Elderberry: planting and care, pruning and reproduction. The best varieties of elderberry for a summer cottage Black elderberry ornamental trees and shrubs

The genus Elderberry belongs to the Adox family and includes more than 20 species.

These are shrub plants, less often trees, the height of which ranges from two to five meters. Shoots branch well. The leaves are long. Not paired pinnate, opposite. The flowers are white or yellowish. The fruit is a black berry. All parts of the elderberry are poisonous, and only the black elderberry is less toxic, although all parts are equally poisonous.

Elder varieties and types

One of the decorative types. It is a tall tree, but can also be formed as an ornamental shrub. The bark has a light shade, which on young branches gives off red. Cream-colored inflorescences, black berries. Does not tolerate frost well.

Originally from Siberia and the Far East. A tall shrub plant that can withstand cold weather well.

More common in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. This species blooms beautifully, but has a disgusting smell. Can be grown to repel harmful insects.

Native to North America. A shrub with a high decorative effect. The branches are yellowish in color, the foliage is very long, the flowers are cast yellow and form large umbrellas. Suitable for growing in the middle lane.

Popular variety Aurea - in spring and autumn, its foliage acquires a yellow color.

Or racemose comes from Western Europe. Grows up to 5 meters. The foliage is oval, long, not paired pinnate. Inflorescences yellow-green. The berries are red. The plant emits a bad smell, but during flowering is very attractive. In addition, it has a dwarf variety, as well as purple and yellow (inflorescence color). This species is extremely toxic.

Far Eastern species, which also grows on the Japanese islands. Tall bush, reminiscent of red elderberry, but taller and more massive.

Popular for its variegated varieties:

marginata ;

Pulverulenta .

Or treelike probably the most common species that often grows wild. It is a very tall shrub with opposite non-paired pinnate foliage. Inflorescences may give a little yellow. The berries are black, have less toxicity than other species and can be used to make jams and wines.

Common varieties:

Black beauty ,

Madonna ,

Laciniata .

Black elder planting and care

For planting, it is better to select seedlings of one to two years of age. The planting procedure is usually carried out in spring or autumn. The shrub does not require special conditions, but you should still choose a lighted place, otherwise the bushes will not be so beautiful.

In terms of soils, loams or podzolic, slightly acidic substrates are better suited. If the reaction is too acidic, then dolomite flour must be added to it before planting, but this must be done in advance, at least six months before planting.

Often this plant is planted near swarms of flies, such as next to compost pits, because the smell emitted by the foliage and branches repels flies and other insects.

Lilac also has a number of medicinal properties and contraindications, and at the same time it is a highly ornamental shrub, grown during planting and care in the open field. Growing recommendations can be found in this article.

Elder planting

A month before planting the plant, they dig a hole that will be 80 cm deep and half a meter in diameter. Digging the earth, its upper part is dumped into one pile, and the one that is deeper into the second. If you want to have an elder tree, then you need to drive a peg into the hole, which will later serve as a support. When growing shrubs, support is not needed. The upper ball of soil is mixed with 7 kilograms of humus, 50 grams of phosphorus and 30 potassium, then one third of this earth is poured into the bottom of the pit.

To protect yourself from overfilling the garden with overgrowth, it is necessary to dig a net, iron or slate into the ground after about 50 cm from the stem.

When the time for planting comes, the bottom is loosened and a seedling is placed in the pit. To begin with, unfertilized soil, which was deeper, is poured into the pit, and then the rest of the soil with fertilizers is poured. After these procedures, the root neck should be slightly above the soil level. Next, they trample the ground and pour a bucket and a half of water under the seedling. Autumn planting is carried out in the same way.

elderberry processing

With the advent of spring, you need to make sure that the plant does not get burned from the bright sun. To do this, the main shoot and skeletal branches are treated with lime. Also in the spring it is necessary to disinfect with potassium permanganate and garden pitch the damage received in the winter due to pests.

When heat is established, it will be possible to carry out a shaping pruning of the bush, and then disinfect it with 1% Bordeaux liquid, which will protect the elderberry from pests. If there was little snow in winter, then it does not hurt to pour a bucket of water under the plant.

When flowering ends, it does not hurt to carry out another treatment with Bordeaux liquid, which will protect against insects and powdery mildew.

Watering elderberry

With the advent of summer, plants begin to grow strongly and set berries. Based on this, the soil must often be loosened and watered so that it is moist, but the water does not stagnate in the roots. If the bush froze in winter, then it will begin to expel shoots from the root, which must be cut off immediately, otherwise they will grow faster than the bush.

In rainy seasons, elderberries do not need watering, and you can also protect yourself from this by covering the area with compost mulch. If the summer is very hot, then watering is carried out every 7 days, pouring a bucket of water under the bush.

Elderberry fertilizer

If your soil is nutritious, then you can refuse fertilizers, but when growing in poorer soils, nitrogen supplements that are applied in the spring will not interfere. For this, organic matter, for example, chicken manure, will do.

Black elderberry pruning

If there is a lot of rain in the summer, then the growth of the stems may begin again and then it will be necessary to cut off the tops of the shoots to stop this process.

As mentioned, in spring and autumn, formative and sanitary pruning is performed. In addition, every 3 years it is necessary to carry out rejuvenating pruning of branches up to 10 cm. It is better to carry out this large-scale pruning with the advent of spring - before the buds swell.

elderberry in winter

In autumn, you need to start preparing the shrub for wintering. In September, sanitary pruning is performed. By October, it is necessary to dig up the soil on the site, and if autumn is without rain, then it is good to water the plants so that they are saturated with moisture for the winter.

In the middle of autumn, it is necessary to again treat with 1% Bordeaux liquid or a similar preparation. To protect against gnawing pests, boles are treated with lime or chalk with copper sulfate. The plots are covered with dry leaves or humus, and when snowfalls begin, the tree trunks are covered with snow.

Growing black elderberry from seeds

Elderberry can be propagated by seed and vegetative methods. The seed method does not preserve the varietal characteristics of the plant, so it is used very rarely.

The seeds must be separated from the berries by rubbing the latter through a sieve. Sowing is carried out directly into the ground in the fall, deepening the material by a couple of centimeters.

Propagation of black elderberry by cuttings

Green cuttings are prepared at the beginning or middle of summer - they should be about 11 centimeters long and have a pair of internodes and two upper leaves, from which they cut most of them, leaving only four segments.

The material is rooted in sand with peat, mixed in equal proportions, having previously treated the cuts with a root formation enhancer. It is necessary to keep the cutting in greenhouse conditions, which can be achieved by covering it with polyethylene.

From time to time, the ground under the cutting should be slightly moistened and water should be sprayed onto the walls of the polyethylene to increase the humidity. Try not to get water on the foliage. In autumn, it will be possible to transplant the cuttings into open ground.

Propagation of black elderberry by layering

Layering is one of the most reliable ways. To do this, young branches are bent to the soil and sprinkled with soil, to which you can add a little compost.

The layering needs to be watered from time to time, and when it takes root and becomes strong, which is enough for one season, it is separated from the parent and transplanted to a permanent place.

Elderberry reproduction by dividing the bush

They resort to dividing the bush in the fall. Large bushes are dug up and divided into equal parts. It will not be so easy to do this and it will be necessary to resort to an ax.

The cuts are powdered with charcoal and the delenki are planted in the prepared holes.

Diseases and pests

As for pests and diseases, there should not be any problems. It is worth mentioning here only aphids .

So that she does not attack the bush in the future, treatment with Karbofos can be added to the spring disinfection.

Black elderberry medicinal properties

All types of elderberry are very poisonous and only black elderberry, which has less toxicity, is used in medicine and for canning.

Since the leaves, flowers, bark and berries of this plant contain many useful substances, they were used in folk medicine, but with great care, because if used incorrectly, hydrocyanic acid poisoning can occur.

Let's say an infusion of dried berries was used for problems with the gallbladder and intestines. Tea was used for colds and as an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial agent.

A decoction of the bark was used for gout, kidney disorders, skin problems.

Despite the wide range of applications, it is strongly advised not to self-medicate, because you can easily make a mistake and pay dearly for it. In addition, it is easy to confuse red and black elderberries, and the former is incredibly poisonous.

Black elderberry contraindications

Preparations and products with black elderberry should not be taken by pregnant women, patients with colitis, people with stomach problems, as well as those suffering from diabetes insipidus and Crohn's disease.

Traditional healers often provide elderberry as a cure for cancer, but there is no real evidence for this. Yes, when used correctly, this plant has a general strengthening effect on the body, but it does not specifically cure cancer.

Elderberry wine

To make elderberry wine, you need to take 3 kilograms of berries, 3 liters of water, 1 kilo of granulated sugar, 5 grams of citric acid and 100 grams of unwashed raisins, wine yeast.

To begin with, the berries are washed, separated from all legs and crushed. Pour 100 g of granulated sugar, citric acid and 2 liters of boiling water into the mass. Everything is mixed and kept on the stove for 15 minutes at low power.

After that, the mixture is left to cool and obsolete it. The liquid is poured into a glass bottle for fermentation. Syrup is made from the remaining water and sugar, cooled and poured into the squeezed juice, raisins and wine yeast are also added.

When everything is done, a water seal is installed and the bottle is kept in the dark and warm.

At the end of fermentation, the wine is filtered from sediment, poured into glass bottles and left for six months. If during the infusion process a precipitate appears again, then the liquid must again be filtered.

Black elderberry syrup

Elderberry can be used to make a delicious syrup. To do this, a kilo of berries is poured into 400 ml of water, brought to a boil and boiled for 20 minutes.

After that, the mass is squeezed out, and another kilo of granulated sugar is added to the resulting liquid, put on fire until it boils and boil a little until the sugar dissolves. The syrup is poured into bottles or jars and kept in a closed refrigerator.

Elderberry jam

You can also easily make jam from elderberry. To do this, mix the berries and sugar in a one-to-one ratio and leave the berries to let the juice out.

After that, the mixture is brought to a boil and boiled for at least half an hour until cooked, which is determined by dropping the jam on the nail - if it spreads slightly, then it can be poured into jars.

The genus of flowering plants Elderberry includes about 25 species - many of them have medicinal value. Gardeners pay tribute to the beauty and benefits of the plant - elderberry is grown in the backyards of our country.

Elderberry: types and varieties

Nine species grow on the territory of Russia. Most of the plants are trees or shrubs, but herbaceous forms are also found. In culture, red, black and Canadian elderberries are most often grown. Other interesting types of elder:

Kamchatka;
Siberian;
fluffy;
blue;
broadleaf.

Black elderberry: varieties

Black elder is a low tree (3-4 m) with an oval crown. It can also be a compact shrub. The bark is light grey. The leaves are up to 35 cm long. They are dark green in color and have a very specific smell (it is felt when the leaves are rubbed). The flowering season is early summer. During this period, small, fragrant, yellowish-green flowers appear. Fruiting occurs in late summer, early autumn. The fruits of this species are edible, they are painted black. Brushes remain on the plant after the leaves fall.

Varieties of black elderberry are quite diverse:

Purpurea
Aurea
Adam Elderberry
black beauty
marginata
Pulverulenta
witches room
Linearis

Description of the variety of black elderberry Aurea

This variety is a bush, the height of which usually does not exceed 3 m. The plant forms a neat, dense, rounded crown. When grown in full sun, the leaves are yellow in color. In the shade, they are painted with a yellow-green color.

Canadian elderberry: the best varieties

Canadian elderberry is also a shrub. The color of the bark is greenish. The leaves are colored green. The flowering season begins in mid-summer (closer to July). The flowers are collected in large inflorescences. The fruits are edible, they are painted black, the diameter is about 4 mm. The fruits ripen in late summer, early autumn.

The most famous varieties:

Maxima
York
Acutiloba
Adams

Description of the Autiloba variety

The Acutiloba variety is a shrub. The plant forms an openwork crown, the leaves are divided into narrow lobes. An interesting feature inherent in this variety is that in autumn the leaves do not turn yellow, but fall green.

Red elderberry: the best varieties

Under natural conditions, red elderberry is found in the middle lane. Usually the plant is a shrub, but it can also develop into a tree with several trunks. The bark is colored brown. Leaves are green, hairless. The inflorescence is paniculate, its average length is 10 cm. The flowers have no smell. Flowering begins in May. Red juicy fruits are poisonous. As in the case of other species, they ripen in August-September. This variety is grown to create decorative garden compositions. Red elderberry prefers sunny areas.

The best varieties of red elderberry:

Sutherland Gold
Goldilocks
Moerheimii
Tenuifolia
Plumosa Aurea
Laciniata
Plumosa

Description of the Sutherland Gold elderberry variety

The height of the bush is 3 m. Deeply cut leaves have a few teeth along the edges. The leaves are painted yellow.

Varieties of decorative elderberry

In horticulture, different types of elderberry are used. The most popular are variegated (variegated) and purple-leaved forms.

Elderberry varieties with variegated leaves:

Albovariegata
marginata
Aureovariegata
Pulverulenta
Madonna

Description of the elderberry variety Aureovariegata

The leaves of this plant are covered with hairs. On a green background, golden spots stand out, giving a special decorative effect. The flowers of the elderberry are cream, the fruits change color from red to black as they ripen. Plant height is about 3 m.

Purple-leaved elderberry varieties:

Purpurea
Eva
black beauty
Guincho Purple
Gerda

Description of the variety Gerda

The Gerda variety looks beautiful during flowering - the flowers are painted in a pleasant pink color. Crimson leaves are very decorative. The crown has a domed shape. The height of the plant is on average 3 m, and the width is about 2 m. The berries are edible.

Varieties of edible elderberry grown in the garden, as a rule, belong to two types: black elderberry and Canadian elderberry. Berries have medicinal properties - elderberry not only decorates the garden, but also gives us health.

Elderberry is one of "our" shrubs. It can be found both in parks and on the edges of forests, but for some reason, the super-hardy beauty is considered not a very decorative culture to be introduced into gardens. But the elderberry has something to boast about: a thick, curly crown, a very beautiful summer flowering and spectacular, albeit not always edible, fruits are just obvious of the advantages. Black elderberry is one of the most fragrant plants. Luxurious wines, syrups, jams are made from its inflorescences, and berries are a healing pleasure with a non-standard taste and aroma. And unpleasantly smelling species repel rodents and pests. This bush is boring only at first glance. It has a variety of variegated or unusually colored decorative forms. The only significant drawback of elderberry is its rather large size, but they are also indispensable for hedges.

Black elderberry. © John Weiser Content:

Familiar does not mean boring bush

Also known as sambuca, the domestic elderberry shrub is reliable, classic and a little forgotten. Having received its botanical name - sambucus - either in honor of the musical instrument that is made from its shoots, or in honor of the dye pigments that are actively used today, elderberry can surprise not only in terms of endurance. A large-sized shrub so familiar to us is an ornamental plant as much as a useful one.

Elderberries are shrubs or small trees with a dense, dense crown, fast-growing and massive. The foliage is opposite, odd-pinnate, looks elegant. Umbrella inflorescences are lacy and elegant. Black or red, sparkling and rather beautiful elderberries in their raw form are inedible (and in red elderberry they are also poisonous). But with black elderberry, during heat treatment, they allow you to get one of the most original berry preparations for the winter.

Despite the fact that elderberry seems boring, it boasts a considerable variety. In nature, it is represented by 40 species of plants, while 14 of them are considered as ornamental. True, some have not taken root at all in horticultural culture and are very rare.

Black elderberry "Black Lake" (Sambucus nigra ‘Black lace’). © SpanMaja

Let's take a closer look at the best decorative types of elderberry:

The most famous type of elderberry - ( Sambucus nigra). This is a very showy, wide shrub with a voluminous crown naturally ideally rounded or umbrella-shaped. In height, black elder reaches 5-7 meters, but at the same time it is well formed and restrained by pruning. It is especially valuable as a high, vertical massive base of hedges along the perimeter of the site. The bark is gray, light, leaves up to 30 cm in length flaunt with sharp-toothed lobes. The flowers are creamy-yellowish, very fragrant, collected in dense openwork umbrellas of inflorescences up to 20 cm in diameter. Its black, glossy fruits adhere well to the fruit and are suitable for conservation (and the inflorescences are ideal for wine, syrups, tinctures).

The base plant today has been supplanted as an ornamental species by decorative forms - pyramidal (pyramidalis), weeping (pendula), low (nana), golden-leaved (aurea), white-variegated (albo-variegata), golden-variegated (aureo-variegata) , powdery or spotted (pulverulenta), dissected with exotic leaves (laciniata).

Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra var. laciniata). © Onderwijsgek

There are also individual compact varieties of black elderberry.:

‘Linearis’ only up to 2.5 meters high with a beautiful lush crown, but flowering variety in regions with severe winters is not annual;
‘Luteovariegata’ is a wide shrub limited to 1.5 m in height with slow growth and stunning variegated leaves;
‘Guincho Purple’ up to 2 meters high, the leaves of which change bright green color, first into an almost inky summer outfit, and then exploding in carmine-red flashes in autumn, with pink flowers and purple bark;
purple-leaved compact variety ‘Black Beauty’;
the classic inky purple beauty ‘Purpurea’;
medium-sized, up to 2.5 cm variety with silver and cream stripes or a border along the edge of the leaf, fast growth and a very spreading crown ‘Marginata’, etc.

Black elderberry "Madonna" (Sambucus nigra ‘Madonna’). © Andrey Zharkikh

Black elderberry "Black Lace" (Sambucus nigra ‘Black lace’). © Wendy:

elderberry red

elderberry red (Sambucus racemosa), also known as elderberry racemose, is a much more compact plant. In height, it is limited to 2-4 meters, but at the same time its original, luminous red berries are poisonous, and the shrub does not bloom so massively. But the last characteristic is by no means a disadvantage. Simply airy, lacy, rare inflorescences of this elder seem magical, shimmering and unique. The crown of the red elderberry is surprisingly wide, dense, and the leaves are much more beautiful, with pointed, graceful lobes. The greenish or yellowish flowers in ovate inflorescences are like foam and last up to three weeks.

One of the main advantages of this species is very fast growth, the ability to choose decorative forms and grow as a standard plant. The most attractive garden forms of red elderberry include:

undersized Nana, a dwarf shrub with a very compact crown;
dissected (laciniata) with a tent-like crown and surprisingly filigree foliage;
pinnate elderberry (plumosa), with teeth reaching almost half of the leaf blade along the edge and purple young leaves, as well as one of its varieties - yellow-leaved ‘Plumosa Aurea’;
form purpurea with pink-purple inflorescences;
flavescens with yellow-orange fruits;
openwork and weightless thin-leaved tenuifolia;
golden leaf variety ‘Sutherland Gold’.

Canadian elderberry

A charming “tiered” crown is the pride of a rare, but very interesting look Canadian elderberry (Sambucus canadensis). Yellowish-gray bark, large, complex yellowish leaves, creamy yellow flowers in large corymbs, and round, dark purple fruits make this elderberry look great throughout the active season. This is a shade-tolerant crop, fast growing and in gardens not exceeding 3 meters. It brings a wealth of textures, amazing structure and graphics, its foliage is ornamental, and its crown is amazingly elegant. In addition to the basic form, there are also interesting decorative varieties:

large-leaved Canadian elderberry maxima;
graceful, with dissected leaves acute-lobed form (acutiloba);
yellow-leaved, green-fruited elderberry (chlorocarpa) with light green fruits;
the golden-leaved form of 'Aurea', with yellow spring foliage, summer light green attire and a golden explosion in autumn, the beauty of which is emphasized by cherry fruits.

Elder Siebold

The beauty of the crown structure highlights another of the rarer species - Elder Siebold (Sambucus sieboldiana). The structure of its leaves is somewhat reminiscent of a palm tree. A powerful, elegant plant up to 8 meters high in gardens is usually limited to 3-3.5 m. The leaf lobes reach 20 cm in length and 5-6 in width, sharp, their long tips emphasize the beauty of the structure. Inflorescences, like fruit clusters, are loose, a little sloppy.

elderberry herbaceous

An unusual plant for the genus - elderberry herbaceous (Sambucus ebulus). Despite belonging to the genus of shrubs, it is a herbaceous perennial, reaching a height of 1.5 meters. Carved elegant leaves form openwork curtains, umbrella inflorescences crown the shoots, and large dark fruits are poisonous. This plant is very attractive, but became famous, first of all, for its unpleasant repulsive aroma, which perfectly repels insects and rodents.

But the dried shoots of the plant smell very pleasant and are used for pouring apples for storage. She is very aggressive, the roots are thick, it is difficult to get her out of the garden. Therefore, herbaceous elder requires planting in places where it can spread (or initial containment with buried screens).

Much less common:

Elderberry broadleaf (Sambucus latipina), the fruits of which are painted in purple, dark color, and the leaves are larger;
tall, up to 4 m tall slender Siberian elderberry (sambucus sibirica)
profusely flowering, similar to the red elderberry Elderberry fluffy (Sambucus pubens) height and diameter up to 2.5 m;
suitable for landscape hedges low, up to 2 m Elder Kamchatka (Sambucus kamtschatica);
Elderberry blue (Sambucus cerulea) - one of the largest species that can stretch up to 5-10 meters in height, with red young shoots, light bark, bluish leaves and creamy fragrant flowers, after which spherical bluish-black fruits are tied with a beautiful bluish bloom.

The use of elderberry in ornamental gardening

Elderberry is one of the largest garden shrubs. But this plant is not only suitable for medium and large gardens: in areas of a small area, elderberry will help replace large groups and create single-row hedges with the same effect as several shrubs. Yes, and a tall bush can replace a large tree, having achieved greater splendor and expressiveness of design. Compact forms and varieties of large shrubs allow you to introduce unpretentious elderberry into decorative compositions, and unusual foliage and improved flowering reveal the beauty of elderberry from new sides.

The elderberry bushes in the hedges fill the gardens with life. It attracts insects and birds, and serves as an excellent hiding place for songbirds in the area. During flowering, it attracts honey plants and butterflies.

Elderberry is used:

as single accents, for example, at the back, deaf sides of the house;
as a showy tall shrub throughout the season;
as the basis of landscape-type hedges;
for protection along the perimeter of the site from winds, drafts, polluted air from the roadway;
to create a lush background and focal points;
in decorative groups with other trees and shrubs, as the base of compositions, the highest and most stable decorative "center" surrounded by shrubs and trees;
as an undergrowth for tall trees;
for groups on the lawn;
as a masking shrub;
for repelling insects near recreation areas and sanitary facilities, compost heaps.

Conditions necessary for elderberry

Elderberry perfectly adapts to a variety of conditions. In nature, it is also able to survive in the brightest sun and bloom beautifully under the canopy of a deciduous forest. And the shrub retains the same ability to adapt in horticultural culture: both bright sun and partial shade are suitable for elderberry. True, the varieties and variegated forms of all types of elderberry require a stricter selection of lighting: with any shading, they partially lose their color and it is better to place them in the sun. Elderberry feels great in any polluted environment, including urban environments. It is one of the most hardy and drought tolerant shrubs.

But it is better to pay special attention to the nutritional value of the soil. Elderberry will become a truly luxurious shrub only on medium or highly nutritious soil. If its crown is not fully visible, the shrub is used only as a hedge filler, the density of foliage and the beauty of flowering are not so important - feel free to plant elderberry on depleted soil. Decorative forms and varieties are more demanding on the ground than the basic types. Elderberry does not tolerate extremely acidic and damp soils, prefers loams with a loose texture and medium moisture, but can adapt to denser soils.

planting elderberry

Before planting elderberry, it is desirable to improve the soil in a month by digging deeply and applying any complete mineral fertilizer, and if possible, compost.

Elderberry can be planted in both autumn and spring, while it is better to use seedlings at the age of two for planting.

Planting pits for elderberry are dug in accordance with the size of the root system of the seedling. When planting, the elder must be placed at the same depth at which the plant grew before. Immediately after planting for black elderberry, it is better to immediately shorten the main shoots and completely cut out weak and damaged branches. Other types are not cut. Abundant watering is carried out immediately after planting and repeated to maintain stable soil moisture until the plant adapts to a new place.

elderberry care

Young plants, as well as black elderberry at any age, will gratefully respond to abundant watering in a drought. Adult elderberry of all ornamental species, except black, tolerates drought well and does not need watering.

To rid yourself of even elementary care, it is better to create a layer of mulch under the bush every spring, using compost or manure for a protective layer. Such mulching will allow you to refuse top dressing. If mulching is not done, then for elderberry in the first 2-3 years after planting it is better to ensure weeding and loosening the soil. Mineral fertilizers for elderberry are applied only when there is a clear weakening, growth retardation. In such cases, in the spring it is better to introduce full mineral mixtures into the soil at a standard dosage along with water for irrigation.

Pruning elderberry is a purely aesthetic issue. The plant can, at will, at the end of winter - the beginning of spring, before the buds wake up, form, thin out, and remove unnecessary branches. And you can use the standard strategy:

Mandatory pruning for elderberries is carried out in the spring in the form of sanitary pruning: only dry and damaged branches are removed from the bushes.
A haircut is carried out 1 time in 4-5 years: to renew the crown and rejuvenate any elderberry, it is better to drastically cut it. Elderberry recovers remarkably quickly after heavy shearing, it is a shrub with very good shoot-forming abilities, which, even after heavy pruning, grows again in a matter of months.

The only exception is all varieties and forms of black elderberry, which prefers not one rejuvenating pruning, but an annual quarter-length cutting of shoots, removal of thickening and unnecessary basal branches, along with sanitary cleaning in early spring.

After trimming the wound, it is always better to treat it with garden pitch.

wintering elderberry

This shrub is not in vain considered domestic: it is perfectly adapted to growing in regions with harsh winters, does not need any preparation for the frosty period, either in the middle lane or to the north. In some varieties and forms, the non-lignified parts of the shoots freeze slightly, but the elderberry recovers well and does not lose its attractiveness.

Pest and disease control

All types of elderberry are considered resistant and hardy shrubs. They do not suffer from pests and diseases, but some ornamental varieties of black elderberry are often attacked by aphids. For prevention, undersized bushes can be sprayed with insecticides in early spring.

Elderberry breeding methods

In ornamental species and varieties of elderberry, exclusively vegetative propagation methods are used. Unlike fruit and common shrubs, the most attractive species will not retain their characteristics when regenerated from seed. If you are growing the basic forms of the species, especially the black elderberry, then the seeds of the plant can be sown immediately after harvesting and drying. They are placed on seed beds, deepening by 2-3 cm in mid-October and mulching crops from above with any available materials.

For grafting in the spring, the tops of annual shoots about 30 cm long are cut. Elderberry cuttings take root directly in open soil, with a depth of 15 cm. 5 cm. The cuttings are not transplanted until the autumn of next year, after which they are transferred to a permanent place.

Layers are obtained from almost all decorative types of elderberry, except for black. When rooting shoots buried near the mother bush, you can get plants that can bloom already in the third year after planting. Watering is required for rooting.