Elder Farms makes an elderberry aronia syrup that has those plus honey, clove, cinnamon…maybe something else? it’s delicious. Ive always been of the simple preference, but going to try to replicate this soon. Really hoping by the end of next year we are harvesting enough to make it though the year without buying.
@TNHunter that sounds really delicious! I actually preferro use less sugar for most things, or none at all! So this sounds really good to me! Thank you. When I get some berries I will definetly try this.
my 6 elders are bending to the ground with just the blooms. they havent even set berries yet. my johns and york are getting huge. johns got to be near 15ft. before blooming. one whole side of york broke off. thought it had borers but theres no sign of them. just broke from sheer weight. my 4 marges have set their 1st blooms on the lower branches. they too have put on near 5ft. of growth so far. theyre loving all this moisture. ive never fertilized them. only mulched when they were small… going to have Alot of berries this year. the whole yard last night smelled of elder blooms.
I have to brace mine. The canes bend and break with storms. I am going to get some large T posts in this winter because the metal posts I have been using are also bending with the weight of all the bent canes. I think in a naturalized setting they’re braced by the plants around them?
getting some heavy rain coming through right now. looking out the window my john is bent nearly to the ground. i may get more damage come morning. there as so many cymes if i lose some more im still good.
i read a study that compares marge to 6 of the most popular american cultivars and on average it produces at least double the crop than the others. i think johns was the 2nd highest and it was less marge by 1/3. mineral and anthocyans were significantly higher as well if youre interested in that.
I read that too! That’s what sold me. Extremely vigorous grower too.
My only long term question is pruning. I’m only just now to the point with my S. canadensis that I’m wanting to mow them completely down in the winter (getting leggy and have a few borer damaged canes). This year I had new canes come up from the ground and surpass my old canes, about 10’ tall. I read you can’t do that with Marge as it bears on second year wood.
I’ve half a mind to let her reach for the sky and just see how tall she gets. I pruned her back to about 7’ this winter and I bet she’s at 13’+ now. Have you seen photos of mature S nigra in Europe?
no i havent. impressive! my marges are only in their 2nd year and already near 6ft. formed some small cymes on the lower branches from last years growth… grown from cuttings i got off esty. for $10 including shipping i got 17 plants. kept 6 and gave the others away.
ill probably let a few marges grow to size just to see how big they really get. my johns about 12ft. yorks about 10. i let the birds have the cymes i cant reach and still have plenty to give to the chics after i freeze mine. with the amount of bird planted seedlings popping up on my property it should ensure the surrounding fields will have wild plants spreading far and wide very soon.
