I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Thanks.
-kn

"kn125" wrote in message
om...
: I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
: it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
: now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
: it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
: thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
: experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?
:
: Thanks.
: -kn

If it is a Paper Mulberry, kill it now while you still can!

"kn125" wrote in message
om...
I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Mulberry trees are native to Texas. There are also several non-native
varieties many of which do not produce fruit. The main problems with
Mulberries are they produce alot of messy fallen fruit (simply dropped from
the branches or by feeding birds) and attract all sorts of caterpillars and
worms which might make their way to other trees. However, if you are an
avid bird watcher, they do attract many types of birds such as orioles and
other migratory species.

On Mon, 12 May 2003 15:22:33 -0500, "James Moseley"
wrote:

Mulberry trees are native to Texas. There are also several non-native
varieties many of which do not produce fruit.

Female trees of the native variety produce an excellent fruit. I
found a large one in the woods out by Four Points (Hwy 620) and I
would go out and get the ripe berries for use in pies, etc..

I have a small, native variety (M. microphylla) in my yard but it is
male. There used to be a female "bush" down the street that produced
nice fruit - but it is gone now.

I keep my male mulberry up just so I can go round the mulberry bush at
3 o'clock in the morning if I want to.

Rusty Mase








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"Rusty Mase" wrote
[excision]
I keep my male mulberry up just so I can go round the mulberry bush at
3 o'clock in the morning if I want to.

Off-color pun about "keeping up" to go "round the bush" at 3AM omitted here
by popular demand.

"James Moseley" wrote in message
...
"kn125" wrote in message
om...
I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Mulberry trees are native to Texas. There are also several non-native
varieties many of which do not produce fruit. The main problems with
Mulberries are they produce alot of messy fallen fruit (simply dropped
from
the branches or by feeding birds) and attract all sorts of caterpillars
and
worms which might make their way to other trees. However, if you are an
avid bird watcher, they do attract many types of birds such as orioles and
other migratory species.

Seems to attract more grackles than anything else.

And if the dropped/fallen fruit isn't bad enough, wait'll you see the purple
bird poop! All over the roof, the sidewalk, the car.....


Dale

In article , kn125 wrote:
I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Thanks.
-kn

If you value your home's foundation you shouldn't have any trees
growing 'very close' to your house. Even if the roots aren't
large enough to cause damage by themselves, trees suck a lot of
water from the soil and can cause uneven settling especially if
your house is built on some of the expansive soils in the area,

Frank

Frank

I had a mulberry in Kansas -- yes they are messy but so is any fruit tree.
The berries are sweet -- I like better than raspberries -- and the tree
produces lots! I used to make pies and they make great jelly/jam.

I wouldn't mind a tree!

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
"kn125" wrote in message
om...
I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Thanks.
-kn

On Mon, 12 May 2003 22:11:45 GMT, Spam Collector
wrote:

In article , kn125 wrote:
I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Thanks.
-kn

If you value your home's foundation you shouldn't have any trees
growing 'very close' to your house. Even if the roots aren't
large enough to cause damage by themselves, trees suck a lot of
water from the soil and can cause uneven settling especially if
your house is built on some of the expansive soils in the area,

Frank
Actually, this is one of those unbeatable myths, largely started by
engineers in England where clay soils are apparently common (search
for "subsidence" if you want to see a ton of stuff about it). In
fact, shaded clay is less likely to lose water to evaporation than
sunny spots, so trees moderate this effect rather than causing it.

We tree guys are continually trying to counter the arguments of
construction guys because theya re used to saying "the tree did it"
and getting away with it. They have years of advance propaganda,
which has led to the "common sense" notion that these things must be
true. Another biggie is the "tree heaves sidewalk" angle. Tree roots
don't push outward, they flow into spaces. They are no doubt
contributory--they fill a space, water comes in and freezes, space
expands, root fills it, etc.

But studies have found just as many heaved sidewalks where there are
no trees around to blame. Next time you see this, look at the
concrete. Do you see reinforcements (rebar)? My guess is, you don't.
Bad sidewalks crumble, the installer gets a call, hmm, must be the
tree, cuase we do only the best work.

As for mulberry trees, I like the small ones in my back yard for the
berries/birds, but I won't ever let them get out of my control. they
are prone to poor structure, they sprout profusely, and they are
fairly short-lived. If you are looking at a spot that is wide open a
spacious, you might go for it, but if this is going to be the one tree
your yard can hold, I'd pick something else.

Keith Babberney
ISA Certified Arborist
For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.../consumer.html

On Tue, 13 May 2003 15:56:03 GMT, (Babberney)
wrote:

Trees probably get a bad rap for a lot of things that are equally
explained by shoddy construction and bad engineering, but I think you
are going too far.

[...]
Actually, this is one of those unbeatable myths, largely started by
engineers in England where clay soils are apparently common (search
for "subsidence" if you want to see a ton of stuff about it). In
fact, shaded clay is less likely to lose water to evaporation than
sunny spots, so trees moderate this effect rather than causing it.

Would that not depend on the distance between the tree and the "spot"?
If the tree's roots are in the soil in question, it seems reasonable
to assume that the moisture the tree transpires does not come from
next door. We too, have ample clay soil (where there is soil at all)
and for "subsidence" see "Taylor Clay". (for a practical application,
just about any construction in Tarrytown) The clay itself swells and
shrinks markedly, depending on moisture, so sure, it is not all the
fault of a rogue tree.

We tree guys are continually trying to counter the arguments of
construction guys because theya re used to saying "the tree did it"
and getting away with it. They have years of advance propaganda,
which has led to the "common sense" notion that these things must be
true. Another biggie is the "tree heaves sidewalk" angle. Tree roots
don't push outward, they flow into spaces. They are no doubt
contributory--they fill a space, water comes in and freezes, space
expands, root fills it, etc.


We don't have a "frost heave" problem in Austin. I doubt that the
temperature at the depth of the average sidewalk sandbed has ever
gotten to 32, much less lower. If you insert a small root into the
retained moisture beneath a sidewalk or drive, then grow that root to
8' in diameter, my guess is that something is going to give. Most
likely, that something will be the slab above rather than the earth
below. Your thesis would be a lot more plausible were the lumps in
my driveway not perfectly correllated with the fast growing "trash
trees" (silver maple, Chinaberry, hackberry) that previous owners
either planted or failed to suppress. FWIW, I also have a cracked and
displaced brick retaining wall, caused, IMO, by the growth of a
hackberry in my neighbor's yard. The displacement is away from the
tree (now gone) and upslope, so it is unlikely to be any hydraulic
effects.

But studies have found just as many heaved sidewalks where there are
no trees around to blame. Next time you see this, look at the
concrete. Do you see reinforcements (rebar)? My guess is, you don't.
Bad sidewalks crumble, the installer gets a call, hmm, must be the
tree, cuase we do only the best work.

Frost heaving is real enough. That's why one has building codes that
specify foundations in very cold climates. We don't have that
problem. When the slab heaves as a piece, at the expansion joints,
the wire (rebar is pretty uncommon in a sidewalk) is not going to
matter very much. Crumbling sidewalks don't heave. They are usually
not strong enough to be levered in that way, that is they are
crumbling.

As for mulberry trees, I like the small ones in my back yard for the
berries/birds, but I won't ever let them get out of my control. they
are prone to poor structure, they sprout profusely, and they are
fairly short-lived. If you are looking at a spot that is wide open a
spacious, you might go for it, but if this is going to be the one tree
your yard can hold, I'd pick something else.


As long as one is fond of having everything in about a 200 foot radius
"painted" purple red with bird crap, they are a treat. I have never
found that I could pick nearly as fast and efficiently as a flock of
birds. You are probably younger and quicker.


Keith Babberney
ISA Certified Arborist
For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.../consumer.html

Thanks, after reading all the posts, I have decided to replant the
tree out in the easement behind our backyard, so hopefully the birds
wont become a nuisance!

2 more questions, the roots seem to go down quite a bit, ~ 2 feet down
in the ground, the root is still about .25 to .5 inch thick. It is
right next to a wall, so I can only dig from one side. Do I need to
uproot it fully for the tree to grow or can cut the plant with 2 feet
of root and replant it? Also, if I leave some of the root behind, and
fill earth back on top of it, will remaining root die out eventually?

-kn

"Wayfarer" wrote in message gy.com...
I had a mulberry in Kansas -- yes they are messy but so is any fruit tree.
The berries are sweet -- I like better than raspberries -- and the tree
produces lots! I used to make pies and they make great jelly/jam.

I wouldn't mind a tree!

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )
"kn125" wrote in message
om...
I have a tree growing very close to my house, a neighbour identified
it as a mulberry and said he wouldnt recommend replanting the tree (it
now about 4-5 feet tall and the roots have gone 2-3 ft deep). He said
it attracts lots of bugs. I have some space in my backyard and was
thinking of replanting this tree there. Has anybody had bad/good
experiences with mulberries? Also is it native to this area?

Thanks.
-kn

I am not sure -- sometimes you hear about people being told to cut the main
root a little short to help control the height of the tree -- but I am not
an arborist and just don't know. Pecan trees have tremendously long
roots -- a little longer down than the height showing above ground. I have
transplanted a lot of saplings -- most I do not get all of the root. Most
whether I get the root or not, do not take, but some do. I am pretty sure
that whatever root you do leave will just die off.

You might try transplanting that one and seeing if it takes before you dig
up the smaller one so you have the smaller one to try again with if the
larger one doesn't make it.

As to planning inside the easement, personally I would plant it just inside
your fence because occasionally they do go through and "clean" out
easements.

--
Marta
(if you email me directly you need to remove the X )

On Thu, 15 May 2003 10:51:37 -0500, B.Server wrote:

On Tue, 13 May 2003 15:56:03 GMT, (Babberney)
wrote:

Trees probably get a bad rap for a lot of things that are equally
explained by shoddy construction and bad engineering, but I think you
are going too far.

Try out this article and then see if it seems I go too far . . . .
http://users.rcn.com/bobw.enteract/UKSubsidence2.2.html

keith
For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.../consumer.html

In article , Babberney wrote:
On Thu, 15 May 2003 10:51:37 -0500, B.Server wrote:

On Tue, 13 May 2003 15:56:03 GMT, (Babberney)
wrote:

Trees probably get a bad rap for a lot of things that are equally
explained by shoddy construction and bad engineering, but I think you
are going too far.

Try out this article and then see if it seems I go too far . . . .
http://users.rcn.com/bobw.enteract/UKSubsidence2.2.html

You mean the line in his summary paragraph that states:
Please remember I am not attempting to argue only that trees
do not contribute to subsidence, but we must understand it is
extremely important to proportionalize the effect of trees in
the middle of many other cumulative influences and conditions.

Nobody here has argued that every structural failure is the result
of tree root, just that tree roots can cause damage.

Frank

keith
For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.../consumer.html

On Sun, 18 May 2003 05:43:43 GMT, Spam Collector
wrote:
You mean the line in his summary paragraph that states:
Please remember I am not attempting to argue only that trees
do not contribute to subsidence, but we must understand it is
extremely important to proportionalize the effect of trees in
the middle of many other cumulative influences and conditions.

Nobody here has argued that every structural failure is the result
of tree root, just that tree roots can cause damage.

Frank
Ok, you caught me. I had better luck finding a link on subsidence
than on sidewalk heaving, so I used what I had. OTOH, I feel more
confident saying trees don't damage sidewalks than in saying they
don't contribute to subsidence.

It may be true that it's rare for freezing to occur below sidewalks,
but it's also still true that trees do not exert an outward force as
they grow. Cells form where they have space. If you doubt this,
consider roots near undamaged cement. If you look around, you can see
roots that are flattened, elongated, or otherwise distorted from their
natural shape by obstacles. So, the sidewalk may not develop a crack
due to freezing, but some other factor must come into play. Once a
new crack is developed, the tree will fill it, but the tree cannot
create the space on its own.

Reminds me of another bad rap trees get: sewer lines leak, water
attacts roots, roots fill pipe, tree gets blamed. Trees cannot enter
a sewer line or other plumbing unless there is an opening there to
begin with. So, new PVC lines should be fairly immune to this sort of
thing, but old clay pipes are notoriously prone to such problems.

Anyway, I hope you don't feel I sent you on a wild goose chase with
that link. It may not have supported my statements exactly, but I
think it does a good job of expanding on the issue of subsidence while
giving trees the maximum benefit of the doubt possible.

keith


For more info about the International Society of Arboriculture, please visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.
For consumer info about tree care, visit http://www2.champaign.isa-arbor.com/.../consumer.html