How to Grow Fruitless Olive & Mulberry Trees From Cuttings
- 1). Grow fruitless olive trees from cuttings in late summer around early September. Grow fruitless mulberry trees from cuttings anytime from late May until September.
- 2). Fill a 1-gallon nursery container with a mix of 3 parts sharp horticultural grit and 1 part garden soil. Mix the soil components until thoroughly combined.
- 3). Run water from a garden hose into the container to saturate the soil mixture. Let it drain for approximately a half hour before potting the cuttings in it.
- 4). Gather several cuttings from a healthy, vigorous fruitless olive or mulberry tree. Select 8-inch-long portions with a diameter of 1/4-inch, or approximately the thickness of a pencil. Look for cuttings with mature growth at the base and new growth at the tip.
- 5). Sever the cuttings between two sets of leaves using sharp, clean anvil shears. Make the cut with a 45- to 60-degree angle.
- 6). Remove all the foliage from along the lower half of the cuttings. Pluck off the leaves by pulling them back against their natural direction of growth.
- 7). Coat the base and lower half of the cuttings in 0.4-percent IBA rooting hormone. Apply the rooting hormone with a brush or cotton ball.
- 8). Stick the hormone-coated end of the cuttings into the prepared rooting pot. Press them in until the bottom half is buried. Leave 2 inches of space between each cutting.
- 9). Set the nursery container in a cold frame or place in a sheltered spot with good light and protection from the wind if a cold frame is unavailable.
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Mist the tops of the cuttings with a spray bottle twice a day to keep the foliage fresh and healthy. - 11
Check for roots in six to eight weeks. Transplant the cuttings into individual 1-gallon containers filled with garden soil two weeks after rooting. - 12
Keep the individually potted fruitless olive and mulberry cuttings in a cold frame or other bright, sheltered spot during the winter. Transplant the saplings into a permanent site in spring once temperatures reach 65 degrees F during the day.
