Author Topic: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?  (Read 1897 times)

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Offline Greenriverwoodcraft

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Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« on: June 04, 2017, 08:23:18 pm »
Hey everyone

I have access to a nice straight mullberry and was wondering if I should harvest it now or wait until winter?  I realize that you have to chase a heartwood growth ring so I figured the back of the bow would be the same either way, but is there any sap/moisture issues that I could encounter beyond a longer drying time if I do it now?

Offline Danzn Bar

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2017, 08:40:33 pm »
Now ..peel the bark off and seal the back with poly or something similar..............
DBar
Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is looking

Offline upstatenybowyer

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2017, 08:42:34 pm »
Not that I know of. I've done it at this time of year, just chased the ring, roughed out a bow, sealed the back with school glue and clamped to avoid warping. It was ready for tillering in about 2-3 months.
"Even as the archer loves the arrow that flies, so too he loves the bow that remains constant in his hands."

Nigerian Proverb

Offline Pat B

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2017, 08:47:23 pm »
Yes!  harvest now and do as the others said.
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Greenriverwoodcraft

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2017, 09:08:08 pm »
Thanks guys, I will grab it this week.

Offline E. Jensen

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2017, 09:31:55 pm »
How large is the tree?  I'm after tree "cookies" for my collection

Offline Joec123able

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #6 on: June 05, 2017, 02:27:18 am »
You don't even need to chase a ring either. You can peel the bark and use what's under as the back.
I like osage

Limbit

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Re: Can I harvest Mulberry now or should I wait until winter?
« Reply #7 on: June 06, 2017, 01:21:38 am »
It depends largely and where you live and how much you need (or want) the wood. There are several reasons to wait till winter, but they may not be an issue for you. One is insects. If you are cutting at this time of year right as the tree is starting to produce fruit, the wood will be sap heavy and will attract insects looking for the glucose in the sap wood. The heart wood will of course be insect resistant in mulberry, but the sapwood will go through all hell. If you wanted a heart-wood sap wood bow, that would be a problem. The second is checking. If the wood is super wet, it will likely check heavily as it dries. Even if you seal it. I am not sure what would happen if you immediately reduced it to near dimensions. Perhaps nothing. I usually split it into staves. I primarily cut mulberry where I live and stopped cutting it in the summer after it seemed spring and summer cut wood was twisting more as it dried. I cannot rule out that this was simply grain distortions and nothing more, but I just choose to wait now. A lot easier in the winter for me too since the hornets and snakes are dormant and the temperature is below 100! Either way, it is an endearing wood and excellent fruit. You can basically cut it to a stump and it will shoot back the next year too. Sustainable.