Mulberry, advise and critique

[tree4me]

Here is a recently acquired mulberry. First question is how will it do in South Florida, zone 10.5, and where to go from here as I have not found much info on them as bonsai. When does it normally fruit?
She's about 3.5" at soil line and 20" tall.
Thank you
Michael

 

[tree4me]

Ok I gotta ask.. Is mulberry a poor choice for bonsai or does this tree have that little potential or ,which I don't believe, does nobody have any experience with mulberry? Just asking due to lack of comments good or bad
thank you
Michael

 

[Brian Underwood]

I think it just got lost in the forums...

As for the tree, mulberry are excellent candidates for bonsai. The fruit is incredible, and they style well. A member of REBS has a very nice example, I'll try to track down a picture. As for the climate, I have no experience in yours, so no good advice there. From the pics it looks like you can chop it down a bit, then wire it out and give us another look.

 

[the bonsai kid]

i have a mulberry im working on but nothing like what you have.Very nice. I collected mine 2 years ago it had fruit the year i collected it none since i potted it up.i think it needs the wood to get older

 

[JudyB]

I'm working on one I collected this spring that I was working , (did some ground chopping over the past couple years), and just into a trainer this spring. I have a thread here http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?7221-mulberry-collected
that I'll update with a current pic, it's really taken off. As far as how they do, I'll be learning along with you, it's my first mulberry...

 

[Mike423]

From my experience with mulberries (non Bonsai related) they are very hardy and resilient. They are like a weed and will take a beating and keep coming back for more. If you've ever seen the book "The Complete Book of Bonsai" by Harry Tomlinson. The cover image is of a Mulberry. Good book too plus i think they have a wrap sheet on the species in the species index portion in the back... I'll have to take a look at it for you to see if it says anything worth noting, I have it somewhere in my collection.

Here's the book at a good price.

http://www.stonelantern.com/The_Complete_Book_of_Bonsai_How_to_Bonsai_trees_p/b1complete.htm

-Mike

 

[tree4me]

Mulberry revisited

Well I shortened it by about 4" - 5" and removed and trimmed branches and did a little wiring. I am using the first image as the front...for now. Any advise or opinions are always welcome.

Thanks
Michael

 

[PaulH]

Here's my friend's mulberry in our show this weekend.

 

[tree4me]

Beautiful tree...I see it has fruited. How close in climate are you to South Florida? Mine has started flowering and I am hoping will also fruit. Is this the normal season, time of year, for them to fruit? Also do you know if your friend has defoliated?

 

[edprocoat]

Its a nice looking tree! Man you gotta fix your camera, the time stamp has Jun 05 2012 Unless this is one of those future glimpse cameras !!!

ed