Mulberry Care

If Mulberry Trees had a nickname, it would be Giving Trees; these trees produce so many berries that even the biggest mulberry tooth 🦷 in your family won’t be left unsatiated 🤤. And that’s even considering what drops off naturally or is eaten by birds and squirrels who know a good fruit when they see it. Are you wondering if mulberries really taste that good? Just look at our garden gurus and see what their faces (and fingers)  tell you. 

With over 60 varieties and berries from black to white to red, from long to short, there are many types to suit your gardening interest and palate. There are even everbearing varieties that will keep you snacking during all the seasons of the year. Whatever your mulberry or mulberries of choice, read on to learn how to raise your plant baby to maturity. 

Mulberry Care Overview 

  • Type: Deciduous perennial 
  • Growth habit: Tree, shrubby tree (dwarf varieties, especially if pruned)
  • Light: Best in full sun but can tolerate light shade
  • Spacing: 15 feet apart  
  • Soil: Well-drained, moist 
  • Watering: 3-4 times per week
  • Fertilization: 20-6-9 every week during the growing season
  • USDA hardiness zones: Varies but typically 5-11
  • Dormancy: Goes dormant 
  • Winter care: Water less, protect from extreme temperatures
  • Common pests: Aphids, mites, scales, and thrips
  • Pet friendly? Yes

Type

Mulberries are perennials (gardening lingo which means it lives for many years rather than dying off every year like an annual). This plant is also deciduous (the garden term for plants that shed all their leaves during the cold season). 

Growth Habit

Mulberries (Morus genus) are large trees that grow tall and wide. Dwarf varieties only reach around 6-8 feet if planted in the ground (still tall enough to need a ladder to pick the uppermost berries). Pruning your trees will encourage them to branch out and grow into a shrubby tree rather than tall and sparse.

Light

Mulberries thrive in full sun. They can tolerate a little shade, but full sun is where they feel most at home and fruit most productively. 

Spacing

Provide around 15 feet in between each plant to allow ample room for the roots to spread. Consider planting away from walkways and driveways because the abundant fruit can be messy.

Soil 

Mulberry trees prefer well-drained, fertile soil. They tolerate most conditions except for excessively wet soil. Once established, they are drought-tolerant. 

Watering

Water your Mulberry plant 3-4 times per week while getting established, which will allow it to dry out somewhat between waterings. Once it becomes well-established in the ground, you can water it a little less often as it becomes drought-tolerant.

Fertilization

All fertilizers contain three primary nutrients: (Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Mulberries and most fruiting plants thrive with a ratio of 20 Nitrogen (N), 6 phosphate (P2O5), and 9 potash (K2O) along with other micronutrients. We've got you covered with our slow-release Mulberry Fuel, which contains that exact ratio.

We recommend fertilizing every 7-14 days in the growing season (spring/summer). Once the cooler temperatures of fall and winter hit, you can take a break from fertilizing as your plant goes dormant. 

USDA Hardiness Zones

Can I grow a Mulberry tree where I live? What if I live in a cold place?

On our website, we list each plant’s USDA hardiness zone. The U.S. Department of Agriculture created the hardiness map to help gardeners identify the areas in which plants tend to grow well based on past average temperatures. On the USDA's site, you can enter your zip code to identify your hardiness zone. Most mulberries are hardy in zones 5-11 (coldest temperature = -20 degrees Fahrenheit). If you live outside the zone, you can provide winter protection for it. 

Winter Care

Compare your city’s USDA plant hardiness zone with the plant’s to see how much cold your plant can endure 🥶. If you live outside the zone your plant is listed for, you’ll want to help it keep warm. The best way is to mulch well and cover. 

Mulberries hibernate in cold weather (in garden terms, go dormant). Because they are deciduous, they lose all their leaves while the plant focuses on preserving and strengthening the roots rather than its top growth. This is all part of the normal growth cycle. Fall sweater weather, the scent of cinnamon brooms, and the flavor of pumpkin spice emanating from the kitchen all signal the beautiful autumn leaves 🍁 we all love turning from green to a crispy orange and yellow; we know that although the leaves have fallen, the trees are still alive and well; they’re just hibernating until the spring season brings a wellspring of new life. 

    Your Mulberry won't need as much water while it's dormant. Water lightly 2-3 times per week, allowing it to dry out somewhat between waterings.

    Patience is the best test so your fig remains undisturbed while strengthening its roots; but you can double check that your plant is just dormant and not dead with a couple quick tests:

    • Give the stem a gentle push and if it doesn’t snap in half, then it’s alive and well. 
    • Make a very tiny scratch on the stem with your finger to see if it’s green underneath. 

    Learn more in our Overwintering Guide.

    Common Pests

    Squirrels and grasshoppers like the leaves and can occasionally be a problem. Otherwise pests are not a huge problem for mulberries. 

    Pet Friendly?

    Mulberries are not toxic to your furry friends.

    FAQs

    How Should I Care for My Mulberry Tree After It Arrives?

    Please give your Mulberry a little TLC after its journey through the mail 📬. Here are a few steps we recommend:

    • Unwrap immediately to provide fresh air to the plant and soil.
    • Wait a few days before exposing to full sunlight so your plant can adjust after being in a dark box for several days.
    • Always protect from heat and cold because temperature extremes can be stressful or deadly for plants.
    • Water. Your baby plant may be parched and even a little wilted but thorough hydration will help it recover.
    • Grow out in a larger pot to increase your chances of success—i.e., a quarter gallon—Then transplant to the ground or the next pot size up once the roots fill to the bottom. This will help the plant get sufficient water and nutrients directly to the roots.

    Learn more in our After Arrival Care Guide. 

    What Size Pot Should I Use?

    We highly recommend growing your baby plant out in a larger pot 🪴 to increase your chances of success 🏆. Repotting helps focus the water and nutrients directly towards the roots. If the pot is too large or if your baby is planted in the ground, the water and nutrients have more room to spread to the wrong places where they aren’t needed. This can be extra detrimental to a baby plant that needs all the support it can get as it’s growing up.

    You don’t have to repot immediately, but the sooner you do, the more room it has to grow. 

    Here are some general repotting tips:

    • Start with a pot that's 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the starter-sized pot it came in. A pint or quart would be great.
    • Use a good general potting mix or make your own. We find two parts peat to one part perlite works well for most plants, allowing it to be well-drained but still moist.
    • Transplant to the ground or the next pot size up once the roots fill to the bottom.

    Learn more in our Repotting Guide. 

    Shop Mulberry Trees

    Start or continue growing your Mulberry Tree collection with Wellspring Gardens.

    Happy planting! 🪴