Blackberries (actually mulberries)

[redsg]

my little mulberries dieddddd

I can't figure out what I did wrong..
I tried to keep them inthe shade, didn't work, I tried to keep them in the sun, didn't work, added water, didn't help..arggh

only got about an inch height, and some not even that, some developed 6 little leafs, some had their first leafs die before the 4th started growing at all.

do u think they didn't grow well because I seeded them in the wrong season and it's just too hot for them in the sun? (it's burning outside, about 95°F), but when I take them out of the sun they maybe didn't get enough light?
I want to get new seeds and try again but I wonna know how to make it work next time..
help?

[!potatoes!]

well, how big was the pot? small enough to dry out too fast when it was in the sun? they need some decent light; full shade won't work. summer is the only time I've had luck, so it's not a seasonal issue...water only when the surface of the soil is drying out a bit.

if the pot was quite small, I could see them getting a little crowded if there were a lot of them and they all advanced to 6 or so true leaves. I tend to separate them out into their own pots when they've all got two true leaves, so competition is reduced when they're real small.

[redsg]

well the pot IS small..and I had 7 sprouts..but they were still so tiny!! what are they fighting for? sun? they aren't shading each other..water, I add a little everytime I see dry soil..
I was planning to move them to a bigger pot once they get a bit bigger but it didn't come to that
I still think the exposure to the sun for longer than an hour was bad..everytime I left them on the sun I'd see the leafs getting yellower a bit..so I was scared they'll burn if I'll leave them all the time and today I did and I got shocked by what happened, all the stems were straight up before that, and after I left them in the sun they got all crooked like they aren't strong enough to stay straight and most of the leaves look dead now..(OOoooops!)
here's a pic of my pot when the 5th leaves started growing
https://i45.tinypic.com/x3h6b8.jpg
and this is now
https://i46.tinypic.com/3500adl.jpg

[rainbowgardener]

They are clearly struggling, but as of the second picture, they definitely don't look dead.

Try to find some balance and quit moving them around so much. If you keep trying different things, they don't have a chance to get adapted to one. I'd try to find either a filtered light spot or a spot with a few hours of morning sun and leave them. Be careful not to over water, let the soil dry out a little in between, as potatoes said.

Don't fertilize or mess with them until they are looking a little healthier, just leave them alone to see if they can pull through.

[gumbo2176]

well the pot IS small..and I had 7 sprouts..but they were still so tiny!! what are they fighting for? sun? they aren't shading each other..water, I add a little everytime I see dry soil..
I was planning to move them to a bigger pot once they get a bit bigger but it didn't come to that
I still think the exposure to the sun for longer than an hour was bad..everytime I left them on the sun I'd see the leafs getting yellower a bit..so I was scared they'll burn if I'll leave them all the time and today I did and I got shocked by what happened, all the stems were straight up before that, and after I left them in the sun they got all crooked like they aren't strong enough to stay straight and most of the leaves look dead now..(OOoooops!)
here's a pic of my pot when the 5th leaves started growing
https://i45.tinypic.com/x3h6b8.jpg
and this is now
https://i46.tinypic.com/3500adl.jpg

One of the most prolific mulberry trees I've ever seen was close to my previous house. It was growing in full sun near waters edge on a little strip of land that jutted out to a bayou in eastern New Orleans.

That thing would produce tons of berries each season and I could pick gallons of berries off it with the help of a 6 ft. ladder to reach where others couldn't.

[redsg]

They are clearly struggling, but as of the second picture, they definitely don't look dead.

Try to find some balance and quit moving them around so much. If you keep trying different things, they don't have a chance to get adapted to one. I'd try to find either a filtered light spot or a spot with a few hours of morning sun and leave them. Be careful not to over water, let the soil dry out a little in between, as potatoes said.

Don't fertilize or mess with them until they are looking a little healthier, just leave them alone to see if they can pull through.

yeah maybe I moved them too much..
I'll try to find a fixed place for them to get morning sun and we'll see if they recover..if not I'll try to get new seeds and plant them in the big pot right from the start.

thanks guys for the help!!

[!potatoes!]

yeah, those don't look too bad. they'll probably come through.

[applestar]

Berry seedlings are often found growing under a tree or a bush because that's where a bird perched, then "lightened the load". I think similarly dappled sunlight or shaded-from-noonday-sun nurtures tree seedlings the best.

When watering, frequently made mistake is to water a little bit at a time and not enough all st once. Either dunk the entire pot in a bucket of water to the soil line and soak the soil completely or water until it comes out from the bottom, wait a few minutes, then water again (first time the water can just pour between open paces in the dried shrunken soil and not soak in). Now feel the weight of the watered pot. Watter again when the pot feels lighter when you heft it.