Please help me prune my mulberry

Akaj9 · Wed Dec 31, 2014 4:30 pm

Hi, I'm Janine, new here..... I live in central Florida so I'm about a month into somewhat dormancy as Florida goes..... I have a Mulberry bush/tree that was planted in 2002. In the 2004 hurricanes it fell over, we were forced to prune some low branches. It never grew up only out From original planting , main reason it fell over, the crotch is low. I deperately want to prune this correctly. We do some branch pruning just to keep it in bounds each year, but slight. I think it needs some main branches pruned, it doesn't seem to have a header at all. I'm uploading pictures to try and help with suggestions. It's a sentimental tree to me, I planted on my moms birthday the year she died. please help me help this bush and not harm it. I believe it to be a black, as it has a sprawling habit and only about 20-30 tall, the branches grow out and sweep/bend all the way to the ground if I let it. But I'm not positive of type. Thanks for any suggestions. Janine

!potatoes! · Sun Jan 04, 2015 7:48 am

I'm not totally clear - do you want it to be tree-form or bush? if you want to keep it a bush, you don't really need a central leader. if tree, the trick's gonna be to selectively remove branches/trunks a few per year until you're down to the one trunk you want...

Akaj9 · Sun Jan 04, 2015 6:07 pm

Just wanted to do a hard pruning this year and remove some of the sprawl..the main reason to getting to a more tree like structure would be the leaning issue. Looking at it though, I think if I remove the two big branches to the left and branches heading out, just leaving the straight up limbs and topping it off, I'll probably achieve what I want... Something a bit more compact. What do u think?

catgrass · Mon Jan 05, 2015 4:01 pm

I have the same issue with a large crepe myrtle that Hurricane Rita pushed over. With help-a winch and a pickup it was somewhat straightened, but is leaning strongly. I suggest cutting that large limb at the base of the tree on the left-and then thinning out some of the "water spouts"-those fast-growing limbs that grow straight up. They are weak, and prone to break in strong winds. I would not top the tree, unless you are wanting to make it a shrub.