Ruth Nakamura · June 28, 2026
There’s a particular smell to a deck stain that’s been baking in the sun all summer—something between varnish and wood dust—and that’s exactly what I noticed the moment my neighbor appeared with that sheepish grin. A mulberry branch, thick as a small tree limb, lay sprawled across her fence line like an unwelcome guest. Beneath … Read more
Ruth Nakamura · March 12, 2026
Most people assume that once you plant a mulberry tree, lawn management stays simple—mow it like you always have and call it done. That assumption is dead wrong. The competition playing out underground between tree roots and grass roots is relentless, and if you ignore it, your tree suffers, your harvest suffers, and your summer … Read more
Ruth Nakamura · January 22, 2026
Almost every new mulberry grower makes the same wrong assumption: that because the tree is famously tough once established, the planting itself doesn’t need much thought. I made exactly that mistake with my first tree — wrong depth, no drainage check, no stake in a spot that caught wind off the fence line — and … Read more
