Is it possible to make branches from a mulberry take root?

[Rockford]

Help!

I've just reluctantly had to heavily prune a 'black mulberry' tre that's thrived in my mum's garden for years - at 31' it had grown wa to big & had also begun to lean dangerously due to uneven growth Apparently it isn't a good idea to prune these trees at all, as the bleed so much when cut & are unlikely to survive 'an extreme hai cut'.

On advice taken from an ancient 'Pruning tips' book, I did the cuts a a steep angle so as rain water runs off the sloped ends, & also burn the wounds with a blowtorch to create a seal that would stop the sa escaping. Despite that, I've removed such a lot of it's branches tha it's quite likely I've killed it. Oops, sorry mum!

So, I'm wondering if it's possible to root the offcuts just in case th original tree dies?

[image have a stack of them ranging from 3' - 5' long, & have burnt the end of these also to seal the sap in. What's the best way to attemp rooting?

Ta

-- Rockford

[David Hare-Scott]

Yes they strike easily.

David

[Rockford]

Good, I'm in with a chance then. I've never attempted anything like i before though, so am very unsure on how to go about it - could someon advise me on whether the following is the right approach or not? It' what I picked up from numerous corners of the internet:

Plant into a 2/3 sand 1/3 compost mix in a clean pot Strip off a few inches of bark from the bottom Keep it warm indoors Feed with water that's had chopped up weeping willow branches left i it (?!)

Is that right? Also, would I be better using the full offcuts which several feet long, or removing smaller branches from them & usin those?

Sorry about all these questions; I'm a complete novice & not gree fingered -at all-

-- Rockford

[Harley]

I have a lot of plants coming up from the berries; and they grow fast. h

[David Hare-Scott]

I would use tip cuttings about 12 in, take off all but the top leaves. Dip the cut end in rooting compound and plant 6in apart in pots. Keep out of the sun but warm in good light and water now and then. When new leaves appear move into the sun, feed and keep watering. Plant out when established. If you do (say) a dozen the chances are at least a few will grow even if conditions are imperfect. I know of cases where random twigs were just pushed into the dirt that grew.

David

[J. Davidson]

[mleblanca]

Mulberry trees can actually be severely pruned and grow well very quickly. They were used in France and pollarded (cut back severely) every year to provide firewood. I think it might be impossible to kill a mulberry tree... My neighbor cut a 60 ft. tall, about 24 in diameter tree down to the ground, in just a few years it is now 12 feet tall.

To prune, cut a straight cut just on the outside of the branch collar ( a slightly larger ring of bark near the joining to the main trunk.Do not use anything to treat pruning cuts; the tree will heal itself in time.

I won't talk about rooting the cuttings, that's been well covered by others. Emilie

And Ta to you Emilie

[mleblanca]

Oh my, am I beginning to sound like "You know who" (and I don't mean Voldemort!) BTW I wonder whatver happened to Treelady? Emilie

[Rockford]

Thanks for your replies on this everybody. Just a case of waiting to se

what happens now....

Ta

-- Rockford