North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Lucky Pittman <lucky.pittman@murraystate.edu>]

At 01:57 PM 7/9/2003 -0700, you wrote:
> By the way, has anyone grafted any mulberries to dwarf
> or contorted rootstock? I would like to keep mine
> small.

We planted some 'dwarf' mulberries a number of years back - identity is now 
lost, but I don't think they were identified as Geraldi' - just 
'dwarf'.  All 4 are 'bushier' than IE, Collier, Wellington, or my M.alba & 
M.rubra seedlings, and they're significantly different from one another in 
growth patterns that I'm convinced that they're not all the same - in fact, 
one is a non-fruiting male that is very vigorous.  One of the four is 
significantly smaller than the other three, being only 6-7 ft tall, after 
being in the ground for probably 7 years.  All are twiggy, bushy little 
things, and are probably soon to be removed in favor of something more 
productive.  They don't even really make good 'climbing' trees for the 
kids, due to the multiple small, sharp twigs they put out all over their 
branches.
I sent Gordon some cuttings from the smallest one a couple of years back; 
think he was intending to try them as a dwarfing interstem.   Maybe he'll 
let us know how that worked, though we may not be far enough along to 
really get a good idea of success or failure.

Lucky