Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
My neighbour has given me a bottle each of elderberry
port and a sparkling elderberry wine. Well I want to grow my own and she's offered me some cuttings, but we don't know : a) the best time to plant b) in greenhouse or coldframe. Any help much appreciated. .. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 23:36:59 +0100, "Bertie Doe"
wrote: My neighbour has given me a bottle each of elderberry port and a sparkling elderberry wine. Well I want to grow my own and she's offered me some cuttings, but we don't know : a) the best time to plant b) in greenhouse or coldframe. Any help much appreciated. .. I'm afraid that bottles are notoriously difficult to propagate. -- ®óñ© © ²°¹°-°¹ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
In article , Bertie Doe
writes My neighbour has given me a bottle each of elderberry port and a sparkling elderberry wine. Well I want to grow my own and she's offered me some cuttings, but we don't know : a) the best time to plant b) in greenhouse or coldframe. Any help much appreciated. I don't know where you live, but the thought of anyone actually cultivating elderberries makes the mind boggle. Around here they grow wild in great profusion and are more like an arboreal weed. I don't know if you can grow elderberries from cuttings (for obvious reasons) but the best way is to get some ripe berries around this time and plant the seeds outside. I know they grow quickly in this way, as I am always having to pull up tiny plants before they get established. The elderberry is one of those plants which grows up again from the roots however hard you cut it back. I applaud your desire to make both elderflower and elderberry wine; the plant is very useful in this respect, but it needs to be kept under control. Roy. -- Roy Bailey West Berkshire. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 Bertie Doe wrote:
My neighbour has given me a bottle each of elderberry port and a sparkling elderberry wine. Well I want to grow my own and she's offered me some cuttings, but we don't know : a) the best time to plant b) in greenhouse or coldframe. Any help much appreciated. I've found that they propagate very easily from seed in pots. Spring is the best time but you could try now. David -- David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK http://rance.org.uk |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
David Rance wrote:
On Sat, 12 Sep 2009 Bertie Doe wrote: My neighbour has given me a bottle each of elderberry port and a sparkling elderberry wine. Well I want to grow my own and she's offered me some cuttings, but we don't know : a) the best time to plant b) in greenhouse or coldframe. Any help much appreciated. I've found that they propagate very easily from seed in pots. Spring is the best time but you could try now. Or seed in the purple bird droppings produced in profusion. I would not recommend planting one in a small garden. They are OK in a larger garden or the countryside but it is easier to go picking them from hedgerows than growing your own - same is true for sloes. Not much competition apart from the birds these days. I'd be surprised if the neighbours garden doesn't have a few elderberry seedlings growing in the borders. Depending how near the neighbour is it is remarkable that you don't already have some too! Elderflower champagne made from the flowers is excellent too - but the process is very tedious. Regards, Martin Brown |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
If you really must, they are also one of the easiest to propagate. Just stick a whole row of small cuttings into the ground and turn your back. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
On 13 Sep, 19:51, beccabunga
wrote: Bertie Doe;864301 Wrote: My neighbour has given me a bottle each of elderberry port and a sparkling elderberry wine. Well I want to grow my own and she's offered me some cuttings, but we don't know : a) the best time to plant b) in greenhouse or coldframe. Any help much appreciated. .. Why bother? They grow wild all over the countryside and are so easy to pick. They are also a tiresome and aggressive shrub in a small garden, needing annual cutback to keep them under control, which reduces flower and fruit. If you really must, they are also one of the easiest to propagate. Just stick a whole row of small cuttings into the ground and turn your back. -- beccabunga They grow easily from cuttings and if you have access to a realy good cropper then it could be worth doing. Commercially there are now several selections grown for their fruit. Remember they take up a lot of room if you are going to get a big enough crop . Cuttings taken in the autumn 6" - 12" taken end of Sept to early Nov should root well by next year David Hill |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
Thanks all, I will try some cuttings and also use some
seeds from the berries. The plant that is producing the berries is in fact a tree. It's very gnarled and must be 15' tall. It forms part of a hedgerow between our allotments and a farmers field. I can't see any seedlings around, as I guess there's too much competition for light, from hazel and cob. Although there is no real problems for space as I own an allotment, are there smaller, more compact varieties? |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
Bertie Doe wrote:
Thanks all, I will try some cuttings and also use some seeds from the berries. The plant that is producing the berries is in fact a tree. It's very gnarled and must be 15' tall. It forms part of a hedgerow between our allotments and a farmers field. I can't see any seedlings around, as I guess there's too much competition for light, from hazel and cob. Although there is no real problems for space as I own an allotment, are there smaller, more compact varieties? Only if you hack them down regularly. I have one on my field boundary. It is more multistemmed shrub than a tree and about 4m tall 3m spread only half over my land. The cows prune the field side for me. I have planted the Black Lace S. nigra cultivar to keep it company. That is much slower growing and quite ornamental too. I would still suggest scrumping elderberries from the hedgerow rather than using your own growing space. Blueberries are much more rewarding. Regards, Martin Brown |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
"Dave Hill" On 13 Sep, 19:51, beccabunga Why bother? They grow wild all over the countryside and are so easy to pick. They are also a tiresome and aggressive shrub in a small garden, needing annual cutback to keep them under control, which reduces flower and fruit. If you really must, they are also one of the easiest to propagate. Just stick a whole row of small cuttings into the ground and turn your back. -- beccabunga They grow easily from cuttings and if you have access to a realy good cropper then it could be worth doing. Commercially there are now several selections grown for their fruit. Remember they take up a lot of room if you are going to get a big enough crop . Cuttings taken in the autumn 6" - 12" taken end of Sept to early Nov should root well by next year David Hill I had another look at the 'bush' this morning - it must be an Elder tree, with a spread of about 20'. You mention several selections, so I'll wait till some of the local nurseries get in their Spring stock and may have something more compact. "Martin Brown" wrote Only if you hack them down regularly. I have one on my field boundary. It is more multistemmed shrub than a tree and about 4m tall 3m spread only half over my land. The cows prune the field side for me. I have planted the Black Lace S. nigra cultivar to keep it company. That is much slower growing and quite ornamental too. I would still suggest scrumping elderberries from the hedgerow rather than using your own growing space. Blueberries are much more rewarding. At least I now know what they look like, the bush is still in berries, don't know why the birds haven't eaten them. I'll have a wander down the lanes and identify a few scrumpable sites. I've planted part of the allotment with gooseberries, blackcurrants and 4 varieties of raspberry. One variety didn't survive 'Glen Clova' so I was thinking of replacing the row of a dozen dead canes, with elderberry. The dead row is on the South side, so an elderberry bush will produce too much shade for the other fruit. Twixt now and Spring, I'll try and find a spot on the North side, for say 6 e/b plants. On the other hand, scrumping may prove more fruitful (ouch). BTW Ronc, the bottles of hooch were plastic. Bertie |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
In message , Martin Brown
writes are there smaller, more compact varieties? Only if you hack them down regularly. I have one on my field boundary. It is more multistemmed shrub than a tree and about 4m tall 3m spread only half over my land. The cows prune the field side for me. I have planted the Black Lace S. nigra cultivar to keep it company. That is much slower growing and quite ornamental too. I would still suggest scrumping elderberries from the hedgerow rather than using your own growing space. Blueberries are much more rewarding. Regards, Martin Brown I'd agree with that emphatically. I live adjacent to a park, with a 4ft No Man's Land in between. The elderberry tree which grew there was the bane of my life, and I had to use an electric sabre saw to bring it down, cut it up and drag the branches into the park. The trunk was beginning to lift the park railings! Phone the council? Waste of time. The other bonus of having your own elderberry tree is that the bird droppings on windows or patios are a delightful shade of purple, and difficult to remove. ;-) -- Gordon H Remove "invalid" to reply |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
"Gordon H" wrote in message In message Martin Brown writes Only if you hack them down regularly. I have one on my field boundary. It is more multistemmed shrub than a tree and about 4m tall 3m spread only half over my land. The cows prune the field side for me. I have planted the Black Lace S. nigra cultivar to keep it company. That is much slower growing and quite ornamental too. I would still suggest scrumping elderberries from the hedgerow rather than using your own growing space. Blueberries are much more rewarding. Regards, Martin Brown I'd agree with that emphatically. I live adjacent to a park, with a 4ft No Man's Land in between. The elderberry tree which grew there was the bane of my life, and I had to use an electric sabre saw to bring it down, cut it up and drag the branches into the park. The trunk was beginning to lift the park railings! Phone the council? Waste of time. The other bonus of having your own elderberry tree is that the bird droppings on windows or patios are a delightful shade of purple, and difficult to remove. ;-) -- Gordon H Remove "invalid" to reply Ok which one of you two is the Prime Minister? |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
On Mon, 14 Sep 2009 Bertie Doe wrote:
Thanks all, I will try some cuttings and also use some seeds from the berries. The plant that is producing the berries is in fact a tree. It's very gnarled and must be 15' tall. It forms part of a hedgerow between our allotments and a farmers field. It can be persuaded to grow as a tree - I have such a one - but normally it will grow as a bush. I can't see any seedlings around, as I guess there's too much competition for light, from hazel and cob. Although there is no real problems for space as I own an allotment, are there smaller, more compact varieties? There are some cultivars but they are developed for their foliage rather than their fruit. The elderberry used for its fruit is a wild one and doesn't come in varieties, except that some bushes seem to produce smaller fruit than others. David -- David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK http://rance.org.uk |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
On 2009-09-15 23:30:18 +0100, David Rance
said: On Mon, 14 Sep 2009 Bertie Doe wrote: Thanks all, I will try some cuttings and also use some seeds from the berries. The plant that is producing the berries is in fact a tree. It's very gnarled and must be 15' tall. It forms part of a hedgerow between our allotments and a farmers field. It can be persuaded to grow as a tree - I have such a one - but normally it will grow as a bush. I can't see any seedlings around, as I guess there's too much competition for light, from hazel and cob. Although there is no real problems for space as I own an allotment, are there smaller, more compact varieties? There are some cultivars but they are developed for their foliage rather than their fruit. The elderberry used for its fruit is a wild one and doesn't come in varieties, except that some bushes seem to produce smaller fruit than others. David Unless the OP has plenty of space to let this one rampage, I really think that gathering flowers for elderflower cordial and berries for elderflower wine, are best done from wild hedgerows or neighbouring farmland etc. In its original form, it's spreading habit takes up a great deal of space. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.com Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics. South Devon |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
Elderberry bushes
In message , Bertie Doe
writes "Gordon H" wrote in message In message Martin Brown writes Doesn't matter really Regards, Martin Brown Some more rubbish -- Gordon H Ok which one of you two is the Prime Minister? Not me! Honest! -- Gordon H Remove "invalid" to reply |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
elderberry bushes do not set frit | Gardening | |||
Elderberry bush? | Gardening | |||
Elderberry wick with blackfly! | United Kingdom | |||
Elderberry wine & twitch | Australia | |||
Elderberry | United Kingdom |