How to Take Care of a Desert Mulberry Tree
- 1). Water a mulberry tree to keep the soil moist while it becomes established. In maturity, the tree is somewhat drought-tolerant, but to get it off to a strong start and ensure that it grows quickly, keep the soil slightly moist. In maturity you may need to water more frequently than gardeners in other regions. Provide a mulberry tree with a deep watering — at least 12 inches — once a month. The easiest way to do this is with a soaker hose run for as long as watering restrictions allow.
- 2). Stake the newly planted or young tree to protect it from snapping in desert winds. Use a 2-by-2 stake one-third the height of the tree plus 2 ½ feet. Pound the stake into the soil 1 foot away from the desert mulberry until the above-ground portion reaches one-third of the tree's height. Use soft ties, such as strips of panty hose, to tie the tree loosely to the stake. Remove the stake after the tree's first year.
- 3). Fertilize the desert mulberry in spring as soon as you notice new growth. Use a commercial tree and shrub fertilizer at the strength listed on the package for the tree's size. Wait for a cool morning to apply the fertilizer to avoid burning the tree's roots, and water deeply after application.
- 4). Prune the lower branches from a desert mulberry when it goes dormant and loses all its leaves. These branches have a tendency to grow long and may break in the desert's gusty winds. Cut the branches back to the trunk, avoiding cutting into the branch collar — the swollen area on the trunk from which the branch grows. Also trim off suckers. These are the small branches that grow from the soil at the base of the tree and sometimes from the lower trunk. Snip these all the way to ground level.
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