I am a homeowner without botany experience or knowledge.
I try to use logical "common sense" when/if/where I can be sensible.

I want to grow more elderberries (I have one adult elderberry bush only).

Googling how to propagate elderberry bushes I find this quote:
"Do not fertilize for the first year so as not to damage roots."
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/transp...rry-45396.html

If fertilizing is good for plants how can fertilizing in the
first year be damaging to the plants?

They didn't say "too much" fertilizer.
They said not to fertilize transplanted plants (in the first year).
And yet they said to put compost into the hole (isn't that fertilizer?).

Does that specific fertilizer advice from that site make any sense to you?
If so, can you explain the logic to me?
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On 3/31/2021 7:14 PM, John Robertson wrote:
I am a homeowner without botany experience or knowledge.
I try to use logical "common sense" when/if/where I can be sensible.

I want to grow more elderberries (I have one adult elderberry bush only).

Googling how to propagate elderberry bushes I find this quote:
"Do not fertilize for the first year so as not to damage roots."
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/transp...rry-45396.html

If fertilizing is good for plants how can fertilizing in the
first year be damaging to the plants?

They didn't say "too much" fertilizer.
They said not to fertilize transplanted plants (in the first year).
And yet they said to put compost into the hole (isn't that fertilizer?).

Does that specific fertilizer advice from that site make any sense to you?
If so, can you explain the logic to me?


I do not fertilize a newly planted rose bush the first year it is in the
ground. Fertilizer will generally promote the growth of foliage.
However, the roots have been disturbed and might not recover
sufficiently to support (e.g., provide sufficient moisture) to support
abundant foliage during warm weather. Fertilizer might also promote
flowering, which stresses the plant while it is still trying to become
established. All this might also be applicable to elderberry.

I make an exception to this only if the rose bush has flowers despite
not being fed. Only then I give it a very light feeding.

For most woody plants, withholding fertilizer in the first year tends to
be a good practice. However, I do put bone meal or superphosphate in
the planting hole and then a small amount of soil to separate the new
roots from the phosphorus. Phosphorus does not readily dissolve and
thus needs to be placed where the roots will find it.

--
David E. Ross
http://www.rossde.com

While a "vaccination passport" to prove someone has been
vaccinated against COVID-19 seems to be a good idea, most
concepts involve smart phones. What about those of us
who have been vaccinated but do not have a smart phone?

On 2021/03/31 9:4 pm, David E. Ross wrote:


I do not fertilize a newly planted rose bush the first year it is in the
ground. Fertilizer will generally promote the growth of foliage.
However, the roots have been disturbed and might not recover
sufficiently to support (e.g., provide sufficient moisture) to support
abundant foliage during warm weather. Fertilizer might also promote
flowering, which stresses the plant while it is still trying to become
established. All this might also be applicable to elderberry.

I make an exception to this only if the rose bush has flowers despite
not being fed. Only then I give it a very light feeding.

For most woody plants, withholding fertilizer in the first year tends to
be a good practice. However, I do put bone meal or superphosphate in
the planting hole and then a small amount of soil to separate the new
roots from the phosphorus. Phosphorus does not readily dissolve and
thus needs to be placed where the roots will find it.

Thanks for all that good advice.
You sound like you have experience.

I did find this which contradicts what I first found.
So it looks like it is a bit more technical than I at first knew it to be.

https://gardenerspath.com/plants/fru...-elderberries/
"The Horticulture Department at Cornell also recommends that you apply 1/8
pound of ammonium nitrate (or 0.5 lbs. 10-10-10) for each year of the
plant's age, up to one pound per plant (or up to 4 lbs. 10-10-10). This
should be done in the spring every year after its initial planting.

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