When to Plant Mulberry in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide

Plant May to June and August to September. Right now in October it is out of season. The next planting month is May.

Planting window
Just about the hardiest fruit tree for the arid zone. Cut back the water from April to August and start again when new leaves appear; prune...
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.

Mulberry

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.

See what grows now in your own postcode

Best Planting Window for Arid / Semi-Arid

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
- - - - P P - P P - - -

P = Planting window

Just about the hardiest fruit tree for the arid zone. Cut back the water from April to August and start again when new leaves appear; prune in May to keep the fruit within reach.

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This month in Arid / Semi-Arid

In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.

The full twelve months are on the Arid / Semi-Arid zone page.

How to Grow Mulberry in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia

When to Plant

Just about the hardiest fruit tree for the arid zone. Cut back the water from April to August and start again when new leaves appear; prune in May to keep the fruit within reach.

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.

Preserving: pressure canning

1 tested pressure-canning recipe for Mulberry: 1 where it is the crop being canned. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.

Recipes in this set

  • Berries-Whole

The full recipe details are for members on a paid plan: jar sizes, headspace, process time, the pressure for a weighted or dial gauge at your altitude, the ingredients, the preparation steps and the safety notes.

See the plans

Where to next

Also worth sowing in the arid and semi-arid zone this October: Lemongrass, Cucumber, Savory and Basil.

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Common 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:

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.