Red-leaved elder – care and pruning

The care of the red-leaved elder is not complicated. The plants thrive best in full sun and in humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil. In contrast to the normal elderberry varieties, they are quite suitable for planters and look extremely good in them. The red-leaved elders are just as fast-growing as the normal elders. They like humus-rich, nutrient-rich soil that should not be too dry, but they can also cope with poor site conditions. With sufficient water and nutrients, the shrubs will delight you with plenty of flowers and fruits and thrive magnificently. The dark red color is very contrasting and a real eye-catcher in the garden or on the terrace.

location and soil

Elders like to stand in the blazing sun. In partial shade, the trees and shrubs do not flower and bear fruit as abundantly. In the sun, the red-leaved elder also develops its color much better and this also comes into its own.

• Preferably full sun as much as possible
• The color does not come into its own in partial shade
• In the shade, the plants just look gloomy
• The less sun, the fewer flowers and fruits

Elderberry in general does not make great demands on the soil. The red-leaved varieties are no exception. However, the plants prefer moist, loamy soil. It is ideal if they have a high humus and lime content. However, the plants can also cope with significantly worse soils.

• Humus-rich and nutrient-rich soil
• Moist, not too dry soil
• Medium to sandy
• Best slightly acidic

plant

The best planting times for bare-rooted elder are spring and autumn. Plants bought in containers can be planted all year round. There is nothing out of the ordinary to consider when planting. Before planting, it is advisable to work a large bucket of mature compost and an additional handful of horn shavings or other organic fertilizer into the potting soil. If the shrub has already started to sprout in the spring, the shoots should be cut back vigorously so that the wood does not evaporate too much water through the existing leaves.

• Planting bare roots – spring and fall
• Container plants can be planted all year round
• Put large amounts of ripening compost and horn shavings in the planting hole
• Planting distance about 4 x 5 m
• Put ripening compost and horn shavings in the planting hole and work in
• Water the root or plant ball before planting
• It is best to form a casting ring so that the irrigation water cannot run away.

When planting in a container, make sure it is of sufficient size. In addition, drainage should be installed in the floor so that excess water can run off easily. Although elderberries like slightly damp soil, they do not like waterlogging at all.

• Sufficiently large container, at least 40 liters
• Drainage
• Enrich normal potting soil with compost, perlite or similar

watering and fertilizing

In principle, red-leaved elders do not need much water. However, they form more flowers and fruits if the water supply is good. Of course, the prerequisites are that the location and soil are right, otherwise casting is of no use. Sufficient water must be provided, especially on sandy soil. From planting to rooting, water is also very important. Once the trees have grown, they often get by with significantly less.

• Water is important for flowering and fruit formation
• Water regularly, especially if the soil is sandy
• Water freshly planted specimens until they are established.
• Plants cultivated in tubs need water regularly, and above all evenly. The surface of the soil should always dry well between waterings. Drying out is unfavorable.

Nutrients are important. Elderberries are considered nitrogen eaters, so it is important to get plenty of them. Magnesium is also crucial. In nature, the plants can do without extra fertilization and they are doing well. But if you want to harvest flowers or fruits, you should provide additional nutrients.

• Supply nitrogen and magnesium
• Fertilizers are particularly important for potted plants

To cut

Uncut, elderberry bushes grow into tall shrubs or even trees if they are raised with a single trunk. The red-leaved elders don’t grow as fast and don’t get quite as big, but they also bare from below. So that they remain smaller and can be harvested well, something is cut every year. It has also proven useful to raise the elderberry as a standard. This is of course also possible with the red-leaved varieties. The high trunk has the advantage that the fruit-laden heavy branches do not bend down to the ground, so the berries stay clean.

Pruning takes place in summer, immediately after the harvest, or in February/March, after the severe frosts have ended. Elder produces the best berries on branches that were newly formed the year before. The aim of the cut is therefore to promote new growth.

You cut back about 1/3, maximum half. It is important to leave the middle shoots a little longer and gradually shorten the outer shoots. With a pyramid-like structure, elderberries look their best and bear plenty of flowers and berries.

• Uncut, the shrubs become too large for small gardens
• Can be cut easily
• Remove ground shoots as soon as possible
• Prune after harvest or in February/March
• Cut back about 1/3
• Leave middle shoots a little longer
• Shorten outer shoots in stages

hibernate

Red-leaved elders are sufficiently hardy. You can manage without protection, even in cool locations. When kept in buckets, the pot should be protected from freezing. It is best to place it on styrofoam and wrap it up tightly.

Only potted plants need some protection.

multiply

The easiest way is to propagate with sticks. These are cut in winter from the one-year-old shoots. Shoots as long as a pencil are sufficient, each with a pair of buds at the upper and lower end. On a frost-free day, stick the stick three-quarters into the ground. This should be loose and nutritious. In the course of spring, small roots form and the sticks sprout again. It is important to pinch off the new shoots by St. John’s Day, June 24th, as this promotes branching. In just one year, a bush with five or six shoots up to 50 cm long emerges.

• Easily through sticks
• Pencil-length shoots with a pair of buds at the top and bottom
• Stick the stick in the right direction ¾ into the ground
• keep moist
• Until 24.6. pinch to encourage branching

If you want to raise a standard, you have to use a shoot about one meter long as sticks. In the course of spring, all shoots below the desired base of the crown must then be removed directly on the “trunk”. The young shoots above are also shortened until St. John’s Day.

• The stick must be at least 1 m long
• Remove all shoots on the trunk, just leave them at the top

diseases and pests

The red-leaved elders are also extremely healthy and robust. Significant diseases are not known. Pests are also rarely seen, as many insects are deterred by the scent. Unfortunately, aphids cannot be deterred. They appear punctually in spring and populate the flower stalks. Usually there are black aphids and sometimes so many that the flower umbels bend downwards under their weight. Does not matter. A powerful jet of water washes away the pests. Sometimes the treatment has to be repeated once or twice, but then there is usually silence for the rest of the year.

• Aphids – simply rinse with water
• Absolutely avoid chemicals if you want to harvest flowers and berries

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the red-leaved elder be raised as a tree?

Yes, but it takes a few years and they don’t get as big as the regular Sambucus nigra. A straight leader is required. From this, the lower side shoots are cut off directly at the planned trunk. This is how you pull the trunk up.

• With freshly planted elder, only leave one strong, vertical shoot.
• Once it has reached the desired height, around 1 to 1.5 m, cut off the tip. This creates side shoots.
• Only leave the top 4 to 6 side shoots, cut away all the others underneath.
• Tear out ground shoots
• In the spring of the 2nd year, cut back the side shoots to short stubs with 2 to 4 buds each
• In the summer of the second year, strong shoots develop from the buds
• Cut away all shoots from the trunk and soil
• In the summer of the 3rd year, short side shoots form on the strong one-year-old branches. These produce many flowers
• In the spring of the 4th year, the branches that have already borne fruit are removed. They are cut back just before a strong new shoot. This should arise as close to the trunk as possible.
• This will continue in the years to come

Why is it that a healthy elder develops a lot of flowers, but then hardly any berries?

Although red elders are self-pollinating, just like the other varieties, the yield can be better if an extra pollinator grows nearby, i.e. another elder variety. Otherwise fertilizer could be missing. If there are not enough nutrients, the fruit will not have the strength to develop. Nitrogen and magnesium are particularly important.

Can you also make the popular syrup from the blossoms of the red-leaved elderberry varieties?

Yes absolutely. It’s not only delicious, it’s also a great color. Due to the pink flowers, the syrup is pink and has a strong colour.