Pakistan Mulberry - Will it work near Dallas, Texas(zone 8a)?

The dang thing still hasn’t put out growth, but scratches green. Any suggestions? Any way to force growth out the lower portions of the trunk?

I have used 500 ppm ethephon with 500 ppm gibberellic acid brushed on kiwi vines to cause flowering of the vines that had never flowered, even though they were about 15 years old. I have a Morus nigra seedling that has not broken bud, even though all my other nigra seedlings have, and I will try it (starting with just the gibberellic acid, because it is easy to obtain). I will let you know if it works.

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So far the gibberellic acid and ethephon on a dormant Morus nigra seedling has had no effect…I will let you know if anything changes, but I don’t have an answer.Let us know if you come up with an answer.

After seeing several mature Pakistan mb trees’ baby leaves, baby fruit, swelling buds, and 1/4" to 2" thick branches…freeze overnight when a late 25 degree front pushed through for only one day, I just whacked off the frozen/dead stuff and hoped that the next few Springs would not include late freezes that showed up AFTER the Pak mb came out of dormancy and started growing out to start the new year. When this happened 3 years in a row, I got rid of 4 of these mature trees, keeping only one. They can handle 15 degrees when dormant in mid Winter, but can’t handle below freezing when no longer dormant. So for me, I am happy to just focus on other varieties like Shangri La, which have not had that fatal flaw.

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I guess I was a little too impatient…14 days after applying ~1000 ppm gibberellic acid and about 7 days after applying ~1000 ppm ethephon my dormant nigra is showing green growth. I’m afraid I don’t know what chemical was responsible, or whether they are both needed or it was just a matter of time needed to awaken.

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My grafted M. nigras are just waking up now, the natural way…I guess Florida is late this year.

My grafted nigra started waking up on April 12th, but three of the four year old seedlings from your seeds started waking up on March 22nd…Just the one lagger that refused to wake up, so I don’t know whether the treatment woke it up or was it just a matter of time. By the way…I sowed eleven of your seeds in March that were in stratification since June of last year…nine of the seeds sprouted…Thanks.

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You’re most welcome!

I’m absolutely confused. It still scratches green. I’ve cut it back hoping that would spur it to pop out some growth. Nothing. Should I dig it up or is there still hope? It’s on a giant alba rootstock.

I would give it a few more weeks

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You think some 100 degree temperatures will knock some sense into it? We will be above 100 for a couple of the upcoming days…

I’ve been looking for a white Pakistani mulberry too. I have the red one I got last year, it’s still in a pot but I’m planning to plant it in my yard this spring. I’m also in zone 8a in North Dallas. How are your plants doing so far?

The one Isons sent died to the graft. They sent me some email about paying $30 for a replacement, but I’m not really too interested. White Pakistan from Trees of Antiquities put on some nice growth in ground, but a few limbs were zapped by an early freeze. No biggy. I’ll be pruning them soon enough. I might dig it up and put it in a pot prior to the next winter. This year’s winter has been very mid. We haven’t dropped below 25 in my area.

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I would like to see how it does in pot culture for you. I tried to grow pakastan here and it could not take the winter

Everywhere online it says it’s Hardy to zone 6 and I’ve seen videos on people growing it in zone 6-7 in the ground. That’s sad to hear it didn’t make it in our climate specially since I was planning on putting it in the ground :confused:

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It put lots of growth on during the summer and the inner bark stayed green deep into winter but as spring approached it started to show damage at the tips of the branches and continued to die clear back to the graft. Never leafed out

Your in zone 6 correct?

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That is correct, I got the scion from a member In Las Vegas. It was grafted on a large existing mulberry I have and grew quite big that first summer, maybe 1 1/2 inch diameter at the graft

I have one here in the ground,about eight feet tall,near Seattle,zone 8.The lows are around 15F and there are some branches that die,but the tree is still growing.bb