When to Plant Mulberry in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Plant June to August. Right now in September it is out of season. The next planting month is June.
Grow Mulberry in your space
- Planting window
- Plant winter with irrigation.
- Sunlight
- Full sun for best fruit. Tolerates part shade.
- Soil pH
- 5.5-7.5
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Mulberry guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Possibly the easiest fruit tree to grow in Australia. Virtually indestructible, tolerates poor soil, drought, neglect, and a wide climate range. Black mulberry (M. nigra) produces the best-flavoured fruit. Trees grow fast, fruit young (often in first year), and produce heavily. The main downside: fruit stains everything. Paths, cars, laundry, hands, and anything beneath the tree. Plan placement carefully. Birds love mulberries, which can be an advantage (distraction crop) or disadvantage.
Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - | - | - | P | P | P | - | - | - | - |
P = Planting window
Plant winter with irrigation.
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How to Grow Mulberry in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
When to Plant
Plant winter with irrigation.
- Soil
- Tolerates almost anything including heavy clay, sand, and poor soils. Performs best in well-drained fertile soil but genuinely undemanding.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun for best fruit. Tolerates part shade.
Companion plants: Anything, mulberries are not fussy
Avoid planting near: Paths, driveways, clotheslines, swimming pools (staining), Anything you don't want purple-stained
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Mulberry
Recommended Varieties
- Black English
- White Shahtoot
Key Challenges
- Needs some irrigation to fruit well
Pro Tips
- Mulberries are drought-tolerant once established. Water for better fruit.
- One of the better fruit tree choices for dry areas.
Harvesting Mulberry
When ready: Black mulberry: fully black-purple and soft. White/Shahtoot: pale pink to white and sweet. Ripe fruit falls at a touch. Lay a clean sheet under the tree and shake branches.
How to harvest: Shake branches over a sheet or pick individually. Wear old clothes, staining is inevitable.
Where to next
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Mulberry
When do you plant mulberry in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): all year
- Subtropical (Brisbane): all year
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jul to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Aug
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Jun to Aug
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.