Pollarding ornamental mulberries
I just nipped out to check. Nope. No one has picked up all the sticks littering the courtyard. Guess that job will have to fall to me then. I’ll just enjoy this cup of tea and plate of biscuits first. You never know; a passing house elf might grub about the ground and get all the sticks into the wheelbarrow for me. As a treat.
It’s a vile job.
Almost as vile as pruning the mulberry. For ten years now I have turned all my instincts away from what is staring me in the face. This tree needs to get all its annual growth of branches lopped off and turn it into a parody of a tree.
It’s a French thing.
Well, I’m happy to prune fruit bushes. But trees? So radically?
Each year I wonder what the tree would look like if I just forgot to do this annual task. And then I chicken out; get the loppers and the ladder and do my annual radical prune.
The tree looks so absurd when it’s done. The new growth won’t get going until late May. But this is the dormant season, so out come the secateurs for the little branches, and the loppers for the mighty fat ones.
Which always seem to be at the top. I just have to sigh and think of it as a rather good yoga workout and console myself that I am conforming to the job most people do at this time of year round here.
I even did the grape vines in the arbour as well. Any warmer and the sap will start to rise and I’d really be in trouble. Bleeding stumps of grape vines are definitely not on the agenda.
Hey ho, tea is done. Out I go.
johnjohn
26th March 2017 @ 2:55 pm
Do you know how late you can leave the pruning? Or what would happen if it didn’t get pruned at all? Thanks for any ideas
Lindy
26th March 2017 @ 5:59 pm
Hi John it depends where you live. Most people choose to prune at the end of winter. The sap starts to rise in all plants in spring, so most tree surgeons don’t like pruning trees when the sap is risig in case it affects the growth of the plant.
Not pruning at all? it’s something I always ask when I’m up the tree and balanced precariously and my back is killng me! I think it is a question of aesthetics and size. You would get an oddly shaped tree. And one that throws a much larger canopy. We could both do an internet immage search of unpruned ornamental mulberries and have a laugh.
johnjohn
26th March 2017 @ 8:12 pm
Hi Lindy, thanks for the advice, we’re moving into a new house (south-east France) right when the sap is rising, as you say, so I guess we’ll leave it to grow enormous for a year! I just wanted to be sure that if we leave it alone it won’t harm the tree or stop it producing a nice shady canopy when we need it! Love your blog, take care up that tree now 🙂
Lindy
26th March 2017 @ 9:41 pm
Hi John I’m south east too. so if you are nearby, I’ll be happy to give gardening advice. lindy@fruitfulresearch.com is my more private email.
Crystal
27th July 2022 @ 2:28 pm
hi Lindy – would be glad to know from you: don’t you forfeit the delicious fruit every year by doing this? (When a mulberry fruits on last year’s wood.) Perhaps you’re glad to avoid the mess! Best wishes, Crystal
Lindy
30th July 2022 @ 9:02 pm
Hi Crystal
Yes I do forfeit the fruit. It was planted as an ornamental tree only (not by me!) But we have the white mulberries for fruit. The tree is in the middle of the courtyard and dropping juicy red fruit all over the place is rather tiresome. We are so spoilt for berries at this time of year, I am happy to have a shade tree rather than get more red mess all over me!
Crystal
1st August 2022 @ 8:37 pm
Thank you Lindy!