Question
when is the best time to prune mulberry trees is march to late my tree is starting to bud and i do not want to kill it and i have four big ones. Madera California

Answer
Deciduous trees like mulberry trees are best pruned when the leaves are dormant. Late fall or early spring is the best time, whether your tree is fruit bearing or not. Pruning methods are best dictated by your purpose--whether to keep the tree a certain size or shape, or just to tidy it up. Pruning in late summer can encourage new growth which can be cut short at the first frost and impede next spring's growth. In the fall, prune when frost is imminent and leaves are falling. In spring time, prune before new growth is under way. Never prune a tree in mid-growing season because it will be less effective and may shorten the life of the tree.


Prune the dead branch off about 1/4 inch from the trunk. This will leave a branch collar and the wound will heal over by itself. If the wound is more than 6 inches across after the cut I would paint the area with a wound dressing. This will keep water from getting into the wound. On wound less than 6 inches across I would leave natural and not paint.

On large trees it is best to make the first cut about a foot from the trunk on the under side then cut the branch off from the top leaving a stub about a foot long. Then you can prune off the stub and the heavy limb will not split the bark on the trunk.
Here is a web link to how to prune trees with a drawing of the large limb pruning method.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/text/pruning.ht...


Don't prune more than twice a year, and never remove more than one third of all the branches in any one season. It is best to prune selectively every year, rather than removing too much growth at one time. To encourage taller growth, cut back lower branches gradually over about five years. Removing too many at once will result in a weaker, stressed tree that is more prone to disease.