Anyone with experience growing mulberry trees for silkworms?

[happiness]

I've been scoping eBay listings of mulberry trees and there are white berry, red or black. Is there a difference in trees? Does one grow faster then another?

Would it be pointless to try to work with a 3 ft mulberry and grow it indoors?

 

[Andee]

I am growing my own dwarf mulberry black fruited tree I think, it's supposed to only get around 6 or 8 feet tall. They grow insanely fast but don't do well outside when they are young. Apparently black mulberry fruit can replace black berries in any recipe they are very sweet. I dunno about how much leaves it produces when it's that small and how well it'd do for a colony of silkworms you might need a few.

 

[happiness]

Is yours full grown? Good to know that they grow fast. I wanted a chestnut tree as well since I love chestnuts but they only grow like 1 inch a year! (from what I read)

 

[Andee]

No mine isn't yet, but I planted it six months ago... and it was like 3 inches tall, and now it's already almost two feet. But they need to be staked and they need to start off in small pots in the beginning if you get very small saplings like I did. Repotting is usually a nightmare because they are so spindly when they're young.

 

[happiness]

Wow! In 6 months it grew that much? Would you suggest the dwarf over a regular tree? I could get 2 2-3 ft regular red berried mulberries for $20 or spend $20ish for a dwarf. I can't decide :-/

I won't be planting it outside, i know I won't be living in my črrent house forever. I'm wondering if the regular tree wouldn't grownas good in a small pot since it gets 40 ft?

 

[Andee]

I know regular trees get huge and therefore have more of a chance of getting rootbound on a regular basis. I would definitely suggest a dwarf, at least at first to try out. They are very forgiving, I put mine outside to soon, almost all it's leaves got sunburnt but it's growing new leaves now that it's inside ^^ And once you repot it the first time don't be worried if all the leaves fall off the little sapling. It will grow them back, the first time you pot it the leaves grow slowly but as soon as it starts up it doesn't stop. I think it takes a while for the berries to start on it though. I think it takes around 2 years, but that doesn't matter so much if you are growing for silkworms.

I will be planting my dwarf mulberry in a pretty big like.... half barrel as the last pot. But for now it's doing well in a half gallon pot.

 

[happiness]

I know regular trees get huge and therefore have more of a chance of getting rootbound on a regular basis. I would definitely suggest a dwarf, at least at first to try out. They are very forgiving, I put mine outside to soon, almost all it's leaves got sunburnt but it's growing new leaves now that it's inside ^^ And once you repot it the first time don't be worried if all the leaves fall off the little sapling. It will grow them back, the first time you pot it the leaves grow slowly but as soon as it starts up it doesn't stop. I think it takes a while for the berries to start on it though. I think it takes around 2 years, but that doesn't matter so much if you are growing for silkworms.

I will be planting my dwarf mulberry in a pretty big like.... half barrel as the last pot. But for now it's doing well in a half gallon pot.

Thank you for your post. You've helped me with the decision of whether to get a full tree or dwarf. I couldn't decide. hopefully I don't kill it!

 

[Andee]

Good luck ^^ They are pretty hard to kill XD so I wouldn't worry

 

[Kate]

I could be wrong but I thought it was white mulberry for silkworms .

 

[Andee]

Really? I thought they preferred white but would eat any? I'm not positive though XD

 

[happiness]

Don't they only eat the leaves?

 

[Andee]

Tis true they only eat the leaves, but I don't know if that makes a difference or not I always thought they ate any type of mulberry tree >.< are certain ones poisonous or something?

 

[Kate]

White mulberry leaves are softer than black. If you can't get white then young leaves from black mulberry will work fine. I can't get leaves so use the chow.

 

[Andee]

ok good XD