How to Cut a Mulberry Tree

Black mulberries ripen in late summer.

Mulberry trees vary widely in shape, size and longevity, depending on the cultivar. The main varieties are white, red and black mulberry. Black mulberry is the smallest, growing to a height of 30 feet and can bear for 80 years or more, while red mulberry can grow as high as 80 feet but may live only 40 to 50 years. The fruit of all types of mulberry is beneficial to birds, and their graceful branches with glossy green leaves make them popular in the home landscape. Prune mulberries sparingly, just to keep the tree healthy and control its shape.

Things You'll Need

• Gloves
• Short-handled pruning shears
• Long-handled pruning shears
• Boiling water
• Yard waste bags

Instructions

1. Prune mulberry trees in the fall or early spring, when the tree is dormant, to reduce injury to the tree. Avoid pruning when buds are about to open.

2. Sterilize the blades of pruning shears in boiling water before using them. Mulberry trees are susceptible to fungus and insects, which can infest them through bark wounds.

3. Cut away branches lower than the first third of the tree's vertical height with short-handled pruning shears. Angle the blades so that you cut down and away from the trunk, leaving a small stub. Do not cut branches flush with the trunk or you will risk injuring the trunk's bark, seriously wounding the tree.

4. Reach up into the canopy with long-handled pruning shears to trim away lateral branches that may be overhanging your driveway or sidewalk. Prune only branches that are less than 2 inches in diameter. Wounds larger than that are very unlikely to heal properly.

5. Inspect the mulberry tree for dead or damaged limbs, and prune them away to reduce weight on healthy branches and prevent dead wood from rubbing against healthy branches and damaging their bark.

6. Chop up branches into manageable lengths and discard in yard waste bags. Sterilize the blades of your pruning equipment in boiling water and dry before putting them away.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid planting mulberry trees near driveways or sidewalks. The berries can stain cars and concrete when they ripen and fall.

• Avoid touching the sap from wounded branches. Mulberry sap can cause rashes in people who are allergic to it.

References

• California Rare Fruit Growers: Mulberry
• University of Florida IFAS: Red, White & Black Mulberries for Florida Yards

Resources

• Iowa State University: Pruning Trees - Shade, Flowering and Conifer
• SUNY Binghamton: Urban Forestry - Fruit Trees
• University of Arizona: Arid Gardener - Mulberry Trees