Awesome. Be sure to post pictures as the trees grow.
I found that out the hardway too. Deer love mulberry leaves. Tree came back though. It’s early enough for it.
Absolutely the best mulberry website in existence, hands down!!! It took me over a decade to find my bearings and sort things out in things mulberry. Like most, I’ve also been sold Morus nigra black mulberries that weren’t. It’s not even about the money. It’s the lost time and wasted anticipation waiting for a tree that isn’t what it promises to be. Mark’s website will no doubt be a treasure of a resource for anyone entering the world of mulberries…
How fast does the Gerardi grow?
Mine is new to me this year from Raintree and is absolutely LOADED with fruit. It put on about 3" of height so far.
It is a tiny ittle plant and I hope it will turn into a nice size bush soon. Good thing is that it woke up early in April. My two Nigras (also new to me) are JUST waking up. Laziest trees in the entire neighborhood!
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It would not be possible for me to agree more with that whole post you made above. First, I’ve used his web site even more since I posted how good it was. It is incredibly helpful. To be honest, I never quite had a grasp on some of the basic differences between the various types of persimmons (Lotus, Kaki, Virginiana) or even pollination, crosses, male/females, etc. I sincerely hope that site gets the traffic it deserves and everyone should take a look- it is just the ultimate persimmon site IMHO! Again, great job, @Livinginawe (Mark). It’s written so dummies like me can understand but has the details and sophisticated information that the most experienced growers can benefit.
The other thing I had to write and agree with you about, Christian, is that when we got ripped off by a nursery (in my case Willis Orchards who is still selling them) It wasn’t just the $30 tree and $20 shipping that hurt me. That was the easy part. It was watching and waiting with great anticipation for 6 years as my so-called Black Mulberry grew into what was (I thought) going to be one of my favorite trees. Those 6 years were a complete waste in terms of mulberry production for me. Has I known there was even a question about my tree, I’d have bought a second one from another source just to be safe so I’d be sure I had something good in 6 years. As it turned out, all the time I spent fertilizing and mulching that tree and hoping it would fruit and watching it with great anticipation is now the waste that bugs me the most!!! Yes, we are in agreement!
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I’m sorry, that would be helpful wouldn’t it!
This is the mulberry site. You mentioned a persimmon site. That’s what I was asking about.
So those of you growing Gerardi what species is it ? I seen it listed as Macoura . Seems it would not be a zone 5 . I know many species get mislabeled .
In my opinion, it appears to be a Morus rubra cross of some nature…It has a highly textured leaf, with sandpaper like feel (due to trichomes), and having an acuminate leaf apex (pointed leaf tip) strongly infers Morus rubra. Now, Morus macroura (‘Pakistan’) can have those features somewhat, but as you have stated “it would not be a zone 5”. Now, Burnt Ridge Nursery says “Geradi Dwarf mulberry is a long fruit type that is originally from the Himalayas. Selected by Louis Gerardi”, but the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) website says “This variety was developed by the Geraldi Nursery, O’Fallen, IL.” But the website made two errors: First it is Gerardi Nursery, and second…they identify it as a alba x nigra cross (but it doesn’t have nigra in it). They do state, though, that “Leaves and fruit resemble M. rubra”. It will be very interesting when ‘Gerardi’ is finally sequenced!
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Thank you for the information . I suspected something was wrong .
Kevin, JD, and Mrs. Gibson - I really love the aesthetic shape of your montmorency trees in bloom (pics re-posted, below). Just awesome. I have a young one I need to train and am trying to figure out the approach that gets to this shape.
Are these trained to a modified central leader? At least in JD’s, I think I’m seeing some sort of multi-leader in the center above main scaffolds, but then again I see more branching on what appears to be the leader. Thanks!
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It is an ‘open vase” shape of pruning. Perfect for cherries.
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Thanks… yours was a little harder to see with the backdrop. I guess it just has a little more interior wood to give it that full look across the top. It is a beautiful tree.
I am thinking the first image may also be open center, and the second modified central leader. I wish I could understand tree forms better. I definitely want that beautiful rounded across the top look as it’s right outside our dining window.
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It is easy to do. Pruning makes them grow so much taller the next year. Every February in RI I would take my Monty down to 9’. By the following summer it had grown two feet. The great news is that pruning is what created enormous amounts of fruiting spurs. Each cluster had no less that three cherries, usually five. So easy to pick, but sooooo many! A nice problem to have.
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