Many believe that mulberry is a heat-loving plant that is unable to endure harsh winters. However, this is absolutely not the case. In the past few years, thanks to the efforts of gardeners, it has been successfully grown in the north. This crop is able to adapt to different climatic conditions.
A plant in Siberia does not grow above 6 meters. In cold winters, the branches may freeze slightly, but the mulberry recovers quickly.
Description of the plant
Mulberry is also called mulberry or mulberry tree. It blooms a little later than other crops, but its fruits ripen quite early. The problem of growing mulberry in Siberia and caring for it can be spring frosts. Part of the leaves turn black and fall off when the temperature drops to -1 degrees.
At the same time, the tree itself almost never dies, and young shoots grow rather quickly. However, there may be no fruit.
Mulberry leaves are simple, slightly serrated at the edges. Small flowers collected in ears can be male and female. Fruitapproximately 1 cm in size, but may be larger or smaller.
Mulberry is absolutely unpretentious. Fruiting occurs at 5 years of age. Today it is very popular and widely grown in gardens.
Features of cultivation
A photo of mulberry in Siberia allows you to make sure that this tree gets along well in the northern regions. Despite the fact that this is a thermophilic plant, it takes root well in colder regions. Usually, special hybrid varieties that are resistant to freezing are used for this.
It is better to plant a plant in a place sheltered from the wind, which is well lit by sunlight. Regarding the cultivation of mulberry in Siberia, the reviews are the most positive, despite the fact that the berry is somewhat smaller than in the southern regions.
To ensure successful acclimatization of seedlings, it is best to purchase them from local nurseries that specialize in varieties suitable for the climate of a particular region. They can withstand temperature differences up to 30 degrees. If it is colder in winter, then young shoots may freeze slightly.
In Siberia, mulberry is more like a shrub than a tree. However, this does not prevent her from bearing fruit at all.
It must be remembered that the mulberry tree can be dormant for a long time, so do not rush to cut off slightly dried branches in the spring. They may still turn green with the advent of heat.
Which varieties to choose
For the successful cultivation of mulberries in Siberia, it is imperative to choose the most suitablevarieties. For a cold region, these are best suited:
- "Vladimirskaya";
- "royal";
- "white honey";
- "Old Moscow";
- "black prince";
- "Black Baroness".
Vladimirskaya variety differs in that its fruits have a rich red hue. The tree in natural conditions reaches a height of 6 m. If you cut the main branches closer to the ground, the plant will take the form of a shrub. If you make a cut at a height of 1.5 meters, then the mulberry will become similar in shape to a weeping willow. The variety is frost-resistant and does not require pollination.
Royal Mulberry is a medium height tree. Its fruits are very tasty and sweet, quite large, since their length is 3 cm. The advantage of this variety is frost resistance and high yield. It does not need to be covered for the winter. The variety is resistant to pests and diseases. The fruits and bark of this plant are widely used in folk medicine. The only drawback is considered to be partially self-pollinating, so a different variety of pollinators are required.
Mulberry "white honey" is resistant to severe frosts. This is a high-yielding variety with very tasty fruits. White mulberry in Siberia takes root best of all, as it tolerates cold well. It can be grown on absolutely any soil. The only drawback is that the berries can be stored for no more than 6 hours.
Mulberry "black prince" is a plant with large fruits, about 5 cm in size. It can grow on absolutely any soil. Thisthe variety is frost-resistant, does not require watering. The only disadvantage is that it is not self-fertile and requires additional pollinators.
Mulberry "Old Moscow" is famous for its sweet fruits of rich black color. The tree can reach up to 10 meters in height. The variety "black baroness" got its name due to the large fruits. The tree is frost-resistant and high-yielding. The only drawback is that the fruit can only be stored plucked for 12 hours, and that it is self-fertile.
It is worth noting that some mulberry trees bloom with large hairy flowers, but do not bear fruit. They are designed to pollinate female trees.
Planting mulberries
Mulberry cultivation in Siberia begins with planting, which is desirable to be carried out in April, before the start of sap flow or in early autumn. Many people prefer to carry out autumn planting, because if a young plant winters normally, then it will continue to grow and bear fruit.
Mulberry cultivation in Siberia (photo in the article) has its own specific features. Initially, you need to correctly determine the place for planting, knowing the preferences of the plant. It is photophilous and necessarily requires additional protection from the piercing cold wind. Also:
- mulberry does not like too dry and sandy, swampy or saline soil;
- groundwater occurrence must be no higher than 1.5 m.
Trees with male flowers do not bear fruit, but find out what gendersapling is possible only after 4-5 years. That is why it is recommended to purchase 3-year-old seedlings that have already produced a crop.
When planting mulberries in autumn, you need to prepare a pre-pit about 2 weeks before planting. At the same time, its size should be such that the root system of the seedling is located freely in the pit. If the soil on the site is very poor, then the depth of the pit should be slightly larger, since 5-7 kg of compost or rotted manure mixed with 100 g of superphosphate should be placed on its bottom. Then cover the fertilizer with a layer of soil so that there is no contact with the roots of the seedling.
After planting the mulberry, the near-trunk circle needs to be compacted a little and poured with 2 liters of water, and when it is completely absorbed, the near-trunk area is mulched. If the seedling is very fragile and thin, then you must first drive the supports into the bottom of the pit and tie the tree to them.
Spring planting of mulberries is almost no different from autumn, except that the hole needs to be dug since autumn. A fertile mixture is laid in it, and left until spring. In April, seedlings are planted. Planting and caring for mulberries in Siberia is not difficult, the most important thing is to follow all the rules and follow the instructions clearly.
Plant care
Growing and caring for mulberries in Siberia require the usual procedures for a gardener, namely:
- watering;
- weed removal;
- loosening the soil;
- feeding;
- trimmings;
- protection from diseases andpests.
To minimize the risk of mulberry diseases or pest damage, preventive treatment of the tree and the trunk circle with insecticides and fungicides is carried out. It is best to carry it out in early April, when the buds are still sleeping, and in October, when the plant has already stopped its vegetation.
As a remedy for pests and diseases, it is better to use a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid or Nitrafen. The best tool for spring insect treatment is a 7% urea solution, which can not only destroy pathogens and insect larvae, but also act as a nitrogen fertilizer.
To increase frost resistance, mulberries are watered first in spring and until July, but this should be done in very dry weather, and then watering gradually stops. If the spring is rainy, then the plant may not be watered at all.
Growing and caring for mulberries in Siberia involves periodic fertilization. They are brought in from early spring until July. In spring, nitrogenous fertilizers should prevail in top dressing, and in summer - potash top dressing and phosphates.
The first two years after transplanting to a permanent place, preparation of mulberries for winter in Siberia is required. Before that, you need to cover the plant for the winter. This applies even to those varieties that are frost-resistant. Knowing how to grow mulberries in Siberia, you can get a beautiful tree with juicy and tasty fruits.
Cutting and shaping
Growingmulberry trees in Siberia and caring for the plant also includes pruning. It is desirable to do this during the dormant period - in early spring until the moment of sap flow. It is necessary to carry out shaping and rejuvenating pruning of mulberry. Sanitary pruning is recommended in the fall, after the leaves have fallen, but the average daily temperature should not be below -10 degrees.
Each individual type of mulberry necessarily requires its own special approach to pruning. Weeping should be cut mainly for thinning the crown and shortening branches and shoots. At the same time, you don’t have to worry at all about the fact that the crop will be too strong.
Pruning the stamped variety is aimed at forming a beautiful and dense crown. At the same time, a spherical crown or a falling cascade of branches is formed on a long, thin trunk without branches. The most difficult thing is to form a decorative mulberry and subsequently regularly maintain its beautiful and neat appearance.
Mulberry reproduction
Growing white mulberry in Siberia and caring for it also involves plant propagation by seeds and vegetatively - layering, green and lignified cuttings, offspring and grafting. During seed propagation, the seeds of the current year's crop in October must be cleaned of pulp and kept in a solution of a special growth stimulator for 1-2 hours. Then sow in the soil.
If sowing is carried out in early spring, then a stratification procedure must be carried out. You can replace it with faster seedbed preparation. For thisbefore sowing, soak the prepared seeds in cold water for a day.
In a sunny, unshaded bed, make grooves and pour water over them, as well as add fertilizer intended for fruit. It is necessary to sow small seeds quite rarely, to a depth of 3-5 cm, then water the soil with water and mulch.
Care for mulberry sprouts in Siberia consists in regular moderate watering, fertilizing and weeding the beds. By autumn, the grown seedlings will become larger and well developed, so they need to be planted at a distance of 3-5 m. Fruiting will come in 5-6 years.
In the case of freezing of mulberry in a frosty winter, a dead plant may have a good root offspring, on which a lush crown can be formed after a while. Excess shoots can be trimmed or used as seedlings.
Mulberry can also be propagated by cuttings and is best done in summer, when the tree begins to grow more intensively. Initially, small cuttings of 15-20 cm with 2-3 buds should be cut from young shoots. Then plant in a greenhouse, deepening the lower cut into loose soil by 3 cm. It is necessary to create an environment of high humidity. When the cuttings are strong and have a strong root system, they can be planted in open soil.
Harvesting
Regular fruiting of a tree begins around the 5th year of its growth. In the early years, even in large-fruited varieties, the berries are quite small. However, every year their size increases.
Uordinary mulberry berries are very easily separated from the stalks, crumbling from the branches and covering the ground under the tree. Harvesting is not difficult. Under the branches, you just need to send the fabric and shake the fruits from the branches onto it. For further processing, they are removed slightly unripe.
Mulberry diseases
When growing white mulberry in Siberia, you need to remember that it can suffer from diseases and pests. Basically you have to deal with such diseases:
- cylindrosporiosis;
- powdery mildew;
- brown leaf spot;
- curly small-leaved;
- bacteriosis.
Powdery mildew is provoked by a fungus and appears as a whitish coating on the shoots and leaves of the plant. The disease progresses in dry weather, and especially it develops in a neglected crown. When the very first signs of the disease appear, you need to treat with Bordeaux liquid, "Fundazol" or a solution of colloidal sulfur.
With cylindrosporiosis, purple-red spots with a border are formed on the leaves. Gradually, they begin to turn yellow and fall off. When the first signs of the disease appear, spraying with a 1% Silita solution should be carried out.
Bacteriosis mainly affects young leaves and shoots of mulberries, resulting in irregularly shaped spots that gradually turn black. Mulberry leaves curl and fall, and the shoots are severely deformed. Against bacteriosis, drugs such as Gamair or Phytoflavin are used.
Mulberry pests
Periodically, mulberry trees canbe affected by pests and insects, which include:
- mulberry moths;
- spider mites;
- American butterflies.
One of the most dangerous pests is the white American butterfly. Her caterpillars can eat all the leaves on a tree. That is why their nests need to be cut and burned, and the crown of the tree should be treated with Chlorophos.
Mulberry moth caterpillars also feed on leaves. To protect the tree from them, it is necessary to carry out treatment with Chlorophos in the spring during the swelling of the buds.
