Drip tube with in-line emitters is more durable than drip tape, but the inline emitters will place more water between plants, which will result in more weed pressure. Make sure that emitters are as close to plants as possible to ensure that young roots do not dry out, and water new plants thoroughly as soon as possible after planting. Pre-irrigating just prior to planting is ideal so there is soil moisture available immediately for new plants Earnshaw Flood and sprinkler irrigation can be effective for elderberries, but will result in higher weed pressure.
If using flood irrigation, take care not to include other plants in your hedgerow that do not tolerate standing water. Proper weed control will decrease plant loss, increase the rate of growth during establishment, and may increase plant longevity and health after establishment. Existing weed infestations on the planting site should be eliminated prior to planting to reduce weeding labor during establishment.
Weeds should be carefully and consistently removed during establishment to minimize growth stunting and plant loss due to weed competition. Weeds will eventually be shaded out as elderberries mature. Caption: High weed pressure in the first year at one field trial site appears to have contributed to a 3-fold increase in blue elderberry seedling death during the rainy season, compared to losses during the summer growing season.
Installing an effective weed barrier is recommended to help young plants outcompete weeds and conserve soil moisture.
A layer of plain cardboard placed underneath a layer of organic mulch can act as an additional weed barrier. Organic mulches, especially those that decompose more rapidly, lose their effectiveness more quickly than plastic mulches and may require significant weeding or re-mulching within a year.
The drawback of using inorganic materials such as weed mats or plastic mulches is that the scraps of degraded material can significantly litter the area once these materials have lost their usefulness. In fact, elderberries typically do not require very much fertilizer and can get all the nutrients they need from decomposed organic matter in the soil. Some thought should also go into where elderberry is planted from a design and maintenance perspective. It is a very fast-growing shrub with a suckering habit that can make it look unruly and out of place in certain settings.
Make sure it is planted in an area where it will be easy enough to access for maintenance purposes. Elderberry does require considerable pruning to keep it both attractive and productive. Elderberry blooms on new growth of the current season, so pruning should be completed in late winter or early spring. If the plant is very vigorous and produces lots of new growth each year, no fertilizer is needed.
However, if few new canes are produced and growth is poor, then you might consider fertilizing with a slow-release organic fertilizer. Better yet, have your soil tested to identify if the pH and available nutrients are adequate. During periods of especially dry weather, elderberry will benefit from supplemental irrigation if it is planted in drier soil. Watering is most critical in the first season or two after planting. It is very important to note that elderberry is poisonous.
Leaves, stems, roots and unripe berries contain cyanic glucosides, which can make people and livestock very sick if consumed. Even ripe fruit is mildly toxic and can cause illness if eaten raw in large quantities. However, the fruit can be rendered edible by cooking or drying, which, coincidentally, also improves its flavor.
Good luck this season- let us know how adding them to your Arizona medicinal garden goes! Hi, I also grew up in Penna. This year we went to the extreme and built a shade … Read more ». What is the best variety to grow and is it better to plant them in shade or mostly sun? The winter will be manageable, since all cultivars that I know of are cold hardy, as long as proper irrigation is provided.
Salty and easily compacted soil are issues common to your area as well. Of course, taking on challenges and growing delicious produce as a … Read more ». They survive the South Central and MidWest winters.
You must allow for plenty of water, they love ground moisture, so a drip system may not be enough. Apricots grow extremely well in Las Vegas, I encourage you to plant and enjoy a bountiful harvest of Apricots. They grow Mexican elderberry trees in Tucson AZ without shade. The trees defoliate in summer, the dormant season for them but keep their leaves the rest of the time and produce elderberries.
Sambucus mexicana it is drought deciduous. It grows well in our very hot inland areas of Southern California. They are a powdery blue berry. Be sure to process your berries thoroughly and throw away the green berries and the stems. They make the best syrup and can also be dried for tea. The flowers can also be dried for tea. I want to grow elderberries to make syrups, jams, jellies and wines. I am located in Louisiana. Which plant would be best for these recipes?
Thanks for your question, Moranda! The Adams and Blue varieties should do well, but the York is our favorite for canning and winemaking, since it offers prolific yields. Good luck, and happy gardening! I live in CT — what type do you recommend me getting? Or what 2 different types for cross pollination? Thanks so much. Hi Eileen.
This is a great idea! Any elderberry cultivar should act as a good pollinator for other types. York and Adams do well together, and should produce nicely in your zone if given the right growing conditions. Planting cultivars with different maturation dates will also help to provide an ongoing harvest- and … Read more ».
I live in Long Island, NY on the north shore and am dreaming about starting a medicinal garden in my backyard as well as purchasing a farm either upstate NY, western MA or PA to grow elderberries on a larger scale. Any advice on what varieties would do well in these areas? Thank you! I have read about several of them. Therefore I take it you could plant the Common Elderberry and any other variety and only have to re-plant one of them every other year.
Do I have this correct? Which plants do you suggest for Spartanburg, SC? Hi Wanda. Thanks for your question. And lucky for you, all of the varieties that we recommend in this article do well in this growing zone, as long as they have the right growing conditions! Elderberries are perennials that typically start producing fruit within years of planting, and they will continue to produce for many years, given the right conditions. They are … Read more ».
Hi Jaimee. Wow, this sounds fantastic! I read that the Red Elderberry that grows in the lower Cascades here in Oregon is poisonous?
Thanks for your question, Frank! This is important, since the red variety is packed with seeds! My lemony lace elderberry came with a warning label not to eat the berries, which is not a problem as the birds are quick to get them anyway. Elderberry bushes have deciduous leaves that grow 5 to 9 inches long.
Though their pale flowers are tiny, they grow in sizable clusters that can span up to a foot. These showy clusters make elderberry bushes especially recognizable in summer, when the flowers blossom. If you want to train an elderberry shrub into a tree, it's best to start early, before the shrub reaches maturity. Look for strong stems or a single central branch, then remove the remaining vertical stems. If new stems develop, trim them immediately.
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