Many may think that the Lithuanian climate is too cold for such a berry culture, I think otherwise. You may have heard the lithuanian name of this plant – „avietmedis“, in english – „raspberry tree“. Thus, if the lithuanian folklore has a name for this plant, then it grew and grows here in Lithuania. And it not only grows but also ripens delicious, beautiful, useful and valuable berries that begin to ripen from late June and ripen until late July.
A tree or shrub on which mulberries grow is called mulberry. It is the same tree whose leaves are eaten by silkworm larvae, which make themselves a cocoon from a solid silk thread, from which silk threads are obtained. Trees left without leaves do not ripen berries. However, while leaving the leaves, the trees produce a great berry harvest.
I grow Ukrainian dessert varieties of mulberries.
White mulberry: Plodovaya NR.3, Smuglianka, Chiornyj Princ (Black Prince), Shelli 150, Turchanka and lot of Galicia.
Black mulberry: D1, D2 (experimental varieties) – too cold for Lithuanian climate.
The berries of all varieties are dark, almost black in color. The berries grow up to 3-4 cm long and 1,5 cm in diameter. Mulberry berries are very tasty – sweet and juicy.
There is little information available in Lithuanian about the cultivation of mulberry trees, so I had to use the advice of specialists from other countries and learn from my mistakes in growing this berry culture-crop. I think that I am the only grower in Lithuania who grows not a few trees, but a small plantation of these wonderful berry trees. For those looking to grow a mulberry, I can give you some helpful tips.
It is a fairly tall shrub with black small sweet berries in bunches. The taste is very similar to highbush blueberries.
The saskatoon does not need good quality soil at all and this is its great advantage.
I grow cultures-dessert varieties of saskatoon from Canada: Smoky, Sleyt, Northline, Pembina, Thiessen, Martin, Mandam (russian variety), Honeywood.
The berries of these varieties are larger than the berries in the wild. Ripens in late June to early up to July. These berry shrubs are resistant to frost down to -40 C˚, also not afraid of early frosts up to -8C. Also their flowering time is late – early May.
For those interested, I suggest you read more online in English by entering „saskatoon berry" in the search bar.