Mulberry trees are beautiful in and of themselves, although for most people, there’s another reason to grow one. Of course, that would be the mulberries from which the tree gets its name. You may however be wondering, how long does it take until a mulberry tree grows to produce fruit?
Mulberry trees purchased from a nursery can produce fruit in as little as 2 to 3 years. However, other mulberry trees, namely those grown from seed, can take between 5 to 10 years to produce fruit.
With that said, the time to produce fruit can also depend on the specific variety of mulberry trees you choose to grow. Coming up, we’re going to review everything you need to know about estimating your tree’s time to fruit, and how to care for it best so that it produces a good harvest.
Remember, if you are unsure about the fruit of a mulberry tree, if your tree is a mulberry tree, or if you have any questions about planting one – we recommend contacting a professional.
What Are Mulberries?
Mulberry trees might be a staple in some yards, but mulberries aren’t typically something you’ll find in your supermarket’s produce section. However, if you’re lucky, you might be able to find them at your local farmer’s market or a smaller family-owned store.
Mulberries look a lot like blackberries once they’re ready for harvest. And, like blackberries, when fully ripened, they have a sweet and aromatic taste.
Likewise, if mulberries are picked before they’re ready, they still have that distinct flavor but are a little more tart.
What Affects The Mulberries From Growing?
Next up, we’re going to talk about why it’s difficult to give an exact timeline for when any given mulberry tree will produce fruit. While if you purchase your tree from a nursery, they may give you different answers, the important thing to remember is that the variety, method of propagation, and growing conditions affect that timeline.
These are all really nuanced factors, of course, and unless you’re a specialist, you might be guessing and waiting for mulberry fruit for years.
However, during the time in which you’re waiting for that fruit to appear, the best thing you can do is provide your tree with the ideal growing conditions. And if you’re wondering, yes, we’ll be going into details about that in this guide as well.
Mulberry Tree Varieties Can Affect The Growth
Just like any other tree, there are certain varieties of the mulberry tree that grow faster or slower than others.
With 64 variations (so far identified) as you might imagine, covering every single one of these species and their estimated time to grow fruit would be incredibly tedious (and it would be a huge pain for you to find the information you need).
So let’s cover some common examples! And if you’re not sure, contact the nursery or grower that you’re buying your mulberry tree from for more info.
- Red Mulberry – as little as four years, as many as ten years.
- Everbearing varieties (this does include many species) – can begin fruiting in as little as two to three years, and continue production
Note: many of the mulberry varieties still often take at least five years to begin blooming and producing fruit.
Method Of Propagation Affects The Growth
There’s nothing wrong with growing plants, and trees especially, from seed. However, if you choose to use this method, be prepared to wait a little longer to see your trees reach an age that’s advanced enough for them to begin flowering and fruiting.
If you want to get mulberries faster, plant a tree that’s already been growing in a nursery, or start your tree from a cutting.
Planting from seed may be more economical, but it can also add a couple of years onto the timeline for when you can expect to harvest fruit. Likewise, if you get a young tree from a nursery, you can get a mulberry harvest a few years earlier.
So, When Do Mulberries Appear?
If you’re lucky enough to have a mulberry tree that’s already producing fruit or is due to produce fruit soon, you’re probably wondering when to expect your crop.
Mulberries start appearing on trees in June, and harvesting usually lasts at least a month, even extending through August.
Keep in mind that this is just a general guide for any mulberry tree’s timeline. The actual harvest time can vary depending on the variety of mulberry trees you grow, and your USDA Growing Zone.
How Many Mulberries Will A Tree Produce?
Mulberry trees are known for their fruits and the impressive quantity of them that they can produce.
Once you start seeing a few mulberries, there is a bounty of them that will follow soon after. In fact, a single mulberry tree will produce over 10 pounds of mulberries in one season, and continue to significantly up the count from there.
The harvests tend to be so large that manual picking isn’t necessary for gathering much of the berries. Some people even leave containers or tarps below the trees to catch the excess fruits.
However, the number of mulberries available for harvest may be impacted by birds! Let’s talk about that below.
Wildlife May Eat Your Mulberries
Mulberry trees take a pretty long time before they produce fruit, so you’ll be understandably frustrated if wildlife is taking some of your hard-earned berries.
What can you do about wildlife and birds eating your mulberries? Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do, but there’s good news. Even if birds eat a ton of mulberries, there’s still going to be plenty left for you.
If you want to protect your hoard, one of the best things you can do is harvest as soon as the mulberries are ready. With that being said, birds aren’t above taking the berries before they’re fully ripened.
And although wildlife eating your mulberries isn’t pleasant, when birds eat your mulberries, according to the Ecological Society of America, wildlife actually contributes to the seed distribution of the species, according to this publication from
How To Stop Birds From Eating Your Mulberries
Here are some things you can try to reduce the number of berries bird’s eat:
- Using nets – this is basically a net that covers the entire tree. While it isn’t the most attractive solution, birds can’t get into the tree to take more berries. We recommend using the Agfabric Garden Insect Netting Plant Cover. It may be marketed to prevent insects, but it’ll keep birds away too. Not only that, but it’s also big enough for fully matured trees, and it has a zipper to make harvesting easy for you.
- Predatory bird decoys – set up a hawk, owl, or another predatory bird decoy to scare birds off. Some of these even move and have motion-triggered sounds.
- Use a decoy crop (or food) – while mulberry trees are often decoy crops themselves, you can plant other decoy crops to attract birds elsewhere. Likewise, you can leave bird food out to try and keep them from your tree.
- Try sound repellents – these aren’t a proven solution, but they’re worth a try. They produce noise at high frequencies that disturb birds and other small creatures.
For more information on how to keep birds away from your trees, head on over to our article on our sister site PestPointers on how to deter birds using sounds such as windchimes!
What Do Mulberry Trees Need To Grow?
Mulberry trees are great producers if you’re looking for a harvest. However, without the proper growing conditions, you can’t hope to get a good yield.
What do mulberry trees need to grow? Don’t worry, we’re about to cover the most crucial requirements for a healthy, well-performing mulberry tree.
Well Drained Soil Is A Must
Mulberry trees aren’t incredibly picky about their soil conditions. You can even plant them in soil that’s too poor for other plants and trees. However, there is one aspect you can’t neglect:
Mulberry trees need well-drained soil to grow. This means that you should be able to deeply water the soil, and there shouldn’t be any standing water when you’re done.
While these trees do best in slightly acidic soil, they also tolerate neutral soil, as long the pH doesn’t vary too greatly. You can even grow mulberry trees in sandy soil, or soil with a larger clay composition.
Full Or Partial Sun Is Needed
Another nice thing about mulberry trees is they do well in either full sun or partial sun. So, if you don’t have a place that gets a full six hours of intense sunlight (or more), you can still grow a mulberry tree. Just make sure the tree does get at least four full hours of direct sunlight every day.
With that said, we should also mention that it’s ideal to ensure your mulberry tree gets full sun. It’s not a requirement, however, and you’ll still be able to harvest mulberries when your tree is ready.
The more sun you can give your mulberry tree, the better the quantity and quality of your berry yield will be once it’s time to harvest.
Mulberry Trees Need Adequate Water
Even though mulberry trees like well-draining soil, that doesn’t mean they don’t like plenty of water. Their water requirements work much like their sunlight requirements.
More water is ideal, although mature mulberry trees are hardy enough to tolerate drought within reason.
When you water young mulberry trees, giving them enough water is even more important. It’s a vital stage of their growth, so make sure you don’t let the soil completely dry out. As a general guideline, a young mulberry tree should be getting at least a few gallons of water weekly.
However, if you notice that the soil is drying out even after watering a few gallons, that’s a sign that you need to provide your tree with more water.
Fertilizer Can Be Necessary
Mulberry trees can handle different soils, even with poor nutrient content – but that doesn’t mean that they should.
This is just like water and full sun; the more you put into your tree, the more you’ll get out of your harvest, and you may need to consider a fertilizer if your tree is lacking.
Mulberry trees prefer higher levels of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Ideally, in equal amounts. For instance, it’s a good idea to look for a fertilizer with an NPK formula that shows equal, or close to equal numbers for each of the main nutrients (ex: 5-5-5, or 6-5-6).
If you’re searching for a good fertilizer to use with mulberry trees, try TreeHelp Premium Fertilizer for Mulberry Trees.
Should You Prune Mulberry Trees?
If you have any kind of tree, you know that pruning trees are a pretty regular part of maintenance. A lot of people do at least some kind of light pruning on their trees annually. Sure, you’re thinking, that’s obvious. And it is- for many kinds of trees.
Mulberry trees still need to be pruned. However, they do tend to need longer healing periods after they’re pruned. When you prune your mulberry tree, do it very carefully, and only make small cuts where necessary.
Unless there’s damage, only prune your mulberry tree every few years. And don’t take more than a handful of branches, unless you need to for the health of the rest of the tree.
When Should You Prune Mulberry Trees?
Aside from the recommended two to three years, there are other things you should pay attention to when you decide when to prune your mulberry tree.
A lot of people prune other trees in the spring. That’s pretty normal. However, because mulberry trees are so sensitive, you need to be very careful about the cuts you make, and winter is ideal!
If not in winter, autumn is a good time. You won’t have to worry about leaves obstructing your view. Not only that, but because the tree is dormant, it’s healthier for the tree too.
How To Plant A Mulberry Tree
However, if you decide to grow a mulberry tree (whether from a seed, a cutting, or if you purchase one from a nursery) there are some key things you need to know when you start to plant it.
- Make sure the soil in the area drains well, has a decent amount of nutrients, and gets full sun (if possible).
- Mulberry trees have very extensive root systems. Make sure you give your mulberry tree at least 25 feet of space. If you can give your tree more, then all the better.
- In many cases (and growing zones), planting in early spring is a perfectly acceptable time to plant. If you’re in an area with exceptionally hot summers, planting in autumn is also a good idea. The goal is to plant your tree when there won’t be drastic fluctuations in temperature.
Just make sure that when you plant, there won’t be frost coming anytime soon!
That’s A Wrap!
A mulberry seed can take up to 10 years to grow into a fruit-producing tree. Using a cutting can reduce that by a couple of years. However, if you buy an older tree from a nursery, it could be as little as two or three years.
And remember, giving your tree the ideal conditions will always result in better growth, and ultimately a better yield come harvest time. The care you put into your tree will be repaid by the gallon full when it’s time to harvest your fresh, homegrown mulberries.
Resources
Jiang, Y., Huang, R., Yan, X., Jia, C., Jiang, S., & Long, T. (2017). Mulberry for environmental protection. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 49(2), 781-788.
Stapanian, M. A. (1982). A model for fruiting display: seed dispersal by birds for mulberry trees. Ecology, 63(5), 1432-1443.
Yamashita, T. (1984). Effect of top pruning on stem carbohydrates reserves and foliar 14CO2 assimilation in mulberry trees during autumn. Plant and cell physiology, 25(4), 677-681.
