Yes but it may have oozed some sap that would harden. I wish i had taken some pics. The tree always leafed out/produced lots of flowers. Cherries were tough because rot was always an issue in my climate. If it was a dry spring they were great, if it was a wet spring not so good.
Anybody in legit 4a/3b growing Kokuso mulberry? I’ve got one that I grafted to a male wild alba in '23 that has put on pretty incredible growth. I grafted another last year to an alba rootstock from Burnt Ridge. That one did “ok” last year, but I’m anxious to see if it survived our -32 low.
I cut some scions from the '23 graft today. They all appear alive and green. I plan to graft those to a branch of the male alba with a failed Northrup graft. It would sure be nice to have some summer tree fruit here.
2 Likes
Only mullberry ive tried is trader and IEM. Trader does fine in my 4a zone, but IEM dies back every couple years significantly.
2 Likes
Trader survives here too, but the fruit isn’t worth picking they’re so tiny. IE died to the roots its second year. I haven’t tried it again.
If Kokuso produces fruit like it grows, I’ll be impressed.
4 Likes
Please keep us informed on that variety since we here in the north have so little to pick from
3 Likes
that’s not what i wanted to hear. i just planted 4 traders. my Northrop died to the ground at -40 3 years ago and has come back nicely but no fruit yet. i pruned my Riverview last year. still no fruit after 4 yrs. it was a 12ft tree until i went scorched earth and cut it all the way back to just a trunk, last week. if it doesn’t fruit after that i give. up. i have a grafted i.e i put in 2 yrs ago. hasn’t grown much and is only 3ft. i have a 7 yr. old no name alba ive been trying to graft over with no luck. it doesn’t fruit either. starting to think it’s just too cold for mulberry this far north. Gerardi is cold hardy to z5. might work here with some protection. lots of folks have given it rave reviews on here. hoping kokuso works out.
1 Like
Maybe your Traders will do better than mine. I keep waiting for them to be worth growing, but it hasnt happened yet. I contacted Jim Walla who was the only source for a few years. He said fruit should improve with age. Time will tell.
The wild alba I grafted Kokuso to is one I brought from my old place. I didnt think it would survive, but it has. I grafted both Kokuso and Northrup at about 5’ above ground. My theory was maybe those few feet would add a bit of cold hardiness, as well as trying to get them out deer browse range. Oddly enough, deer have left all of the mulberries alone here. At the old place deer chowed on them big time.
Cold protection is something I’m not interested in. I want stuff that either makes it on its own or not
1 Like
Jim gave me a trader a couple years ago, I dont have any fruit yet, but its hardy here at least. maybe this year Ill get some berries, its about 4 feet tall now.
2 Likes
As I recall, my 2 Traders took 5 or 6 years to produce first fruit.
2 Likes
Just an FYI for folks…deer ticks are out already in central MN
fun!
Just soaked a set of clothes for my wife and I in permethrin. They’re drying outside now. That solves 95%+ of the tick issue. I believe this is the earliest I’ve done that by at least a week or two.
im not sure Id want to wear clothes soaked in perm, but I do spray my pants from the knee down and my boots when the ticks are bad. Seems to help. I also spray my dogs legs and belly occasionally too.
2 Likes
Perm once dry is allegedly “safe”. I’ll take my chances with it. I went thru two rounds of anti-biotics last year, even though I tested negative on the tick borne disease panel. I’m relatively certain I had Lyme disease and think I still have muscle and joint issues due to it. Dr. wouldn’t give me another script without a positive test.
I will add that if you don’t feel comfortable with permethrin or any other chemical, then by all means do not use it.
1 Like
have you heard the theories about how lyme disease might be man made?
I had it about 13 years ago. If you treat it early with doxycycline you are usually good. Ticks also carry other diseases babesiosis (which i think is like malaria). I just keep some doxycycline on hand just in case. Permethrin works excellent against ticks from previous research. Turkey hunting season is when they are thick around here.
1 Like
No, but nothing would surprise me after the last 5 years.
I think this is where I saw it… not sure if its true, but kinda interesting
2 Likes
that’s nuts! they usually don’t show here until mid May but we don’t have a big deer population either. We didn’t have deer ticks period until 20+ years ago when the state bios decided to stock turkeys caught in s. Maine up here without treating them for ticks 1st. a good friend of mine got Lyme disease 5 years ago from one. luckily the e.r Dr. came from N.Y and recognized the symptoms right away.
Its usually at least mid April before I get one on me here. It does seem deer ticks are out before wood ticks each year.
I blame mice/rodents more than deer
2 Likes