Plant elderberries properly
Autumn is the planting time for reds elder. Choose a sunny to partially shaded location where the shrub will find humus-rich, well-drained and fresh to moderately dry soil. Before you start preparing the ground there, place the still potted young plant with the root ball in a bucket of water. Then loosen up the soil thoroughly to incorporate a generous portion of compost, bark humus or foliage soil. This is how the planting process continues:
- Dig a spacious planting pit
- The excavation with Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) and mix compost
- If necessary, the hollow all around with a Root lock the end Geotextile(€ 102.54 at Amazon *) Mistake
- Pot up the shrub to plant it exactly as deep as before
- Press down on the soil and water
also read
- Is red elderberry always poisonous?
- Is red elderberry edible?
- How fast and how high does an elder grow?
A mulch layer of autumn leaves or bark mulch has a beneficial effect on the roots. So that the shrub thrives in a group or as a hedge, create the next pits at a distance of 100-150 cm.
Care tips
The following care program is used to ensure that the wild ornamental shrub meets expectations:
- Water the shrub as soon as the surface of the soil has dried
- Every 14 days from March to August fertilize with compost, bark humus or nettle manure
- Carry out a light topiary immediately after flowering or harvesting
- Radical pruning is possible during the leaf-free period up to 50 cm above the ground
In the weeks and months after planting, an adequate water supply is essential for vital roots. While an adult shrub tolerates short-term drought good-naturedly, a young one is allowed to Red elder do not dry out.
Which location is suitable?
In the wild, the decorative white flowers and bright red berries can be discovered in light alluvial forests. The shrub likes to socialize with deciduous trees or looks for a place in the mixed forest. This results in the following criteria for choosing a location in the home garden:
- Sunny to partially shaded location
- Nutrient-rich, humus soil
- Fresh and moist to moderately dry, without waterlogging
Red elderberry is tolerant of soil acidity. The shrub likes to stretch its mighty roots in slightly acidic, neutral to slightly alkaline soil.
The correct planting distance
In view of its majestic habit and the extensive root system, we recommend a planting distance of at least 100-150 cm. If you settle the mighty shrub near buildings, the distance to the walls should be 200-250 cm.
What soil does the plant need?
The broad location amplitude of a red elder is expressed not least in the frugal demands on the earth. Basically, the shrub thrives in any normal garden soil. In order to get the best out of the gem, the soil should be loosely humus, rich in nutrients and fresh and moist to moderately dry. A neutral to alkaline pH value is perfectly fine, especially the Grape elder appreciate a little lime.
When is the flowering time?
The cream-colored flowers appear in April and attract pollinators until May. Unfortunately, when it comes to scent, red elder cannot hold a candle to its big brother, the black elder. In fact, it is precisely that somewhat unpleasant smell that the insects fly to. At first glance, the multi-flowered panicle cannot be seen that the furious, bright red fruit decoration develops from it in autumn.
Cut elderberries properly
Prune a red elder between October and March, when the shrub grows over your head. A radical pruning can be easily coped with during the leaf-free period. Go with one Loppers or saw to work and shorten shoots that are too long to 50 cm. Since the wild wood always blooms on the wood of the previous year, the bloom fails in this case. In order to just cut the ornamental shrub into shape a little, we therefore recommend an appointment immediately after the flowering period or in autumn after the harvest. Use the scissors just above an outward-facing, sleeping eye. A sleeping one eye you can recognize it as a slight bump under the bark. In addition, thin out the shrub thoroughly in early spring by cutting off all dead wood at the base.
Pour elderberry
As a shallow root, the shrub quickly comes under drought stress in summer if there is no rain. Therefore, water thoroughly when dry. It is beneficial to do the once or twice a week Garden hose Let it run for 10 minutes. If you only give a little water a day, the already shallow roots decrease even further.
Fertilize elderberries properly
Red elder is not a food lover. The shrub attaches great importance to a regular supply of nutrients. So fertilize every 14 days from March to August with compost, horn shavings, bark humus or Herbal manure. If this is too much effort, give one in March and June Slow release fertilizer.
Propagate elderberry
In order to breed more specimens of the red elder, you can choose from the following methods of propagation:
- Half lignified in summer Cut cuttings, plant in pots and let root until autumn
- sowing the seeds behind glass at a constant 20 degrees Celsius in the partially shaded location
Before you sow the seeds, they go through a stratification. As a cold germ, the kernels stay for 6-8 weeks in a bag with moist sand at + 4 to - 4 degrees Celsius in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator.
Is Elderberry Poisonous?
Red elderberry contains poisonous sambunigrin in all parts of the plant. This toxin causes nausea, vomiting and shortness of breath in humans and animals. Therefore warn your children against eating the red berries. Dogs, cats, rabbits or guinea pigs should not be fed the leaves, flowers or berries because in the worst case scenario they will be fatal. The poison dissolves at temperatures above 80 degrees Celsius, making the berries suitable for making jam, jelly or syrup. However, this does not apply to the seeds, which retain their poisonous content. Therefore, only use the fruit after carefully juicing.
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Is red elderberry edible?
The red berries are not suitable for fresh consumption. The sambunigrin contained in it causes severe symptoms of poisoning. Only after the fruits have been heated to more than 80 degrees Celsius does the toxin dissolve. The seeds, on the other hand, defy any attempt to break down the toxic ingredient. Red elder is only edible when it is juiced. The red ones can be prepared as refreshing jam or aromatic syrup Elderberries use in the household.
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