What mulberry rootstocks are best for grafting? I’ve been impressed with 4 Illinois everbearing trees that I had in fabric pots that survived our northern NY.
I’d like to take cuttings this winter and graft. I’m looking for cold hardy rootstock.
In the late winter early spring Burnt Ridge nursery normally has cold hardy russian mulberry rootstocks… reasonably priced.
Later in the spring they drop the price down to 5.00 each.
I have had pretty good luck with them.
Most of the ones I got were 1/4 inch diameter, 2-3 ft tall… but this year I did get a couple that were a bit less than 1/4 inch diameter.
I dont see them listed on their website now… but they have been the last two springs.
I got these 4 from BRN this spring…
I got these 4 from them last spring.
TNHunter
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Not really an answer to your question but since IE is cold hardy i would think on its own roots would be at least one nice option. I am rooting cuttings now… seems that Jesse in Maine also roots at this time. Not sure why most folks dont root cuttings now but it is a good time for me. YMMV just a thought.
https://www.ourfigs.com/forum/blueberry-home/413814-rooting-illinois-everbearing-mulberry
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This year I grafted named mulberries onto root pieces cut from wild stock on my property. Had a pretty good take rate.
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Let’s Talk Mulberry Rootstocks — A Highly Overlooked Topic
Mulberry rootstocks are often neglected in horticultural discussions, largely because they induce very few noticeable traits in the scion. Unlike in many other fruit trees, you can’t significantly influence height, vigor, hardiness, budbreak timing, or productivity through rootstock choice alone.
However, there is one important exception — and it’s really the only point worth keeping in mind:
- Rubra genetics tend to tolerate wet soils and humid conditions better.
- Alba rootstocks perform significantly better in dry environments and have superior drought resistance.
Finally, it’s worth noting that in vitro–propagated mulberries often struggle with root development. These trees typically underperform when compared to grafted specimens, especially in terms of establishment and fruit size.
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Regarding Hardiness:
Alba is your choice. As well it is the most available rootstock
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I find the same thing true with rooted cuttings, they are slow to get going.
A grafted scion or even a seedling started from germination at the same time will often pass the rooted cutting in growth and vigor.
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I experimented with rooting some mulberry cuttings from several trees this year and most had roots but only a few leaves while only two out of the ~thirty packed on growth and grew over half a foot (in the short period before I grafted them). I wonder if it is severely variety dependent on cutting vigor?
That’s my understanding. There’s a table out there displaying the rooting rates of different mulberry varieties, but the name escapes me atm.
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2 of the BRN russian rootsrocks I bought this spring… the graft failed. I let the rootstock grow after graft failure and they are 5 ft tall now.
I am going to plant them out in my orchard and graft to them again next spring. They should be nice and stout by then.
TNHunter
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