Contents:
- Black mulberry - silhouette
- Black mulberry - requirements
- Growing black mulberry
- When does black mulberry bear fruit?
- What to make of black mulberry fruit?
- White mulberry or black mulberry - which is better?
Black mulberry - silhouette
Black mulberry (Morus nigra) is one of the tree species belonging to the mulberry family.It is a wild plant growing in parts of Europe and in the northern regions of Asia Minor. In Poland, it does not occur in its natural state. It is rarely found in parks or along roads. It was planted there as an ornamental plant from the 16th century. Black mulberry absorbs air pollutants, so it works well in parks. In the past, around 300, it was bred on a large scale, and later its cultivation ceased.
Currently, black mulberry is regaining interest again. It can be grown in countries with a mild climate. It has become popular in mixed forests of southern Europe. In North America, it is cultivated as a fruit and ornamental tree in gardens.It grows very fast, reaching up to 15 meters in height. It has a regular, dense, round crown and a short trunk.Green, heart-shaped leaves. It blooms in mid-May or in June, has sweet and sour, juicy fruits that ripen in July. It has special he alth properties - rich in minerals: magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium and vitamins A, C, B.
Black mulberry - requirements
Black mulberry - a tree with considerable sensitivity to low temperatures, not resistant to frost. Therefore, it requires sheltering for the winter. In the first years of life, seedlings can be mounded, covered with earth and covered with hay. It prefers a warm climate, a sunny and sheltered place. It does not require intensive watering. It has a strong root system which allows it to survive drought. It can be fertilized with compost or manure. Black mulberry fruits develop and ripen faster when they are grown in an area with a lot of exposure to sunlight.For growth, it needs loamy and sandy soil, enriched with compost, permeable, with a neutral pH.
Although it needs moisture, it cannot survive in wetlands. When planning to grow a mulberry seedling, it should be taken into account that as it grows, it will need a lot of space. You need to think carefully about the choice of the site for it, because it has strongly developed roots that are able to plant pavement tiles and foundations.It is an intensively growing plant. Even if a young seedling does freeze, it will be able to quickly sprout new shoots and branch out. It does not require spraying, is not susceptible to diseases and pests.
Black mulberry - cultivation
If you want to start garden cultivation of black mulberry, you should have seedlings. It is important to buy them in a proven place, in a good nursery. The seedling should be of good quality, free from diseases. Ideally, it should have an extensive root system. Properly selected seedlings will quickly acclimatize, when they find the right conditions, they will gently survive the coming winter and develop the next season.
Cutting mulberry is a care procedure that is performed only for the purpose of shaping or limiting growth. This tree, growing in natural conditions, is not led and not cut. In gardens, you should pay particular attention to frozen, damaged and crossing shoots.The tree grows very fast and grows heavily. Within ten years, it can grow into a specimen 9 meters tall. Therefore, if you want to shorten the shoot, you can do it by up to 30 centimeters.Care cuts on black mulberry branches are made in winter, early spring or at the very end of summer, then less milk juice flows out at the cut site.Too frequent and too strong pruning of the branches will reduce the yield fruit tree. The black mulberry can be shaped into an independent tree or a mulberry hedge.
When does black mulberry bear fruit?
Those interested in buying seedlings most often wonder after how many years the black mulberry can bear fruit.The crops ripen in mid-July or in August. The fruits are edible, being achenes, which are part of the peanut infructescence.The first fruiting begins about five years after planting. Ripe black mulberry fruits are cylindrical in shape, turning purple and black.Initially, they are sour. Their color is due to the tannin content of the fruit. When they reach full maturity, they become sweet - sour and sour. They can be eaten raw. They are about three centimeters long. Harvesting takes only 2-3 weeks. During this time, all the fruits should be picked, otherwise they will fall off and be wasted.
What to make of black mulberry fruit?
Black mulberry fruit is a collection of naturally occurring vitamin A, B vitamins (B1, B2, B3 and folic acid. They also contain the immune-enhancing vitamin C. They support the removal of toxins from the body. They are powerful antioxidants. Rich. minerals needed for the proper functioning of the body, such as, for example, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. The composition of black mulberry fruit has been found to have anti-inflammatory coumarin. They also support the treatment of gastroenteritis. Due to the simple sugars present in the fruit, it is slow to eat consume diabetics and overweight people.Formerly, preparations made of black mulberry fruit were used in the treatment of breast and ovarian cancer. In Chinese medicine, black mulberry bark is used for pain in bones and teeth. Leaves help combat the unpleasant effects of insect bites. Shoots and leaves contain growth hormone.The Chinese prepare a smoothing cream for discoloration and freckles from mulberry flowers and fruit oil.
- Black mulberry juicecan be used to reduce high fever and fight colds. It can be added to water or tea. Due to the high content of vitamins, it strengthens immunity. It stimulates the appetite and quenches thirst perfectly. The juice can also be used to rinse the throat and mouth lesions. The richness of minerals, including iron, means that black mulberry juice is also given to patients with anemia in order to improve the hematopoietic system.
- Black mulberry syrupis recommended for people suffering from heart disease, arrhythmia, and atherosclerosis.It has a diuretic effect, so it is also recommended for patients with kidney and urinary tract diseases. In the treatment of colds, the syrup is used for cough and in the treatment of bronchial asthma.
- Black mulberry tincturehas its own taste, resulting from the sweet and sour taste of the fruit. Supports immunity, strengthens the circulatory system. Served in colds as a herbal diaphoretic and antipyretic agent. Tinctures should not be used in conjunction with other medications due to the presence of alcohol.
- Black mulberry preparations , which are made from fruit, are recommended for people suffering from anemia and kidney diseases. In addition, mulberry jam has a great taste and strengthens immunity. Black mulberry fruit is also used as an addition to cakes and cakes.
White mulberry or black mulberry - which is better?
White mulberry is the most popular representative of the species. It does not have a natural position in Poland.Both white and black mulberries have been specially planted near roads, in parks. White mulberry has a better frost resistance, which is why it is better known in Poland.Black mulberry fruits are tastier and more expressive. White mulberry, on the other hand, has tested sugar-lowering properties, which the second species does not have anymore.In pharmacies, teas, tablets, and liquids with white mulberry extract are available, which are designed to regulate the blood glucose level of diabetics. They are also appreciated by people who are slimming.
Black mulberry contains a lot of micronutrients and vitamins that strengthen the body's immunity. Its fruits are slightly less caloric. They are suitable for making preserves, juices and tinctures. Black and white mulberry leaves provide food for the butterfly - the mulberry silkworm. It is used to produce silk threads in its cocoon. They are the basis for the production of silk. In order to create a cocoon, a mulberry silkworm caterpillar requires about thirty kilograms and 30 kg of white mulberry leaves.
