Questions about Mulberry Trees

[kbrabble]

I just got several mulberry trees. They were grown at a local nursery in pots, are between six and seven feet tall, and the trunks are very skinny. Otherwise, they appear in good health, and are not root-bound. My question is in regards to planting them. The trunks are very long and flimsy. Should I just plant them as is, should they be staked to keep them from bending, or should they be cut back and allowed to regrow? I have never planted trees this skinny/tall and want them to do good. Any advice would be appreciated. By the way, one type is labelled as ever bearing, and the other as black mulberry.

Thanks,
Kevin

[hendi_alex]

I planted an Illinois everbearing mulberry tree about four years ago. The tree was fairly spindly so we did drive a support into the ground and attached the tree to it. As far as pruning, it is always o.k. to prune up to about 1/3 of the top growth. This will help the root growth catch up plus will encourage the young tree to spread.

Be careful where you plant a mulberry tree as the birds will eat the fruit and will release a downpour of purple waste bombs that will cause problems if they are dropped on structures or vehicles.

[kbrabble]

Thanks for the advice, and the warning! These are being planted on several local birding trails because they are such bird magnets. I think I will cut some of the tops off to avoid having to use any kind of support.