Kara's Garden

I have been trying to get my hands on some mulberries ever since I read about them in Matt's blog (www.watchmyfoodgrow.com).

There are two main varieties I have heard about in Florida- the red mulberry tree and black mulberry tree. I, of course, was too excited when I got the cuttings to ask which kind I was getting! According to many sources, however, both will produce nice fruits which can either be eaten right off the tree, made into jam or jelly, or even mulberry wine!

I was lucky enough to get my hands on 3 large cuttings- two thin and one nice and thick. I trimmed the leaves from the cuttings, and re-cut the ends to expose good wood, then dipped the ends into Miracle Grow rooting hormone. Then I filled a bucket with a little water and stuck the ends in, and put the bucket in a shady spot away from the dog and much foot traffic.

This kind of propagation is called cutting (yes, it's very creative) and can be used on many kinds of plants, usually 'succulents,' or plants that have soft wood. I have also taken a cutting from the IFAS Extension Office of an evergreen frangipani.

Frangipani's are outside my area of expertise because a) they don't grow in Tallahassee, where I am from and b) they don't make food. Also called a plumeria, frangipanis are native to Central America, Mexico, Venezuela and southern India. They are really pretty trees with large dark green leaves and various colored flowers. The evergreen Frangipani I have will eventually become a medium sized tree with pure white flowers.