A little light pruning.

September last year Fernando pruned - if that's the right word - the mulberry tree and since then it has done what it does best, grow and grow and grow.  It gets to the point where the front garden is very shady and the flowers don't bloom as much as they should.  That's when we think about cutting it again. 

November 9th, full of leaves

The leaves have finished dropping, most of them have been raked up and are in the compost heap although there are still some further down the land which may or may not be raked up, depending on other things which need doing.

It's much easier to see which branches need to come off when the tree is bare,  so today was pruning day.  Up went the ladders, up went John and down came the branches.  We aimed for the middle ones that grow straight up - and block our sun - leaving the sideways growing branches for shade as when Carmen comes, she likes to sit under the tree in the summer afternoon.

A little light pruning

From down on the ground or in the garden it's difficult to appreciate just how much the tree has grown.  But we measured some of the branches and it's grown between 8 and 9 metres in 14 months.  And it's not  watered, or not deliberately, just rain and whatever it gets from the ground.  No idea how far  the roots stretch, hopefully away from our garden as it's got quite a lean on it - at least if it ever falls over it's pointing away from us.

Four hours later, most of the log store nearest the tree was full, there are still some branches to cut and trim down tomorrow, but the bulk of it is done.  But what a mucky job, the tree leaks a white milky sap which is very sticky but luckily washes off clothing and skin. It is quite a light weight wood which doesn't take long to dry out so by the time the cold January, February and March evenings come, it should be dry enough to burn in the fire.