My dwarf ever bearing mulberry is in full leaf and bloom, really excited to try a mulberry as this is its first year producing (2nd or 3rd in ground but it was a tiny rooted cutting). Shocked yours aren’t awake yet, my mulberry had bud swell early February or late Jan.
3 Likes
Is that your only mulberry? I’ve found that the albas bud out a lot earlier than the nigras. For me, that’s a lot later than you, of course. My rootstock shown above that’s just starting bud break is a Russian mulberry seedling (alba), but I don’t expect my nigras to wake up until at least May, maybe later. It’s possible that @Shibumi has a nigra, which would explain being so far behind yours, which I assume is “Gerardi” (either an alba or alba x rubra depending on who you ask).
3 Likes
I know as close to nothing about mulberries as possible. I am I think successfully rooting Pakistan mulberries in the greenhouse but they could be leafed out without roots. But apparently the dwarf ever bearing is a “morus nigra”
2 Likes
Not actually, but many nurseries incorrectly label it as such. The only dwarf everbearing I’m aware of is Gerardi, which is definitely not M. nigra and your photo above is definitely not nigra either. M. nigra has soft fuzzy leaves like a fig, not the shiny leaves of most other mulberry species.
2 Likes
I tried some grafts for the first time, yesterday. Nothing crazy, apricot to apricot. Unknown “feral” (light purple, bird planted) mulberry to dwarf everbearing.
1 Like
In reference to your second picture,I haven’t seen one done quite that way.It’s not exactly a side graft.Was a slit cut in the root stock bark and the scion,cut like a cleft style,slid into it?Does the union stay anchored well?
2 Likes
So Sam,is your location in Ephrata?Does Mulberry grow wild there?
1 Like
I did my apples this way and this pear. I saw this method with jsacadura YouTube - he did it with a loquat. I could find the video if you want.
But yes, essentially take the knife and make us slit through the bark and insert the wedge scion through it, like stabbing it. That way you can get an angle you like, should be good for installing a horizontal branch for espalier.
3 Likes
Like I said I know nothing about mulberries, that’s just how it’s labeled by every nursery. I got it from Etsy it’s out of Florida like much of the stuff I get. I see y’all talk about Gerardi a lot it’s just never called that when I see it online, just simply “dwarf everbearing mulberry”. I’m sure you’re right how can I verify what this is exactly? It grows really vigorously, I have cut it back quite a bit but it seems like it would go as high as I let it. Definitely wants to behave more shrub-like tho. Having never had a mulberry before I’m really excited this thing is loaded already so maybe I can eat one before the birds
2 Likes
Yes, mulberry seedlings are very common here, and apricots. And peaches. It’s an easy place to grow many fruit trees. My white peach tree popped up in my dad’s back yard out of nowhere in 2019, I moved it to my yard in 2020, it got it’s first peaches in 2022. My apricots are all seedlings, and I’ve found 2 mulberries in my yard. I removed 1 and planted the dwarf everbearing in it’s place because I wanted a smaller tree there. Then I found one last year amongst a bunch of apricot seedlings behind my garage. I didn’t get the roots, so I stuck it in a bucket of water. It didn’t root, and fall was coming, so I was about to throw it out, and decided instead to stick it in some dirt in my front yard. It’s green still 
.
5 Likes
I have a question that perhaps you or someone else might be able to answer.
I’ve been doing my spring grafting this past week, and unfortunately the quince I favor, Aromatnaya, was already leafing out by the time I harvested the scions from the mother tree. I went ahead and grafted them anyway, figuring I’d give it a try. This morning I noticed that the leaves on the scions are wilting. My question is whether those nodes will be capable of pushing new growth if they continue to dry out and fall off?
1 Like
Certainly not the most experienced grafter here, but you need mature buds to get new growth.
The idea of grafting dormant scion is that they’ve developed mature buds the summer before. If what you have grafted was already leafed out from those buds and is now drying out, the scion would not have any mature buds left to push new growth.
Unless I read your post wrongly.
Some graft in late summer after new growth has been able to develop mature buds for the following spring.
1 Like
Several of my pear and plum grafts took within a few days so my hope is the quince grafts will take in time to save themselves. A few of the smaller buds had barely leafed out when I attached to the rootstock, so perhaps they will not dry out before the rootstock can begin providing sustenance.
One person on this thread made a post about grafting during the summer when scions are fully leafed out. That seems counterintuitive to me, but I’m only a couple of years into the grafting hobby. Still lots to learn.
1 Like
Grafted Chojuro, Shinko, Pai Li, and Ya Li to one Asian pear tree.
Added a few plum to my plumcot as well.
Held back on grafting more since dormancy is just breaking on my little Lapins cherry.
One of my scion was quite thick. Man it’s hard to cut an even bevel on thicker wood! I don’t have much confidence in that graft.
3 Likes
I added grafts of Alderman, Superior, Beauty and Vic Red to my AU Rosa and Shiro plums this evening.
First grafts of the year.
5 Likes
How big are the leaves?I’d probably cut them off or at least in half,to help slow down transpiration and the scions from prematurely drying out.
3 Likes
I had really iffy budwood from a scion exchange. Some were gnarled little chunks - but I think they all took. So my new shinseki has 20th Cent, Hosui, Shin Li and Daisui Li.
The brown stuff is Big Stretch caulk. Works great to keep water out.
3 Likes
Here are some white sapote scions I bought from Really Good Plants/ Marta. I only have seedling white sapote but based on earlier experience I think these should take. Basically - pencil size scions put on to 2 or 3mm rootstock with a 2” side bark graft.
I got Delta Gold, Cuccio, and Golden Globe
7 Likes
That’s a good idea, especially since we hit 81 degrees today. Another brutal winter day along the Pacific coast. I moved them to the shade and that seemed to help them perk up a bit. This evening, upon closer inspection, I noticed there are a couple nodes that hadn’t yet opened. So that gives them something to start harvesting sunlight if the grafts ultimately prove successful.
3 Likes
Nice technique, 4 crosses of cambium and a strong crotch angle! Thanks for sharing! I will try this on several plum grafts
Dennis
Kent, wa
2 Likes