If you want to successfully plant an elder bush, you should pay attention to a few essential requirements. Follow our instructions with practical explanations to pave the way for vital growth for your elder tree right from the start.
How to properly plant an elderberry bush?
To successfully plant an elderberry bush, choose a location with a sunny to partially shaded location and humus, nutrient-rich soil. Plant either in March/April or September/October, prepare the soil well and maintain a planting distance of 100 centimeters.
When is it time to plant an elderberry bush?
You can mark two dates in your planting plan to grow elderberry. The wild fruit tree accepts a day in March/April just as easily as in September/October.
Which location does an elder bush prefer?
The native tree used the power of evolution to adapt flexibly to a wide variety of site conditions. The plant particularly favors a place along the forest or in sheltered clearings. If you plant an elderberry bush in your own green kingdom, it will love these light and soil conditions:
- sunny to semi-shady location
- humous soil, rich in nutrients
- well-drained, fresh and moist
- preferably loamy-sandy, with a slight lime content
What should you pay particular attention to when growing from seeds?
An elderberry bush produces seeds that are found in the pulp of berries. This means that they are naturally provided with germ inhibition. In addition, they are cold germinators. The seeds must therefore first be subjected to pretreatment and stratification in order to put them in the mood to germinate.
This is achieved by letting it experience a simulated winter in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator over a period of 6-8 weeks. The seeds are then sown on the partially shaded, warm windowsill according to the classic pattern.
What are the steps for planting correctly?
The better the soil is prepared at the chosen location, the more happily the elder tree will spread its roots here. While the still potted young plant is soaked in water in a container, the focus is on optimizing the soil before the actual planting. Here's how to do it:
- loose up the soil thoroughly, weed and clean of roots
- Work in mature compost (€12.00 on Amazon) with horn shavings superficially
- Dig a planting pit twice the size of the root ball
Now unpot the young elderberry bush and pull the root ball apart a little with both hands. Inserted in the middle, surround the plant with substrate and then water generously.
What planting distance should be taken into account?
Since an elder tree is a shallow-rooted tree, a distance of 200-300 centimeters should be maintained from walls and paved areas. If you plant an elder bush in groups, a planting distance of 100 centimeters is ideal.
How to propagate an elderberry bush?
Growing elderberries is very easy with cuttings in summer or cuttings in winter. Compared to sowing, this form of propagation is much easier to handle.
Tips & Tricks
When the harvest season begins in August, the berries do not all ripen at the same time. Only harvest cones that are predominantly filled with fully ripe elderberries. They pick out individual unripe fruits because they do not lose their toxic content even after cooking.
