When to Plant Mulberry in Cairns, Tropical Guide
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Mulberry guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Oct to Dec
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.5
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.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec P
P = Planting window
Plant marcotted trees at the start of the wet. The main crop comes in the late dry and build-up, with a smaller flush after rain or pruning.
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How to Grow Mulberry in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Tolerates almost anything including heavy clay, sand, and poor soils. Performs best in well-drained fertile soil but genuinely undemanding.
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 5.5-7.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun for best fruit. Tolerates part shade.
- Good companions
- Anything, mulberries are not fussy
- Keep away from
- Paths, driveways, clotheslines, swimming pools (staining), Anything you don't want purple-stained
Tropical Growing Tips for Mulberry
Recommended Varieties
- Black English (M. nigra)
- White Shahtoot (M. alba, long sweet fruit)
- Hicks Fancy
Key Challenges
- Minimal, mulberries are tough
- Fruit fly moderate concern
Pro Tips
- Grows vigorously. Prune to control size.
- Shahtoot produces sweet elongated white fruit popular in tropical areas.
Pests and problems for Mulberry in Tropical
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.
Storing and preserving mulberry
How to keep it
- Freezing. Spread on tray, freeze, bag. Best preservation method for mulberries. Keeps: 12 months.
- Dehydrating. Spread on trays, dehydrate at 55°C for 12-18 hours. Keeps: 12 months.
- Jam. Simmer with sugar (1:1) and lemon juice to setting point. Jar hot. Keeps: 12 months.
- Syrup. Simmer berries in water, strain, add sugar, reduce to syrup. Bottle. Keeps: 6 months refrigerated.
- Wine. Ferment juice with sugar and wine yeast. Traditional use. Keeps: Years.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
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:
- Tropical (Cairns): Oct to Dec
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Jun to Sep
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Jun to Aug
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jun to Aug
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jun to Aug
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): May to Jun, Aug to Sep
- Mediterranean (Perth): Jun to Aug
When should I plant Mulberry in Cairns?
Plant marcotted trees at the start of the wet. The main crop comes in the late dry and build-up, with a smaller flush after rain or pruning.
How do I know when Mulberry are ready to harvest?
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.
What are the best Mulberry varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Black English (M. nigra), White Shahtoot (M. alba, long sweet fruit), Hicks Fancy.
What grows well with Mulberry?
Good companion plants for Mulberry include: Anything, mulberries are not fussy.
Are mulberry salt tolerant?
No. Mulberry are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it 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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.