North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Devin Smith <dvidedevo@yahoo.com>]

Hi all,
I'm quite new to NAFEX, though I've been growing fruit here in southern VT 
for 8 years and have been meaning to join for a while. Glad to be "here". 


I've been toying around with ideas to tame the rampant growth of mulberries. 
I have 3 Ill. Everbearing.that I'm hoping to keep "in bounds". Their growth 
rate is truly shocking! To begin with, I was planning the obvious-- train to 
an open center and perhaps pollard. If any of you have pollarded your Ill. 
Everbearing, I'd be curious to know how much it affects yield. 


Now for a couple of other ideas. What about an interstem? Geraldi Dwarf seems 
to be genetically dwarf, and curiously stays small even when grafted to 
Russian rootstock. I though the general "rule" was that rootstock has a much 
stronger effect of vigor. Perhaps a Geraldi Dwarf on its own roots is much 
smaller? Why not try an interstem of Geraldi, or perhaps one of the other 
more diminutive mulberries like weeping or contorted? One observation I've 
made regarding the weeping form, is that it weeps because it doesn't lignify 
until very late in the season. Perhaps its not genetically dwarf at all, but 
simply can't grow any higher on its own without something to support it until 
its new growth gets woody. An interstem would be a good way to find out at 
the very least.


I've found weeping and contorted cuttings both root very easily, and have 
some 1 year old rooted cuttings of each growing in a nursery bed. I might try 
them out as rootstock and see what happens. Has anyone played around with 
interstems or alternate rootstocks for mulberries? These are self rooted, and 
so (I assume) should be small even for their type.


Finally, one of my Ill. Everbearing trees was grown (purchased) on its own 
roots. I suppose this should reduce vigor somewhat, since it will inevitably 
have a fibrous and somewhat weaker root system. I understand this variety is 
particularly hard to root. After reading the Grafter's Handbook, I've been 
tempted to try my hand at grafting scions onto a nurse root cutting. I may 
try that also this spring. Or perhaps graft some onto the end of a self 
rooted weeper and layer it. I've got some hardwood cuttings going just for 
the heck of it. I don't expect them to work, but at this stage in my life, 
its hard for me to imagine having too many delicious mulberries.


I suppose you can tell I have the fruit disease too. Ahhhh, isn't this what 
winter is for: daydreaming about the superhuman amount of propagation that is 
going to ensue the second that all the snow has melted.

Devin Smith
Witness Oak Polycultures
Rockingham, VT