As the season winds down we’re thinking about planting some trees to use for rabbit forage next season. This year we gave them different willows we already have growing and apple, aspen, dogwood, sumac and maple. Want to add mulberry trees but have some questions. The research I’ve done suggests that the white mulberry is the one that would be reliably hardy in our zone 4-5. Also that the white mulberry is considered an invasive nuisance in some areas. Anyone here have experience with planting either in a climate similar to mine?
And about those willows--we have the following salix purpurea (basket willow), S.sericea (silky), S.fragilis (hybrid crack), and S.sepulcralis (weeping) (We’re blessed with a friend who is a retired botany professor who has done a survey of the trees and flowering plants on our 180 acres so I’m confident of the Latin names) The first 2 willows are huge trees. Unfortunately the weeping willow leans out over the pond in a way that makes cutting branches very difficult. Mostly we’ve fed from S.fragilis--have lots of those and have started small ones in a hedgerow for the goats. But those get really ragged looking late in the summer when the 2 smaller varieties are still fresh and green. But the rabbits seem to prefer the fragilis. So does anyone have experience with feeding different willows or know if there is some nutritional difference. I couldn’t find any information against feeding any of the willows but mostly folks seem to be feeding from the larger varieties.
We did dry some branches of S.fragilis late in May when they were in prime condition. Have read here about some people feeding winter cut branches or bringing them in and putting them into water until they leaf out. When do you start doing that--do you have to wait for them to be dormant for a time?
And about those willows--we have the following salix purpurea (basket willow), S.sericea (silky), S.fragilis (hybrid crack), and S.sepulcralis (weeping) (We’re blessed with a friend who is a retired botany professor who has done a survey of the trees and flowering plants on our 180 acres so I’m confident of the Latin names) The first 2 willows are huge trees. Unfortunately the weeping willow leans out over the pond in a way that makes cutting branches very difficult. Mostly we’ve fed from S.fragilis--have lots of those and have started small ones in a hedgerow for the goats. But those get really ragged looking late in the summer when the 2 smaller varieties are still fresh and green. But the rabbits seem to prefer the fragilis. So does anyone have experience with feeding different willows or know if there is some nutritional difference. I couldn’t find any information against feeding any of the willows but mostly folks seem to be feeding from the larger varieties.
We did dry some branches of S.fragilis late in May when they were in prime condition. Have read here about some people feeding winter cut branches or bringing them in and putting them into water until they leaf out. When do you start doing that--do you have to wait for them to be dormant for a time?
