Mulberry Root Grafting Tips/tricks?

I will be heavily root pruning one of my mulberry trees. The roots are Morus Alba-Tatarica. I intend to use these to graft numerous mulberry varieties.

Does anyone have tips they can share on how to use the roots to graft? I’ve already read most of the web sources on this so I would really value first hand information and informed opinions instead of web links. I’ve also root grafted in the past with mixed (aka poor) results.
Specifically—

  1. Does the root need to be cleaned thoroughly before grafting? I would assume so.
  2. Does the graft union need to be below surface during healing?
  3. Do I need to keep root zone warm? Heat mats? I intend to graft during cooler months. The soil doesn’t warm up properly here until July.
  4. Can I use a callus pipe for root grafting?

Also any grafting techniques that you used that worked better?

3 Likes

I would cleft graft them (clean roots) no unordinary anything else.

You can bury the union or not. I would use parafilm or wax and probably keep it above however it won’t matter if it’s taped/waxed.

I would try to keep the root with soil attached in a “chunky feature” so you have actual rooting going on still. Put that chunk inside a pot and have it potted tightly.

Grafting works great when temps are 65-70 or 75. Chip budding and anything else occurs (and what you’re doing) once the trees have leaves unfolding.

I don’t have much experience grafting mulberries.

5 Likes

This is exactly the kind of hands-on, to the point advise I was looking for.
Thanks Dax!

1 Like

Sure enough!

2 Likes

I’m looking for the lowest effort next steps that still allow some chance of success. The larger, Illinois Everbearing, I put in a tall pot with garden soil and put on our back covered patio.

The smaller one is soaking in a glass of water.

Modified cleft on the IE and whip and tongue on the small Oscar:

5 Likes

I used whip and tongue with root grafts on mulb and that worked well, wrap the scion in parafilm. Warmth helps too

2 Likes

I put them in pots and out on the back deck. It’s 2 weeks later and buds are breaking on the Oscar.

6 Likes

A few weeks later and looking great. I may transplant to the ground. I’m not good at caring for potted trees.

7 Likes


One of my root grafts.

5 Likes

IL everbearing graft.

1 Like

It seems like mulberry if finicky and has had late failures for a lot of grafters. Any of you root grafters from last year have updates or reflections on root grafting mulberry after a growing season?

1 Like

thats been my experience. ive had near 100% take and near 100% failure at various times. I find I need to start later than most other species, except persimmon, and I have to finish sooner, so the overall window is shorter. It’s important that they be actively growing I think, though in the case of a root graft, thats less salient, it would seem. Ive had some luck with mulberry root grafts, though less than if grafting to a rootstock. Even topworking established trees has been touch and go. If conditions aren’t right or you do it too late, I find they fail often as not.

1 Like

I think mine are still alive but not budding out yet, so I can check in later. They didn’t grow much last year. One is in the ground and the other spent the winter in its skinny pot. Halfway through I buried the pot in our vegetable garden bed to keep the roots a little warmer.

2 Likes

Yes, both still alive.


edit: this mulberry root grafting must not be hard. I’m 2 for 2 all time with no heat applied or special care. At least with respect to taking and growing.

Our springs are great for acclimation though. Cloudy, humid, rainy, cool.

3 Likes

I’m zero out of maybe half a dozen tries at root grafting!
But thankfully my regular grafts did ok and I have all the mulberry trees I wanted

3 Likes