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Che Fruit Care Guide
The Chef Fruit-Cudrania tricuspidata (Mandarin Melon Berry)
We include Chef with our mulberry care guide because they are
relatives in the same family. Like mulberries they are easy to grow
& no spraying is necessary. They are very ornamental in shape, leaf
and fruit. Their cropping habit is splendid. We graft Chef on Osage
Orange (which is another relative) because Chef on its own roots can
sucker. On Osage trees are single trunked. Chef in China are also
called the eSilkworm treef. Like the mulberry Chefs leaves are the
primary food for silkworm. Chef trees are rounded small trees probably
25f high and the same width if left to grow for about 30 years. The
Chinese keep them small for the silk industry, so they can be cultivated
as a small tree or bush. Placement of the tree should be in the open or
along side of small trees like Filberts or Apples. Planting in general
is easy. Therefs no fuss with soil types, theyfll thrive from
Virginia south into middle Florida. To ripen the fruit, hot summers are
best. In zone 6 (Front Royal, VA) they ripen in late September or
October. We have noticed fruit on the male too. More about that will be
passed on as we learn more. It seems the male only sets sparsely if at
all. For the 1st few years keep weeds and grass away from the plant and
water when necessary. |
