Backyard berry picking
Several years ago, I planted numerous mulberry trees, because I absolutely love the berries. The trees are one of the easiest and fastest to grow, but they can be a bit of a nuisance to some homeowners. Once the berries begin to fall, they leave a purple stain on whatever they land on. If you have ever picked mulberries, then you know if you don't wear gloves while doing so, you'll end up with stained purple fingers and as you pop the berries into your mouth your lips also become stained by the berries' delectable juices.
While working outside over the weekend, I was amazed to see that my mulberries were already turning and many were already ripe for picking. So today I'm venturing outdoors to pick multitudes of mulberries. I will end up making mulberry cobbler, mulberry jello pies, freezing, canning, and dehydrating the rest of the berries before the growing season is over.
My trees will bear fruit up until July. Well, that's how they normally do in my region. However, this year they're ripening earlier than usual. Normally my mulberry trees start bearing fruit towards the end of May.
I don't mind the mess that the mulberries make on the ground because they feed the squirrels and birds. Any berries that are left on the ground will put nutrients back into the soil.
Mulberries are considered a superfood, they are packed with a number of nutrients such as iron and vitamin C among others. They are even healthy to feed to your pooch when freshly picked and they're easily digestible. Just don't feed them too many at one time.
Most mulberry trees will start bearing fruit after the second year of planting. You can either prune them into bushes, or allow them to grow into trees. Besides planting mulberry trees in my yard, I have also planted some in large pots successfully. The mulberry trees I have planted have always started bearing fruit within the following year. So the trees that I have recently planted will start bearing a few berries next May.
When planting mulberry trees, you'll need to make sure that they're planted away from any structures and walkways. Otherwise, the root system of the trees would wreak havoc to them, plus stain concrete patios and any other structures located in that specific area.
Once the berry season is over, you can still use the mulberry leaves to make mulberry tea. Just steep four to six leaves in a kettle of water for about fifteen minutes. Once the tea is brewed, take the leaves out and add sweetener. Then throw the brewed leaves into the compost. The tea can be served hot or over ice cubes for a refreshing summer drink.
Resources:
Cosgrove, N., 2022. Can Dogs Eat Mulberries? Are Mulberries Safe for Dogs?. [online] Hepper blog. Available at: <https://www.hepper.com/can-dogs-eat-mulberries/> [Accessed 16 May 2022].