12 years ago
Be glad it hasn't gotten so big that you can't reach the fruit ! I have one of those and it is huge, the birds and squirrels get all the fruit however. I started some whips and now have them tied down so I can reach the fruit, when they get too long I just trim off the end.. it looks like an open umbrella ! sally
Related Discussions
How to train/prune a mulberry bush into a proper tree?
Q
Comments (3)
You may want to look at see if the nursery provided you a grafted mulberry tree. If it has stems coming up from the ground it may be from the mulberry they used as a rootstock which I think I read is usually bad (like Russian mulberry rootstock I think?). In other words, if its grafted, get rid of those other stems coming up from the ground anyway. and keep the main trunk/stem that the plant came with. If its not, then just pick strongest growing one as the main trunk (and may want to train/tie it upwards along a wood stake so it grows very straight, and get rid branches you want later on [I forget when to prune, since mulberries 'bleed' white stuff. You can google it.].) -Ari
...See More
How do you grow mulberries, as a tree or pruned as a shrub?
Q
Comments (26)
I am in Colorado, about 50 miles north of Denver. My mulberry trees were here when I moved in 12 years ago. They were large then, 25 ft at least, Four trees covered a large area of our yard. We have removed all but One now, and are considering taking that one out as well. My concern is that, as stated above, the birds and squirrels love them. To anyone wanting to know why grow a mulberry, that is the answer. They totally ignore the cherry tree right next to them. I would love to keep them in some form, but don't have room for the large tree. I have potted up a few of the seedlings and am going to try them as bushes. Wish me luck.
...See More
pruning smoke bush into smoke tree
Q
Comments (35)
THANK YOU Brandon for an answer to the pruning question!!!! Will be sure to keep the cuts above ground level!! And to clarify what you and Ken are saying about a view to the utility boxes- ...actually, forget it... I just typed out a huge long explanation that I just deleted...lol ...in short (or @ least shortER) with the height of our deck and where our seating is located, the size of the smokebush, and my intentions (clearly understood at least in my own head- haha) don't worry guys, I'll be fine. I always envisioned a multi-stemmed tree, which would still hide the view of the utility boxes. ...don't think I will end up trying to do tree-form after all but do plan on pruning off many shoots and thin the boy down! as always, i appreciate the input from you all :)
...See More
Pruning a reaching citrus tree to more of a bush-like tree
Q
Comments (3)
If it were my garden tree, I would prune the grapefruit at a vertical line about even with the end of the wheelbarrow handles; and then prune the lemon long growth back to the canopy level of the grapefruit and the rest of the lemon. The grapefruit does not backfill readily unless it is pruned to encourage that; the lemon... looks like a Eureka or Lisbon... will fill more easily and the cutting of the long limbs will make it "prettier". By the end of the growing season your tree should look more like what you want. Be sure to fertilize it a cupla times this summer with a good citrus fert. and water it deeply once a week.
...See More
akaj9
Original Author
12 years ago
Yes...this year it did reach way to high to collect fruit.....the birds enjoyed it though. Good to know it will rebound....cause DH took the chainsaw to the two larger branches/trunks that were weighing it towards one side.....Does anyone have a tall trunk on theirs...or are they all small trunks and arching branches? I wish mine would grow up and out like an open umbrella....

Related Stories

WINTER GARDENING Pruning Secrets for Exquisite Roses

By Annie Thornton

Encourage gorgeous blooms year after year with this time-tested advice on how to prune your rosebush in winter for health and shape

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

GOLD FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Milk Bush

By Annie Thornton

With a rubbery texture and cartoon-like branches, this succulent brings an unusual, exotic energy to landscapes and container gardens

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Great Design Plant: Old Fashioned Smoke Bush

Balance garden color with this shrub's cool blue-green foliage, luminous when backlit and sporting yellow-green flowers in spring

CONTAINER GARDENS Patio-Perfect Berry Bushes Like You’ve Never Seen

Small enough for pots but offering abundant fruit, these remarkable bred berries are a boon for gardeners short on space

FLOWERS Great Design Plant: Bush Anemone

By Annie Thornton

Breathe in this shrub's sweet perfume while you're admiring its petite white flowers and the butterflies it brings

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

GARDENING GUIDES 5 Best-Behaved Trees to Grace a Patio

Big enough for shade but small enough for easy care, these amiable trees mind their manners in a modest outdoor space

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Fruit Tree ...

Juice up a small garden with one of these easier-care or worth-the-effort fruit trees for a mild climate

PURPLE FOLIAGE Great Design Plant: Smoke Tree

By Annie Thornton

Plant a 'Grace' smoke tree for months of red, burgundy and purple foliage and an unusual spring bloom

Sponsored

Frasure Home Improvements

2 Reviews

Franklin County's Highly Skilled General Contractor

More Discussions

Diagnosing problems with firespike in Sarasota

5

2024 January : upload your photos of first blooms of season

19

Garden plans for 2024?

6

Greening Satsuma

2

New Blooms Feb./Mar.

26