Growing Mulberry Trees

[Tulie]

Hello,
I was hoping to get some advice on growing fruitless mulberry trees.
I cut some small branches off a tree and put them in a barrel of water and they are sprouting leaves. Should I leave them in the water to root or should I plant them now?
Over the years I have had success growing weeping willows this way and I was told it also works for mulberries.
Thanks! Tulie

 

[Stumper]

Brian, Actually the fruitless mulberry (Non bearing Mora Alba) is a VERY nice shade tree. It is very popular in West texas and New Mexico since it grows fast, is strong and is very hardy. They are high maintenance in the sense that they require frequent pruning to keep them neat and off of roofs and wires but they have few problems.

Tulie, You do need to develop roots on your cuttings for best results. You can do it in a bucket of water but I think that a bucket of saturated sand will give better results. There are some hormonal compounds that can be applied to the cutting to encourage root formation-check with your local nursery.