There are many legends and myths surrounding the elderberry bush. The expert trimming of a lilac berry turns out to be less mysterious. This tutorial explains in a practical way how to cut black elder (Sambucus nigra) as a majestic solitaire, a wildly romantic hedge or a space-saving standard.

Elderberry is cut back in early spring before it buds

Table of Contents

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  1. Cut Options
  2. When is the best time?
  3. build-up cut
  4. thinning cut
  5. taper cut
  6. Training cut high stem
  7. hedge trimming
  8. cutting technique
  9. cutting tool
  10. cutting profile
  11. frequently asked Questions

    12. Why is a cut recommended? - Cut options

    In the wild, the sprawling elder bushes are a familiar sight, but rarely a feast for the eyes. Where the wild fruit tree can develop freely, it grows as tall as a house, falls apart with curved shoots and withers to an impenetrable shrubbery. With this silhouette, a Sambucus nigra is not a welcome guest in any garden. Thanks to its good-natured pruning tolerance, you can easily keep the flowering and berry bush in shape. Recommended cutting options are summarized in the following overview:

    cut type aim period/occasion
    build-up cut Scaffolding and orderly growth right from the start 2nd and (if necessary) 3rd year of service
    thinning cut Promotion of abundance of flowers and fruit yield, preservation of shape, prevention of senescence once a year from the 3rd or 4th year
    taper cut revitalize and rebuild old shrub when aging occurs
    education cut Raise young bush to tree Year of planting up to the 3rd or 4th year
    hedge trimming Establishment and maintenance as a free-growing, compact hedge from the 2nd year at least once a year
    Sit on the stick aged, impenetrable hedge rejuvenate between October 1st and March 1st

    Please note that this is a listing of options for an elderberry cut. A rejuvenation cut is thus unnecessary if the shrub is granted an annual thinning cut. Pruning to form a large shrub is primarily recommended if it can already be foreseen at the time of planting that the available space at the location is limited. You should only put an old hedge on the stick if there is no longer room for scissors and saw.

    When is the best time?

    An elder blossoms and bears fruit most beautifully on its long shoots from the previous year. This growth behavior leaves little leeway for choosing the best time to cut. A pruning after the flowering period is at the expense of the fruit yield. If, on the other hand, you choose a date immediately after the autumn harvest, in the worst case the scissors will fall victim to the flower buds that have already formed, which are hardly recognizable at this time of year.

    The best time for almost every type of cut on the elder is therefore in late winter and early spring. Choose a date between late January and early March on a frost-free day. Shortly before they sprout, the flower buds are swollen and clearly visible. This visual aspect makes it easier for the beginner to differentiate between one-year-old young shoots and worn, two-year-old and older branches.

    Pruning directs growth to the large shrub

    An elder naturally develops into a large, expansive shrub with numerous, luxuriantly branched base shoots, up to 10 meters high and 4 meters wide. If you cannot give the wild fruit tree as much space in the garden, direct the growth with one in the second and third year build-up cut into the desired shape. How to do it right:

    • In the spring of the second year the 3 to 6 strongest ground shoots select as framework
    • Cut off all other shoots at ground level
    • As an exception, shorten skeletal shoots that are too long by up to a third

    If you are satisfied with the framework formation at the beginning of the third year, the build-up cut flows into the thinning cut. If the shape of the bush does not yet meet your expectations, correct the number of lower shoots in late winter. One-year-old long shoots are no longer shortened, but the shoot tips are slimmed down. To do this, simply cut away side shoots that are too long or growing in the wrong direction and do not match the desired shrub shape. In this phase of pruning care, these can be both annual and biennial shoots.

    Thinning cut promotes shape and fruit quality

    The annual pruning has the task of keeping the elderberry bush in shape and ensuring a rich bloom and berry load. The focus is on the preservation of the annual long shoots on which numerous buds have survived the winter. This is how the uncomplicated maintenance cut succeeds:

    • Cut off dead, old shoots close to the ground to make room for young shoots
    • Overhanging, worn branches indicate a year-old side branch
    • Completely remove biennial branches without fresh branches

    Annual side shoots, which flower and fruit this year, denotes an upward and unbranched growth. Two-year-old shoots bore flowers and fruit in the previous year, which can be seen from their arched, drooping condition. Fresh shoots from the previous year often sprout in the lower branch area. By deriving the older wood from the young shoots, you can look forward to blossoms and fruits again at this point. You can read here how the derivation cut succeeds easily. The following video demonstrates the simple cut on a young, still manageable elderberry.

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    Rejuvenate elderberry in an exemplary manner - instructions for rejuvenation cut

    Have you inherited an old elder or have you missed the pruning for several years? Then simply turn the cut maintenance wheel to start. This is achieved with an uncomplicated taper cut, which you should ideally have at least in very old and very large specimens two stages execute. How to properly rejuvenate an elderberry:

    • First stage: Cut off half of all scaffold shoots at ground level
    • Second stage: cut the second half of the scaffolding shoots
    • In addition, select 3 to 5 of the best specimens from the ground shoots of the previous year for the new framework
    • Remove the remaining one-year-old shoots as part of the second stage

    The figure below illustrates the expert procedure. After the taper cut, go on to the thinning cut explained.

    Without a regular pruning, an elderberry bush will age. The revitalization succeeds through the rigorous removal of the old scaffolding shoots.

    Educate elder to become a standard - this is how it works

    In a small garden you don't have to do without the natural charm of an elderberry. Thanks to its good-natured pruning tolerance, you can train the wild fruit tree to become a space-saving standard. Purchase a young plant from your trusted tree nursery or use a young elderberry from the garden. Select the strongest shoot as the future stem and place a hardwood stick to support it. The support rod should reach up to the future crown height and be connected to the trunk. How to raise a young elderberry bush to a standard:

    • The tip of the central shoot caps above 4 to 5 sleeping eyes
    • The crown shoots sprout from the sleeping eyes
    • Cut off all shoots below the crown
    • Ideally tear off shoots that compete with the trunk and do not cut them off

    Leave the crown shoots uncut for the first year. Only in the spring of the second year cut back the 4 to 5 long shoots to 2 or 4 eyes. From the third year, cut back worn biennial branches each spring or divert them to a one-year-old side shoot. So that the crown does not become too sprawling and heavy, you should not leave more than 10 to 15 annual branches that bloom and bear fruit in summer. Please stay on your heels if you are a nosy person. Because they compete with the trunk for water and nutrients, shoots on the ground have to give way every winter.

    Cut elderberry hedge perfectly - instructions for hedge trimming

    An elderberry hedge should not be missing in a natural garden. The wild fruit grove is an ecological jewel because it is a paradise and retreat for numerous beneficial organisms. In order for the hedge to retain its natural character, it is cut more cautiously than a solitaire. At the same time, the annual clearing cut serves to give the right shape, so that the elderberry bushes thrive densely from the base. How to proceed professionally:

    • Thin out the oldest shoots on the ground in spring for the purpose of continuous regeneration
    • Cut back or remove arching, overhanging branches
    • Do not shorten young long shoots of the previous year as new blossom and fruit wood, or only minimally

    Give your elderberry hedge a trapezoidal shape with a wide base and narrower crown. The base of the wood must not be shaded so that it does not become bare and the hedge character is lost. Regular thinning and the promotion of loose growth in the upper area allow the light to penetrate into the interior of the bush so that photosynthesis does not come to a standstill here.

    Thin out the 3 to 4 oldest shoots on each hedge bush at intervals of 2 years. As a replacement, select an appropriate number of the strongest, young ground shoots. All others must also give way.

    Planting an elder hedge is time-limited

    If the gardener fails to cut an elderberry hedge for many years, the bushes turn into an unsightly tangle of shoots. Give the entire hedge a radical makeover pruning like this tutorial describes for a solitary elderberry. It is important to note that you may only plant a hedge on the stick between October 1st and March 1st. The Federal Nature Conservation Act provides for severe fines of up to 50,000 euros for non-compliance with this statutory provision.

    Don't Cut Anywhere - Guide to Cutting Technique

    The right pruning of elder is a combination of expert shoot selection and targeted pruning technique. The focus is on buds and sleeping eyes from which the lilac berries are freshly sprouting. Position the scissors or saw in such a way that a vegetation point is not damaged. A long stub should also not be left, because a focus of infection for diseases and pests can develop from it.

    If you are pruning a branch inside the bush or removing a crown shoot, keep an eye on the branch ring. The small bulge at the end of the branch must not be injured because it contains the valuable cell tissue for the subsequent healing of the wound. A knot can usually not yet be seen on the young elderberry bush. In this case, make sure when making the cut that the bark is not damaged.

    Wound closure is obsolete

    If you follow the recommendation of this tutorial and prune your elderberry in late winter or early spring, you can confidently put the issue of wound closure aside. Even with larger cuts, treatment is limited to smoothing the edges of the wound with a sharp knife. Please do not apply tree wax (€12.96) because the valuable cambium is prevented from forming wound wood (callus) by wound sealants.

    The right tool for the perfect cut - tips for saws and scissors

    Conventional pruning shears quickly reach their limits on a mature elderberry. In return, the two-handed pruning shears with ratchet gear are oversized for a training cut. The following overview tells you the right cutting tool for every type of cut on the elder:

    • One-hand secateurs for shoots up to 1.5 cm in diameter
    • One-hand tree shears with power amplification through ratchet gear for branches up to 3 cm in diameter
    • Two-hand pruning shears with telescopic extension for branches up to 4 cm in diameter and up to 250-300 cm in height
    • Fixed or adjustable tree saw for all branches with a diameter of more than 4 cm
    • Manual hedge trimmer (€24.99) with a pull handle and a range of up to 4 m

    Most scissors models are available from specialist retailers with either a bypass or anvil mechanism. Each version has its advantages and disadvantages for the successful elderberry cut. The bypass scissors work with two sharp blades, but require more effort. The anvil pruner works with a sharp blade that presses the twig onto a blunt anvil. This reduces the strain on the arm, but can lead to bruises on the branch.

    Electrically operated hedge trimmers are not suitable for the correct cut on elderberry. As can be read in the tutorial, a distinction is made between annual and perennial shoots when pruning to shape and thinning out. Only manual scissors models allow this selection. When purchasing, please make sure that you have a long range so that you can also effortlessly clear out deadwood deep inside the hedge.

    Thorough cleaning of the blades is a gardener's top priority

    Dirty cutting tools are the most common cause of disease in elderberry bushes. Please clean the scissors and saw thoroughly with hot water before and after use. The blades should also be disinfected with alcohol to remove stubborn pathogens.

    Important facts for the cut in a nutshell - cut profile

    A black elder can live up to 100 years. Over the years, the right care for your hair becomes a matter of course. On the way there, the central facts help if you have doubts about the further cut in the middle of the work. The following profile summarizes all characteristics relevant to the cut:

    • Native, deciduous wild fruit tree
    • Common name: lilac berry
    • Growth height: 300 to 1000 cm (varieties: 200 to 300 cm)
    • Growth width: 200 to 400 cm (varieties: 120 to 200 cm)
    • Annual growth: 50 to 70 cm (varieties: 10 to 40 cm)
    • Flowering period: June to July
    • Bud formation: in the previous year on long shoots
    • Fruit ripening: from mid-August
    • Hardiness: very good
    • Best pruning time: between the end of January and the beginning of March
    • Tolerance to cutting: excellent, also sprouts from old wood
    • Toxicity: slightly toxic (berries not suitable for fresh consumption)

    frequently asked Questions

    Is the clippings of elderberry suitable for cuttings?

    The annual pruning aims to remove the removed shoots of the previous year and the aged, old branches. No more floral peak performances can be expected from these branches. This year's and one-year-old shoot tips that have not yet borne any flowers or fruit are primarily suitable for propagation with cuttings.

    Is elderberry poisonous?

    All elderberry species contain the toxic glycoside sambunigrin and other toxins in their leaves, shoots and berries. Consumption in large quantities can cause symptoms of poisoning in children and sensitive adults, such as cramps, nausea and vomiting. Elderberry is not recommended for the family garden with small children. The berries of the black elder are only suitable for consumption if they have been heated to more than 80 degrees during preparation. The toxin content of the seeds of various Sambucus species with red fruits persists even after the berries have been cooked. Consumption is only safe once the pulp has been passed through.

    Keep elderberry in the bucket - is that possible?

    With a growth height of up to 5 meters, the pure wild species Sambucus nigra is not recommended for keeping in buckets. The desire for an elder for the balcony and terrace is fulfilled by smaller varieties, such as the columnar elder 'Black Tower', which is limited to a maximum height of 250 centimeters and boasts black-red leaves. The fern-leaved gold elder 'Sutherland Gold', at 200 centimetres, also remains in the pot-suitable range and inspires with deep yellow pinnate leaves and bright red berries. For a young plant, the pot should have a volume of at least 10 liters so that the elder beauties can develop magnificently.

    The 3 most common mistakes when cutting elderberry

    error consequence Correction/Prevention
    never cleared Shrubs or crowns become senescent, flowering and fruiting less and less Cut out worn-out, two-year-old long shoots and deadwood once a year
    cut after flowering little or no berry load Cut elderberry in late winter
    Hedge not cut in trapezoidal shape constant aging and balding from below Shape elder hedge with a broad base and a narrower crown

    tips

    Black elder is the progenitor of magnificent varieties that inspire with larger flowers and berries. The premium variety is 'Haschberg', with berry umbels weighing up to 1,000 grams. 'Black Beauty' scores with pink flowers and dark red feathered leaves. In the small garden, 'Black Lace' trumps with white flowers and deep red foliage. Among the species of the black elder, the grape elder Sambucus racemosa 'Plumosa Aurea' causes a sensation with golden yellow leaves.

Category:

Vegetable garden