20 minutes of elderberry hunting

[dipper]

I've had no luck getting elderberry cuttings to survive . Got the fork out by an elderberry patch and I'd say I have around 80 bushes. Didn't take me long to dig them up, and they come out of the ground easily. The olds ones in the bucket are 3 years old

Got a ton of yearlings wrapped in a damp cloth

I'm done with cuttings. I'll still spread the seed. But digging them up is super easy, and the taller ones will compete really well in thick grass

 

[dipper]

I'm jealous you've got stuff leafing out

They just leafed out today, the only thing leafed out is the elderberry. Spring is coming

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

Dipper,

I'm a slow learner so slow it down for me please. I have numerous elderberry shrubs planted and starting to do well. What did you dig up, seedlings at the base of the older shrubs? With what a pitchfork? You've got my attention.

 

[dipper]

Elderberry grows like a weed. It produces a ton of seed which will reproduce like crazy. Since it's the only thing green it sticks out like a sore thumb. I just popped them out of the ground with a three prong fork.
The more I look at these small ones I have. They look like they just germinated this spring. Either way they are going in the ground within the hour for part of my screen

 

[wiscwhip]

dipper, do you typically plant "food" in your screens or is this area an exception?

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I've had decent luck getting elderberry to grow by cutting if I planted them in pots and watered them well until I transplanted them in the fall. The success rate was much lower than willows or red osier dogwood, so I always threw a couple extra elderberry cuttings in each pot to ensure that at least one would grow. But if you have access to young elderberries and you can dig up the entire plant, that's likely a better option.

 

[Da U.P. 'eh]

Dipper and Ben, Thanks for the replies. I'm headed up early next week I'll be sure to take a look.

 

[dipper]

I probably had around 150 plants. Elderberry grows fast so I'm hoping I get something out of them. I am concerned they are going to get leveled by the deer, all I can do is hope. I have oaks planted in my screens too so ya you could say I plant a food source. I have 50 year oaks along another screen. Those oaks drop acorns all the time, and I've yet to ever see a deer munching on them. They do, it's just at night.