Mulberry trees are grown mainly for their leaves which are the major food for silk worms. The process of growing mulberry trees involves growing and maintaining the trees, rearing silk worms and harvesting the silk.
Mulberry cultivation practices
Site selection. Choose a well drained site with fertile soils and good sunlight exposure for mulberry farming. The trees thrive in sandy or loamy soils with a a pH of between 6.0 and 7.5.
Mulberry varieties. Select suitable variety depending on your location and market demand.
Land preparation. Prepare the land by ploughing, levelling and removing weeds or debris. Incorporate organic matter to improve on soil fertility and water holding abilities.
Planting. Mulberry trees can be propagated through seeds, cuttings or grafting. Plant the trees at the onset of rains maintaining a spacing of between 8 t 10 feet between the trees.
Fertilization. Apply organic manure or balanced fertilizer containing Nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous for proper growth of the mulberry trees.
prunning and training. Prune the mulberry trees regularly to maintain their shape, remove diseased or dead branches.
Silkworm rearing
Start rearing silk worms when the mulberry trees are mature.
Obtain the silk worms from a reputable source and feed them with mulberry leaves as their primary feed.
Monitor the silk worms closely toe ensure that they have an ample supply of mulberry leaves.
Maintain suitable temperature and humidity within the rearing area.
Protect the silk worms from pests and diseases by regular monitoring and employ appropriate pest control measures.
After about 25 to 30 days when silk worms complete their larval stage and spine cocoons, carefully collect the cocoons from which the silk can be harvested by a process called riling.
