I am trying to root some Shangri la mulberry cuttings. The cuttings are leafing out and appear to be growing small mulberries. I have the cuttings in clear cups and have not noticed any roots yet. Should I remove the small mulberries from the cuttings? Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
I can’t remember my exact methods, but I tried a few different things this past spring, and they all seemed to work with pretty good percentage takes. I didn’t do anything at all sophisticated, though: no bottom heat, no rooting hormones, no perlite or other purchased media, etc. My limited number of attempts with other varieties of mulberries have all failed however, so I got the impression Shangri La was especially easy to root.
Not to imply that I have even modest expertise on the subject, but I would pull the small “berries” off any cuttings I wanted to root.
Yes take off the fruit. Dormant mulberry cutting are difficult to root. Green cuttings taken in the summer work better. I’ve had success taking cuttings in July.
If you’re trying to root mulberry cuttings this time of year you’re doing it the difficult way. You should try to root green cuttings in July, August or even September, depending on where you live…
I’d be interested in seeing a list of mulberry varieties that any of you have successfully rooted from cuttings with a brief description of methods and time of year done. Also varieties that have always failed to root for you. My understanding is that there are big differences in how easily different varieties and species will root from cuttings. I understand IL everbearing, for example, is difficult to root. I can’t remember for sure if I tried, but if I did I failed. There are a couple seedling mulberries in the neighborhood I’ve tried to root: I’ve had success with what appears to be an M. alba but failed with what appears to be an M. rubra.
Shangri la is the easiest mulberry to root and graft on in my zone. plant them deep with 1 or 2 nodes above the soil. Dormant cuttings are stored until spring and rooted in shade outside in deep pots, I get about 70-80% success this way.
I rooted Everbearing dwarf, Shangri La, and Wacissa in the winter with dormant cuttings under light, in regular potting soil. I got two everbearing, 2 Wacissa, and 3 Shnagri La to root. About an equal number failed.
I failed with Rupp’s Romanian several times. I used the same technique that I successfully use with figs: bottom heat, rooting hormone, a light mix of soil/pearlite. They all leafed out but didn’t root.
Here is a picture of three of the five mulberry cuttings. I do have them under a heat mat, I used a growth hormone and under lights similar to how I root figs. I checked again today and no roots. I have not given them much water. I use a soil and perlite mix. Thanks for all your responses.