Does anybody have a littleleaf mulberry tree handy who's willing to spare some seeds? There are a few sites down in Dallas County where I've found them growing wild, but any time I've tried propagating them from cuttings, they never seem to make it past late spring, no matter when in the year I get them. I'd try competing with the birds for the fruit, but I'm just one man, and it's a but of a drive just to go home empty-handed.
Thanks,
Brandon
Morus microphylla?
Okay so! I somehow managed to get my hands on some littleleaf mulberry fruit from Cedar Ridge Preserve! I'll just chalk it up to amazing luck and divine intervention that the birds hadn't gotten to them before I did, and now I know exactly where to go to find a female tree!
Now I just need some advice on getting these seeds germinated. Do they need to be scarified? Stratified? With the fruit fully maturing before the summer even sets in, I wouldn't think stratification would be a requirement, but what do I know... The fact that mulberries have such small seeds makes me nervous of failing and having to wait yet another year. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Brandon
I have no idea Brandon.
Well, I planted them. I extracted the seeds from the fruit and cleaned them off as best I could, then soaked them in filtered water for about 24 hours. Planted them in a container in a cactus mix that should retain water relatively well without becoming waterlogged, and topped it with a quarter inch layer of cedar mulch. I figure it's been pretty chilly here for the past two months already, and it's gearing to warm up soon, so the seeds are probably sufficiently stratified, all things considered. We'll see how it turns out!
Brandon
Great Idea Brandon!!!