North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Maria Schumann <mariaschu@vtlink.net>]

The kokuso I got from Burnt Ridge didn't make it through its first  
winter here in Northern Vt.

On Apr 8, 2013, at 5:28 PM, Brungardt, Sam (MPCA) wrote:

> Yes, Oikos does describe 'Kokuso' as being M. nigra.  However,  
> Forest Farm, which also propagates many desirable species and  
> cultivars, describes 'Kokuso' as being M. alba.
>
> Apparently, there are a number of Kokuso selections.  The  
> Sericulture Experiment Station-Vratsa (Bulgaria) lists four: 20, 21,  
> 27, and 70.  It describes 'Kokuso 20', 'Kokuso 21' and 'Kokuso 70'  
> as M. latifolia and 'Kokuso 27' as M. alba. (Some taxonomic experts  
> say that M. latifolia is the same as M. alba.)
>
> To shed more light on the development of the Kokuso cultivars, see  
> the paper, "Mulberry breeding, cultivation and utilization in Japan"  
> at http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/X9895E/x9895e05.htm.
>
> And the description of whatever Kokuso cultivar that's being  
> propagated and sold in the USA varies quite a bit, with some  
> nurseries claiming it is more hardy than some well-known hardy  
> cultivars.  For example, Burnt Ridge Nursery says: "Dark fruited  
> Korean variety. Earlier ripening than Illinois [Everbearing] with  
> very high quality firm fruit. Reportedly even hardier than Illinois  
> Everbearing and grown even farther North, up into Minnesota."
>
> I would guess that the Kokuso cultivar being propagated in the USA  
> is Kokuso 20, since that is the only Kokuso cultivar in the  
> inventory of the USDA's National Clonal Germplasm Respository for  
> Fruit and Nut Crops at Davis, Calif.  See http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=12835 
>  .
>
> Sam Brungardt, St. Paul, Minn. (USDA Hardiness Zone 4a)
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org 
> ] On Behalf Of Matt Demmon
> Sent: Saturday, April 06, 2013 7:17 AM
> To: nafex mailing list at ibiblio
> Subject: Re: [nafex] Morus nigra
>
> We'll see! I think I trust Oikos to get species right, they grow a  
> pretty extensive list and seem pretty on top of things. I did have a  
> 'Kokuso'
> mulberry for a while, that was supposed to be M. nigra, although  
> I've heard various things about it. It did fruit, and the fruit was  
> the tastiest mulberry I've ever had, and the leaves and buds didn't  
> look like any other mulberry I've seen, but I don't know if it was  
> M. nigra. It suffered winter damage every year and finally kicked it  
> after 4 seasons.
>
> -matt
> z5 se MI
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 5, 2013 at 8:11 AM, Lee Reich <leeareich@gmail.com<mailto:leeareich@gmail.com 
> >> wrote:
>
> > My guess is that they are not truly M. nigra. I've looked into this
> > extensively and never heard of the plant being this hardy. If it is,
> > and if you get fruit, you're in for a taste treat, one of the
> > best-tasting of all fruits. Her in my zone 5, I grow it in a pot,
> > brought indoors for winter, and in a greenhouse.
> >
> > Lee Reich, PhD
> > Come visit my farmden at http://leereich.blogspot.com/
> > http://leereich.com/
> >
> > Books by Lee Reich:
> > A Northeast Gardener's Year
> > The Pruning Book
> > Weedless Gardening
> > Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden
> > Landscaping with Fruit
> > Grow Fruit Naturally
> >
> > On Apr 5, 2013, at 6:59 AM, Matt Demmon wrote:
> >
> > > I've just gotten some black mulberries (M. nigra) from Oikos they
> > > claim
> > are
> > > hardy in zone 5. My fingers are crossed. However, I'm trying to
> > > figure
> > out
> > > where to put them. My two questions are: Do they get as big as M.  
> > > alba?
> > I'm
> > > guessing not. And can you harvest them by shaking the tree like  
> > > with M.
> > > alba, or do they not detach as easily when ripe? If I can shake them
> > onto a
> > > sheet, I'll put them in a mown area, if not, I probably won't.
> > >
> > > Thanks for the help! Spring is finally coming to the north. Ground
> > > is thawed enough to dig holes just this week.
> > >
> > > -matt
> > > z5 se MI
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