American Elderberry help

[ToddG]

I have some Elderberrys I planted about 2 years ago but am having a hard time getting them to grow. They die back in the summer to where I think they have died but come back out the next spring. They are growing very little. I have clay soil and they are planted at the edge of my food plots. Any suggestions on what might be going on with them. I have wild plums planted in the same areas and they are growing like crazy.
Thanks,

 

[scott44]

Are they caged? if not they maybe browsed. The first time I planted shrubs I believe everyone of them was browsed to the ground, I didn't think I needed to protect them but I was wrong.

 

[ToddG]

They are planted in tree tubes.

 

[scott44]

They are planted in tree tubes.

Not browse then, too hot in the tree tubes?

 

[ToddG]

I replaced some of the tubes last year with cages but had the same results.

 

[sagittarius]

Elderberry wants to be a bush. A larger diameter cage will allow more sun and air flow. Elderberry do not die back each year.

 

[Bill]

I have some planted in heavy soil. They were planted through lumite weed block and by coincidence I have American plums right next to them. Both are doing great. After two years your root system should be fine. They can be browsed to the ground and still survive.

Just a guess but I'm thinking yours must be in the shade. In my experience they like full sun.
Here is a pic of one I planted at home that just broke bud a few days ago. It's 3 years old, very small and suffers the same die back you describe. It's in the shade. I prune the dead off this one in the fall.

 

[ToddG]

I have some planted in heavy soil. They were planted through lumite weed block and by coincidence I have American plums right next to them. Both are doing great. After two years your root system should be fine. They can be browsed to the ground and still survive.

Just a guess but I'm thinking yours must be in the shade. In my experience they like full sun.
Here is a pic of one I planted at home that just broke bud a few days ago. It's 3 years old, very small and suffers the same die back you describe. It's in the shade. I prune the dead off this one in the fall.

View attachment 17599

They are some what shaded. Maybe that's the problem.

 

[Catscratch]

I have clay soil too. I've planted elderberry in plots, and in flower-beds. The one's in plots eventually died out and the one's in the flower-bed have excelled. Right now my assumption is the clay is the culprit as everything else is the same (sunlight, moisture, and fert). I just spent the weekend transplanting from the flowerbed to the plot again in hopes of getting them started again.

 

[ToddG]

I may try to relocate some to the creek bottom. The soil there is a sandy loam.

 

[Diesel5610]

My biggest problem with them is the browsing. The deer just hammer mine. Other than that I have had great luck getting them to grow in clay. Most of mine do get full sun so that may be your issue.

 

[yoderjac]

I planted some around box blinds to help blend them in. I have heavy clay. They get different amounts of sun depending on the location. They grow and produce berries but they don't flourish. I planted some in a flower bed at home behind the house. They get morning sun and afternoon shade. They get good water as I don't keep my gutters clean and they overflow into the bed often. The black elderberries grow well but are not outrageous. They produce a lot of berries each year. I also planted some red elderberries in that box. They grow like crazy. The main stalk is as large as my forearm now with lots of branching just above the ground. It grows about 15' tall each year and spreads out 15 foot wide. Each winter I prune it back severely and by the end of the summer it looks the same only thicker.

They do like water and my flower box is not heavy clay like the farm....

Thanks,

Jack

 

[j-bird]

I have a few naturally on my place.....where they are located share a few traits..... Loam soil, damp but not soggy soils and sunlight at least 75%. I don't have them in the woods or even on the north side of wooded areas. Mine are either in full sun or on the edges where they can get a lot of sun. I have some cuttings I am holding in water right now that I hope to get planted soon..... I intend on caging them. Those I have naturally seem to be large - like 10 to 15 feet tall. I have one, where I took the cutting, where I cut it way back to see how it responds before I do it to the others in an effort to get the browse back down to deer level.