Harvesting Mulberries Without Staining Your Clothes, Hands, and Deck

I’m Ruth Nakamura, and for the past 15 years, I’ve been deep in the joys and challenges of growing mulberries in my backyard here in the Pacific Northwest. There’s something extraordinary about these trees that captivates me—their vibrant berries, the way they thrive in our unique climate, and the sweet rewards they offer each summer. I’ve cultivated around 12 different cultivars—everything from the rich Black Beauty to the hardy Chinook and the delicious Illini Star. Along the way, I’ve made my share of mistakes, learned from them, and developed a wealth of practical knowledge that I love to share with fellow backyard growers.

One of my most memorable experiences was the first time I harvested mulberries. I stepped back from my deck and was astonished to see a spray pattern of dark purple that looked like it had been there for weeks, even though I’d just harvested that morning. The sweet, fermented aroma wafted through the air, and it was a clear reminder of the two common pitfalls I often discuss with other growers: neglecting to prune or going overboard with it. Mulberries have their own rhythm. They don’t follow anyone else’s rules! What I’ve discovered over the years is that the way you shape your trees through pruning is just as essential for a clean harvest as having the right gear.

That realization hit me hard after a couple of messy harvests. I can still picture the purple stains on my favorite shirt—yikes! Learning from that experience, I’ve gathered a ton of useful tips that I’m excited to share so you can avoid the same fate. Let’s dive into why mulberries are delightfully messy and how to gear up properly for a stain-free harvest.

Why Mulberries Are Gloriously, Ruthlessly Staining

Let’s be honest—mulberries are juicy little gems, and they come with a price! The flesh is packed with anthocyanins, those potent pigments that give color to everything from blueberries to dark leafy greens. But the real kicker is the juice content. These berries practically burst when you pick them! That means the pigment-rich juice stains fabrics like cotton and linen permanently, especially that shirt you love. I’ve learned the hard way that tossing a stained shirt into a hot dryer locks in those purple marks for good.

Your deck is another challenge. Mulberry juice sinks into wood, leaving stains that are tough to remove. Composite surfaces fare slightly better, but they’re not stain-proof either. I’ve left berries on my composite deck for just an afternoon, and it left its mark. And don’t get me started on my hands—they turn a deep purple-blue that sticks around for days, no matter how much I scrub. So, while I definitely encourage you to pick these extraordinary berries, having a solid plan makes all the difference.

Gear Up Properly: The Foundation of Stain-Free Harvesting

After that first disaster with my white shirt, I made the best decision: I stopped treating harvesting like a delicate operation and embraced the glorious messiness of it all. You wouldn’t paint your house in formal attire, right? Harvesting mulberries should be no different. Let me share what I’ve learned about gearing up for the adventure.

Invest in a Dedicated Harvest Apron

A good apron has transformed my entire harvesting experience—not just by protecting my clothes but also by providing pockets that keep my hands from wandering to my pants leg when they’re wet. I look for aprons with water-resistant or waterproof backing, so the liquid beads off instead of soaking through to my skin.

Finding an Apron That Holds Up Through Harvest Season

Mulberry pigment is relentless—it stains quickly and binds tightly, turning every harvest day into a potential laundry disaster. What I needed was practical pocket space for my tools and containers while also shielding whatever I was wearing underneath.

Where it shines

• The pockets are deep enough to fit my bypass pruners, my harvest container, and a cleanup cloth all at once without everything shifting around—fewer trips back inside to grab forgotten tools!
• Having multiple aprons means I can rotate through them during peak harvest weeks, so I never run out of clean coverage, and the floral pattern does a better job of hiding juice splatters than plain colors.
• The weave is tight enough that liquid doesn’t seep through to my clothes, though the juice does dye the fabric permanently by the end of the season.

The limitations I’ve found

• Even with aggressive pre-treatment, those stains don’t fully budge. So, by the end of a heavy harvest, my aprons are permanently colored—which is totally fine if I think of them as expendable harvest gear rather than something meant to stay pristine.
• The neck strap can get uncomfortable when I’m twisting around in thick canopies for long periods, and the apron tends to swing outward when I’m reaching overhead, so I have to readjust it every so often.

I almost returned the first pack of aprons, thinking three wasn’t enough, but then I realized that was the point—I could sacrifice them to the juice and not feel guilty about it. I highly recommend grabbing the BOUMUSOE 3 Pack Floral Aprons with Pocket and stop pretending your nice clothes will survive the harvest.

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