I don't have any specific information about rooting mulberry cuttings, but if they root the way most other plants do, then this isn't a good time of year to take cuttings. Since you're in Oakland, I wouldn't imagine mulberries would be making new growth right now, so the youngest cutting you could take, from last year, would still be old. So I'd take the tenderest looking little piece I could find. I normally like to cut a sprig of new growth in the early summer, before it's hardened off. I try to get a good "heel" piece, that is, one that's wider at the bottom where it meets the limb than it is for the length of the cutting. I like to get a piece that's a little thicker than a straw, no thicker than a pencil. I immediately put the cutting in water, then trim off all but the top leaves. I "wound" the cutting at each leaf node by cutting into it deep enough to expose some of the inner part of the twig, but certainly not too deep. I also make cross cuts at the very base of the cutting - plants root better when they've been cut into a little. Then I stick a pencil or stick into some wet potting soil leaving a hole for the cutting, put the cutting into it, water it again to make the soil adhere around the cutting, then put it in a warm, humid place in the shade. I keep it moist but not soggy. Various plants take various lengths of time to root, some never root at all. I got a cutting of a passionvine that I really wanted in Florida in early winter, and it was way too cold root it outside. So I made up a rig on my stove in an old canning pot with water on the bottom that I'd heat periodically to give the cutting the heat and humidity it needed, and it worked! I now have a good rooting cutting of this passionvine - my husband really laughed at this! Sherry

Our winters are drier than coastal Californian winters. We normally get our rains spread out throughout the year with heavier fall and May/june rains. It can rain any time or not at all. Mostly it is zone 9. The lowest it got last year was was 26 degrees. We are also very warm with an occasional sharp swing down for three days. Our normal lows are in the 40's in December and January with a occasion arctic blast that could take us down to 19 but hasn't for several years. I am still experiencing lows in the 60's. Our rainfall can vary from 34" to 11" per year. When it is really cold it is very dry. I have studied Daves Garden , Arid lands and San Marcus growers hardiness estimates and that is why I am taking a chance. I live in the uplands of the area and drainage is almost too much. Many plants live on my land that do not reside downhill. It is also colder downhill. I have many Zone 9 plants living unprotected. I have a gorge that starts on my property that drains off the cold and deposits it 4 miles away in a friends backyard. She can be 24 degrees and I will be above freezing still. She is at 700' above sea level and I am at 1400'. I guess it is all about micro climates. I am still figuring this one out. I hear about the popularity of Aloes in Californian landscaping and Texas seems similar in some respects but lags far behind in testing these plants out. I am only now figuring out how Californian winters and summers differ from mine and trying to make judgements about plants that would or would not work here.. I have some friends in and around California and this year I have been following their weather on Weatherunderground and comparing highs and lows with me. Yes, I am obsessive. I do have freeze cloths. They do work wonders. I guess I am one to take chances.

I have a hard time making cuttings from the single AA tubers, as I dread delaying it and missing blooms in my short season. But if I force myself to do it, it's amazing how quick two new sprouts pop out, outperforming the cutting. Out of the original 28 cuttings I made at the start of the growlight season on 3-18, only Northlake Pride cutting has failed to make roots, but its still green and perky, so I'm leaving it in the large closed container to see if it decides to come around. I have enough plants of that variety, so no loss, but its fun! (Edited to say- that loner cutting finally rooted on 5-11-13! By now, dozens of cuttings have come and gone from the cutting container!) I use no growth hormone, and keep the individual pots sealed in a bag or larger clear container with lid until rooted before pulling them out under the lights without the extra humidity. This is an excellent well-written article that might assist those who have not tried cuttings yet... Here is a link that might be useful: Cuttings from a Pro This post was edited by CCvacation on Mon, May 13, 13 at 14:47

Yes. Do it now. Not easy, though. Take them now, keep them warm and mist. Might take a month or two to root.