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Mulberry Problems

sadam

sadam

New Member
About 8-10 years ago we had our river bottom timber logged. Most of the timber is dominated by Maples and since then we have tons of Mulberries growing. There our tons of these small mulberries growing on the 80 acres of timber. Any tips or suggestions on what to do? We'll have to set up a meeting with our district forester. Anyone else in Iowa having trouble with Mulberries trying to take over?

Thanks all,
Seth
 
I don't have a good answer...

sadam said:
About 8-10 years ago we had our river bottom timber logged. Most of the timber is dominated by Maples and since then we have tons of Mulberries growing. There our tons of these small mulberries growing on the 80 acres of timber. Any tips or suggestions on what to do? We'll have to set up a meeting with our district forester. Anyone else in Iowa having trouble with Mulberries trying to take over?

Thanks all,
Seth
Click to expand...

for you, BUT...if you have mulberries growing along the river bank, DO NOT kill them all if you like to fish for catfish. Fishing right below a mulberry tree dropping mulberries in the river can be dynamite catfishing!

I am not saying that you leave them all, but maybe a few strategically placed ones.
 
Daver thanks for the reply, and yeah I have heard that before that when the mulberries are dropping it's a good time to go fish by them. I just don't think it would be worth keeping them around though they seem to be an invasive species.

Re reading my post I forgot I was going to mention that these mulberries are all about 8 ft tall and have grown so thick that in some spots it's hard to even get around in them and deer seem to love using the thick areas as bedding areas. So I was wondering if I should try to plant something else in place of them when I cut and treat the mulberries. Red cedar would be nice to be able to plant due to the low maintenance once planted but I think its too wet of a place for them, any one have any other suggestions?
 
Just some thoughts...

If the deer are already bedding in them then I would consider NOT eradicating them all at once, but leaving some for bedding cover while you transition your timber away from maple/other to oak, etc. It would seem like you could keep chopping them off about waist high every year or two with a chainsaw to keep them low and "shrubby" and then somewhere down the road when you have converted enough of your ground over to good trees you can kill them then.

I do know that mulberries bounce back pretty strong from severe pruning, as I have dealt with them a few times in and around my yard. Is your ground subject to frequent or prolonged flooding? That could influence what you can successfully grow. I am not sure, but I don't think cedars would stand up to flood waters that well relative to other species. (I say this because I really can't think of seeing too many cedars where it floods often, maples yes, but not conifers.)
 
Yeah, Mulberries are definately tough. I cut a few down on the edge of my property and all of them sprouted back from the base, growing new shoots at rapid speeds. I need to spray them.

From your description, I would 1st look into leaving selected parts of the property for bedding areas. Sounds like they're doing a great job of cover for that. Figure out the best areas of your property for it and the right size. Then, I'd probably come in with a dozer and clean up a descent amount of the rest and plant a recommended hardwood in place.

I hunt a 230 acre property that was heavily logged about 6 years ago. At 1st there was a lot of growth of invasive weeds, but now it's mainly junk tree's & cottonwoods growing up. Much of it is too thick to walk through, but created awesome bedding areas and cover for the deer. A couple years ago I went through a lot of it and opened it with a dozer, just enough where the deer can move through it a lot easier. There are still the thick area's but when the deer can move between them easier, I noticed more deer traffic. Not to mention, the place is a lot easier to hunt.

I'm sure the district forester will have some good advice to give... Good luck!
 
It's not a problem to kill "junk" trees but the key is to replace them with something that will prevent the from coming back.

Personally I either plant oak/chesnut habitat or red cedar bedding habitat so you can cut and spray the mulberrys but they will just return unless you start interplanting new trees.

Check on cost share for a project like that and contact your IDNR Forester as he/she will walk the property with you and better advise you how to change the course of your habitat.

If you look thru the Tree Planting, Edge feathering and TSI threads in dbltree's corner, you'll see what I and others have done. I battle locust, maples and box elders and shade tolerant ironwood and hickory.

Cut/spray and re-plant...and the details to that are all in those threads.

Holler back if you have more questions because your on the right track...you just need a plan! :way:
 
I've watched alot of deer hammering on mulberries in the summer, I actually place cameras under them in late June and July,just like the apple trees a litlle later in the year. Don't know if I would want to get rid of all of them. Anyone else ever noticed this?
 
shrek nailed it,,deer absolutely love mulberry in spring and summer.. I am not sure if it is entirely seasonal, it may just be there is no new growth coming back in the fall.
Ever notice on small ones in good deer country, they all look like little pruned shrubs.
Or the browse line on older trees.
Plus I have seen deer eating the berries as they fall too.
 
Deer seem to love mulberries on my place and I find a place for some since several birds, coons etc eat the berries too. Male and female flowers are borne on separate trees so if you do want to keep some mulberries, you will need to identify female trees and male trees to know which ones to save. The females will have the fruit.
 
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