Which type of fruit are the best to grow here? I hear many conflicting reports and some say Pakistan can grow here in zone 6 - 5B while others say they cannot. Englands sells scions for “ILL Every Bearing X, Kokuso A x M x N, Shangri-la A, Hunza’s Black A, Rupp’s Romanian ?, Geraldi’s dwarf, Wellington R, Taylor #1, Taylor # 2, G-1 and Other assorted cultivars” http://nuttrees.net/assorted-scion.pdf. This is what I know about what they sell Mulberry Trees for Sale. What is the best variety and what are the pros and cons?
I’d just call Cliff or send an email. Nice folks who will tell you what you need to know!
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Thanks Kelby that’s good advice
@BobVance recently told me that he grows numerous mulbs and that Oscar is his best for taste.
USDA suspects Oscar is an alba/nigra hybrid.
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Matt,
We have white and red hybrids I’m growing here with big fruit. The berries are nice flavored. When I say big I mean twice as large as a regular wild mulberry.
Dang it, I need to get a mulberry tree. I miss eating them.
What’s one more tree…there’s always room.
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Kelby,
Are you going to get one of the new varieties? They have some excellent ones. They seem to be getting better every year. I would like to grow those Pakistan mulberry and with our weather changes they might be worth trying if I can find which one handles the coldest weather.
Maybe next year! I’ve got plenty on my plate this year.
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This is one of the varieties I’m talking about http://www.starkbros.com/products/fruit-trees/mulberry-trees/pakistan-mulberry
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Pakistan from Starks died the first winter. I have David Smith that seems to be doing well.
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If the Pakistan won’t make it at your place they definitely won’t make it at mine. Thanks
My endorsement of Oscar shouldn’t be so authoritative. Oscar was the best tasting of the ones I’ve sampled so far, but this is based on just a single season.
Here’s a writeup from the time:
Mulberries are a bit of an afterthought for me. I’ve got 4, but 3 of them are squished on the North-most part of my yard (only the dwarf Geraldi is in a main row). And 2 of those 3 squished ones are getting pruned into an espaliered plane form. I’m not sure how well mulberries will take to it, but I’m not giving them a choice- I care more about the peaches and apricots planted close by, so the mulberries will behave (or else).
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Ahh yes. But two months from now - when nothing else is fruiting yet - it will be glorious to pick those mulberries!
From my report, I was getting them in mid-June, though maybe I missed the first ones (probably birds). There wasn’t a ton of things ready yet, but I’d been eating Strawberries and Honeyberries for a few weeks, along with early raspberries. My first Early Blush apricot was ready just 4 days later (I want a lot more of these!).
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Three years ago, we had a super mild winter, and the mulberries were ready by May!
This year is shaping up to be a repeat (this weekend’s cold snap notwithstanding).
Yeah, I suppose the strawberries come early, too.
The Early Blush cot is so exciting. I am obsessed with getting good quality fruit as early as possible.
I remember the unseasonable warmth in March a few years ago. It made the Boysenberries very good that year (which gave me high expectations that they haven’t met since). I’ll keep my eye on the mulberries this year, as I haven’t paid enough attention in the past to know when they first ripen.
I had Pakistan here for several years - and followed AJ Bullard’s recommendation to plant it with graft union below grade, so that WHEN, not if, it froze back, it could re-grow.
It froze to the ground every winter for 3 years in a row… would re-grow to 10 ft, but did not fruit.
Got hit by a freak early Oct freeze once, releafed and bloomed… but no way those berries were gonna ripen before real winter set in.
Finally got tired of the dance and replaced it with something else.
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Could I graft a Pakistan upon a Girardi(or any dwarfing mulberry) and expect the Pakistan to have improved cold hardiness? 5b/6a is my location
Jim,
The rootstock imparts some of its trates on the scion but ive never seen cold hardiness be improved by rootstock.