Hello,
I hope you can help or advise.

We have a well established elderberry tree at the back of our garden that is
at least 20-30 years old, standing alone. We have lived in this property
for 3 years but I grew up, as a child with, elderberry trees and have never
seen one so infested with blackfly (and ants!). In previous years here it
has been fine.

We noticed today that the leaves have started to wilt and drop off. This is
happening to about half of the tree. The flower buds don't seem to yet have
been affected (although are infested) I suspect it is a matter of time
before they go the same way.

Is there anything I can do to halt the infestation. I am reluctant to use
chemicals as we are organic - but for the sake of the tree, I will try
anything! Will it die? or just have a really bad year? Should I leave it
and let it try to survive?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Cheers
Pippa

In article , Pip
writes
Hello,
I hope you can help or advise.

We have a well established elderberry tree at the back of our garden that is
at least 20-30 years old, standing alone. We have lived in this property
for 3 years but I grew up, as a child with, elderberry trees and have never
seen one so infested with blackfly (and ants!). In previous years here it
has been fine.

We noticed today that the leaves have started to wilt and drop off. This is
happening to about half of the tree. The flower buds don't seem to yet have
been affected (although are infested) I suspect it is a matter of time
before they go the same way.

Is there anything I can do to halt the infestation. I am reluctant to use
chemicals as we are organic - but for the sake of the tree, I will try
anything! Will it die? or just have a really bad year? Should I leave it
and let it try to survive?

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Remember that elderberries aren't terribly long-lived. If you do manage
to sort this year's infestation it may still have only a few years to go
- you might start thinking about planting a replacement to take over
when that time comes.

Has it got Jew's ears yet?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

The message
from "Pip" contains these words:

Is there anything I can do to halt the infestation. I am reluctant to use
chemicals as we are organic - but for the sake of the tree, I will try
anything! Will it die? or just have a really bad year? Should I leave it
and let it try to survive?

Boil up some rhubarb leaves, add a very small amount of washing-up
liquid and spray with the liquor.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Mon, 31 May 2004 00:59:12 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

Huh? What are they?
How long would an Elder be expected to live, roughly?

--
Tim

The message m
from Tim Challenger "timdotchallenger("@)tele2dotat contains these words:
On Mon, 31 May 2004 00:59:12 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

Huh? What are they?

A dark brown fungus which grows on dead or dying wood, very frequently
on elders. Edible, dries well. Starts as a (or several) little dark
lumps and expands into a downward-facing ear-like cup, from small, up to
about the size of a small human ear.

How long would an Elder be expected to live, roughly?

One elder I collect Jew's ear from is about ten years old. There's life
in it yet, but (I'd guess) not another ten.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

'collecting'? are they edible? or do you just like them?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

In article m, Tim
Challenger "timdotchallenger("@?.? writes
On Mon, 31 May 2004 00:59:12 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

Huh? What are they?

A bracket type fungus which grows mainly on elderberries. It has a
cartilaginous texture, is gently wrinkled (like an ear) and brown in
colour.


How long would an Elder be expected to live, roughly?

I don't know about how old, but I don't think I've see many with trunks
more than 1 ft in diameter.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

'collecting'? are they edible? or do you just like them?

Edible. Excellent. Especially dried, ground and added to casseroles etc
for flavour and thickening.

It has the advantage that it can be found all year round.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Has it got Jew's ears yet?
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm


Thanks for replying - but what's Jew's ears ?!? what should I look for?

regards
Pippa

Hi,
Just read all the other threads and it seems that we don't have Jew's Ear
fungus yet, but I thnk I will spray the tree with the rhubarb solution
(someone suggested bioling up privet hedge clippings, also pototo starch and
spraying it on)... so I've got a number of fronts.. but the tree seems so
distressed that I hope I can help.

I can only reach lower braches, but maybe I should do what I can and leave
the rest to nature! I find things changing and reacting so much more
unsually, with the changing temperatures and rain, that it's difficult to
know what to do, as I have other trees that are suffering too...... do you
battle it, or go with with the flow of how things are nowadays ??

Thanks and regards
Pippa

In article , Pip
writes


Has it got Jew's ears yet?
--
Thanks for replying - but what's Jew's ears ?!? what should I look for?

It's been described elsewhere in the thread - an ear shaped brown
fungus, peculiar to elderberries. Don't think they do any harm, but they
tend to appear on elderly elderberries and suggest that the elderberry
in question hasn't too many more years left.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

On Mon, 31 May 2004 06:00:18 GMT, Tim Challenger wrote:

On Mon, 31 May 2004 00:59:12 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

Has it got Jew's ears yet?

I was wondering about that. I have my favourite old elders for
collecting those.

Huh? What are they?
How long would an Elder be expected to live, roughly?

Thanks Jaques and Kay. Didn't know that. My better half is into edible wild
fungi, she'd be interested in that.
--
Tim C.

The message
from Kay Easton contains these words:

It's been described elsewhere in the thread - an ear shaped brown
fungus, peculiar to elderberries. Don't think they do any harm, but they
tend to appear on elderly elderberries and suggest that the elderberry
in question hasn't too many more years left.

Not necessarily: elders tend to lose branches throughout their lives.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Pip" contains these words:

Just read all the other threads and it seems that we don't have Jew's Ear
fungus yet, but I thnk I will spray the tree with the rhubarb solution
(someone suggested bioling up privet hedge clippings, also pototo starch and
spraying it on)... so I've got a number of fronts.. but the tree seems so
distressed that I hope I can help.

By clearing the elder of an infestation you clear the staging-post for
the invasion of your (and others') garden(s).

I can only reach lower braches, but maybe I should do what I can and leave
the rest to nature! I find things changing and reacting so much more
unsually, with the changing temperatures and rain, that it's difficult to
know what to do, as I have other trees that are suffering too...... do you
battle it, or go with with the flow of how things are nowadays ??

Some hand-held squirtythings can be adjusted between mist, through
spray, to jet. For about a quid and a bit of accurate shooting you ought
to be able to reach all the tree.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/