Category: Grow Your Own Food

Mulberries are awesome trees because they have so many uses and are real easy to propagate. The cuttings will root if you leave them lying on the ground and they have enough water. 

Here’s a few tips on how to grow your own mulberry trees from a cutting using wax. 

Grab a mulberry cutting

Get yourself a cutting off a healthy tree. You might able to find a tree in a public space in your neighbourhood, a neighbour may have one or you could order online. 

A cutting that’s thicker than a pencil, 30-40 cm or 16 inches or longer is good. The thicker and longer, the better chance of survival. Anything thinner than a pencil may not survive and may need lots of attention. 

Prepare your cutting

Keep your cutting(s) in the shade. Close off the open parts where you cut (not the base) with some wax. I use baybybel cheese wax because we eat the cheese! Put the wax in a jar lid and melt it with a candle or other method. You can just use candle wax too. 

This closes off the open wounds on the cutting so that water doesn’t evaporate the and cutting dries out. 

Plant your cutting

Plant your mulberry cutting in a 10L or 2.5 gal pot. Water it in and mulch it. Any neutral soil that’s a little sandy and has lots of organic matter will suit.

Place your potted cutting in a shady spot to settle and root. 

Leaves will shoot

Wait for a month or so and your first leaves will start to shoot from the cuttings. The cuttings won’t be rooting yet, so keep watering and be patient. I water every couple of days or daily in summer. Keep your pot in the shade. 

You got mulberries!

A few months later your cuttings will be small trees, rooted and producing small berries. The first berries will be small and not really the yummo. Plant your tree in the ground in a place where it has access to water and sun and it will thrive. 

These trees (unless it’s a drwarf version) will grow up to 5m / 16 ft so give them some space. You can trim them aggressively and make more cuttings. 

Enjoy your berries!

Follow me on these platforms for more: threads, Insta, Facebook, TikTok 

Growing your own ginger isn’t hard and you can start with the ginger rhizomes you get at your local store. Buy once and have plenty of fresh ginger each year. 

Grab some fresh ginger from your local store.

Organic is better, or whatever is available. Look for fresh ginger which is firm and full. And ginger with the little green buds forming is a good sign. 

Give it a bath

Soak your ginger in water overnight. It’s often sprayed with a growth inhibitor to prevent it sprouting in transit and while on the shelf. Soaking it helps to remove the inhibitor and revitalise its moisture content. 

Snap!

Break your ginger into pieces so you can plant and grow ginger. The green buds (if your ginger has them) are where it will sprout, so use that as an indicator of where to break it. 

Dry it out

Now give it some time to dry out a little. Place the ginger pieces in a cool dry position (shelf) and let them air dry for a few days. 

Time to plant

Plant your pieces 5cm / 2 inches deep into the soil in a 1-2 litre / 0.5 gallon pot. Place it in the shade and keep the soil slightly moist, but not wet. In 8 months or so you should have plenty of fresh ginger growing. 

Harvest, eat, repeat

You’ll know your ginger is ready when the long thing leaves start to yellow and brown off. Dig up your ginger roots, wash them off and store them in a dry cool place. Use some immediately for the amazing zing of fresh ginger. You can also eat the stalks in salads or other dishes. Ginger is a fantastic immunity booster. 

Replant some smaller pieces of your ginger for next season. If you keep the rhizomes in soil and don’t overwater them, they shoot again when it’s time. 

Enjoy growing ginger at home and comment if you’ve had success.

Follow me on these platforms for more: threads, Insta, Facebook, TikTok