"Martin Brown" wrote in message
...
On 21/05/2012 15:04, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Mon, 21 May 2012 13:32:54 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

There is no need to do anything as elder is tough as old boots.

Does elder do a willow? ie hack a growing stem off and push it in the
ground to get a new tree.

I expect it very well might do, but it is a lot more rigid and so not
amenable to weaving as a living fence. I have never been tempted as I
spend enough time pulling out seedlings from our ~5m tree.

I also have the black cultivar with pinnate foliage but the cows eat most
of that down again almost as fast as it grows.

Incidentally elderflower champagne and wine are worth doing, elderberry
wine makes good drain cleaner but may take the finish off chrome!


Elderberries and red grape concentrate together make a very robust red wine
which can be converted into a passable ersatz Port with a little cheap
brandy.

IIRC traditional proper Port used to be bulked out with elderberries in the
years when the grapes were poor.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

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