A regular pruning constantly maintains the vitality of a black elder. Only a few aspects have to be considered in order to professionally cut the imposing wild fruit tree. You can find out here what these are and how a skillful incision is made.
The best time for pruning
The choice of date for a shape and maintenance cut on the black elder is decisive for the successful course of the care measure. The shrub always flowers and bears fruit on the shoots that grew the previous year. It follows that one day after harvest is suitable for pruning. Experienced hobby gardeners therefore use pruning shears between November and March.
A black elder receives the very first pruning in the second year at the earliest. In the year after planting, it should initially be able to develop unhindered. It only makes sense to prune the shrub in the year after the first blossom and the first crop of fruit.
Skilful cutting with a sense of proportion
An important prerequisite for a successful process is knowing how to distinguish worn shoots from young twigs. Since an elder branch only flowers and bears fruit once, it is removed as part of the pruning. You can recognize this by its curved shape, because the heavy umbels of berries pull it downwards. Upright shoots, on the other hand, will bear the next crop of fruit. Based on this knowledge, the professional cut is child's play:
- Cut off all dead branches at the base
- Also cut off obviously diseased or stunted branches
- Completely remove transverse and inward branches
- Shorten young shoots that are too long by a maximum of one third
- start each incision 2-3 mm above a sleeping eye
- thoroughly thin out the elderberry
In the end, sun and air must be able to reach all areas of the black elder so that it does not age from the inside. Don't forget to wear protective clothing and gloves. All types of elder contain a toxin that can cause skin irritation.
tips and tricks
Are you aiming for extra bushy growth in your black elderberry from an early age? Then pinch off the new shoots from cuttings by St. John's Day. This measure promotes further branching particularly effectively.
GTH