Calendula (marigold) is a flower that stands out among others with its bright color. Low bushes with delicate orange inflorescences can be found on the side of the road, in the meadow, in the front garden next to the house or even in vegetable beds. Calendula is so widespread in our area that it seems like it has always grown here. Read about interesting decorative varieties of calendula, as well as the use of calendula in cooking and medicine in our article.

I think many will agree that the wind is well perceived by us only in the romantic aspect: we are sitting in a cozy warm home, and the wind is raging outside the window... In fact, the wind blowing through our areas is a problem and there is nothing good about it. By creating windbreaks with the help of plants, we break the strong wind into several weak currents and significantly weaken its destructive power. How to protect a site from the wind will be discussed in this article.

Modern ferns are those rare plants antiquities, which, despite the passage of time and all kinds of cataclysms, not only survived, but were also largely able to preserve their former appearance. Of course, it is not possible to grow any of the fern representatives indoors, but some species have successfully adapted to life indoors. They look great as single plants or decorate a group of decorative foliage flowers.

Pilaf with pumpkin and meat is Azerbaijani pilaf, which differs in the method of preparation from traditional oriental pilaf. All ingredients for this recipe are prepared separately. Rice is boiled with ghee, saffron and turmeric. The meat is fried separately until golden brown, and pumpkin slices as well. Separately prepare the onions and carrots. Then everything is placed in layers in a cauldron or thick-walled pan, a little water or broth is poured in and simmered over low heat for about half an hour.

Basil - a wonderful universal seasoning for meat, fish, soups and fresh salads - is well known to all lovers of Caucasian and Italian cuisine. However, upon closer inspection, basil turns out to be a surprisingly versatile plant. For several seasons now, our family has been happily drinking aromatic basil tea. In a flowerbed with perennials and in flowerpots with annual flowers, bright spice plant a worthy place was also found.

Thuja or juniper - which is better? This question can sometimes be heard in garden centers and markets where these plants are sold. It is, of course, not entirely correct and correct. Well, it’s the same as asking what is better - night or day? Coffee or tea? Woman or man? Surely, everyone will have their own answer and opinion. And yet... What if you approach with an open mind and try to compare juniper and thuja according to certain objective parameters? Let's try.

Brown Cream of Cauliflower Soup with Crispy Smoked Bacon is a delicious, smooth and creamy soup that both adults and children will love. If you are preparing a dish for the whole family, including kids, then do not add a lot of spices, although many modern children are not at all against spicy flavors. Bacon for serving can be prepared in different ways - fry in a frying pan, as in this recipe, or bake in the oven on parchment for about 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

For some, the time of sowing seeds for seedlings is a long-awaited and pleasant chore, for others it is a difficult necessity, while others wonder whether it would be easier to buy ready seedlings at the market or with friends? Be that as it may, even if you gave up growing vegetable crops, for sure, you will still have to sow something. These are flowers and perennials, conifers and much more. A seedling is still a seedling, no matter what you sow.

A lover of moist air and one of the most compact and rare orchids, pafinia is a real star for most orchid growers. Its flowering rarely lasts longer than a week, but it can be an unforgettable sight. You want to look at the unusual striped patterns on the huge flowers of the modest orchid endlessly. IN indoor culture pafinia is rightly ranked among the difficult-to-grow species. It became fashionable only with the spread of interior terrariums.

Pumpkin ginger marmalade is a warming sweet that can be prepared almost all year round. Pumpkin keeps for a long time - sometimes I manage to save a few vegetables until summer, fresh ginger and lemons are always available these days. Lemon can be replaced with lime or orange to create different flavors - variety in sweets is always nice. The finished marmalade is placed in dry jars; it can be stored at room temperature, but it’s always healthier to cook fresh food.

In 2014, the Japanese company Takii seed introduced petunia with a striking petal color - salmon-orange. Based on associations with the bright colors of the southern sunset sky, the unique hybrid was named African Sunset. Needless to say, this petunia instantly won the hearts of gardeners and was in great demand. But in the last two years, the curiosity has suddenly disappeared from store windows. Where did the orange petunia go?

In our family Bell pepper they love it, that’s why we plant it every year. Most of the varieties that I grow have been tested by me for more than one season; I cultivate them constantly. I also try to try something new every year. Pepper is a heat-loving plant and quite whimsical. Varietal and hybrid varieties of tasty and productive sweet peppers, which grow well for me, will be discussed further. I live in middle lane Russia.

Meat cutlets with broccoli in béchamel sauce - great idea for a quick lunch or dinner. Start by preparing the mince and at the same time heat 2 liters of water to a boil to blanch the broccoli. By the time the cutlets are fried, the cabbage will be ready. All that remains is to collect the ingredients in a frying pan, season with sauce and bring to readiness. Broccoli needs to be cooked quickly to retain its vibrant color. green color, which, when cooked for a long time, either fades or the cabbage turns brown.

Home floriculture - not only exciting process, but also a very troublesome hobby. And, as a rule, the more experience a grower has, the healthier his plants look. What should those who have no experience but want to have a home do? houseplants- not elongated, stunted specimens, but beautiful and healthy ones, not causing a feeling of guilt with their fading? For beginners and flower growers who do not have much experience, I will tell you about the main mistakes that are easy to avoid.

Lush cheesecakes in a frying pan with banana-apple confiture - another recipe for everyone’s favorite dish. To prevent cheesecakes from falling off after cooking, remember a few simple rules. Firstly, only fresh and dry cottage cheese, secondly, no baking powder or soda, thirdly, the thickness of the dough - you can sculpt from it, it is not tight, but pliable. Good dough with a small amount of flour you will only get good cottage cheese, but here again see the “firstly” point.

The Elderberry genus includes up to 40 species, the most decorative of which is the black elderberry. Planted on the plot, over time it will give you useful fruits. The plant does not require care and looks great in the garden, as can be seen in the photo.

Decorative forms and varieties

Black elderberry is a large ornamental deciduous shrub or tree. The plant is a long-liver (up to 60 years). It grows 3-4 m in height, sometimes up to 7 m. The leaves are rich green, imparipinnate, dissected into 5-9 lobes, and when rubbed they exude bad smell. Small white or yellowish flowers are collected in loose corymbs. Fragrant aroma flowers attract many pollinating insects to the garden. The fruits are glossy drupes in loose clusters. The leaves, bark and trunk of black elderberry are moderately poisonous.

Elderberry is very decorative both during the flowering and fruiting periods

Elderberry blooms in June for 3 weeks. By September, edible, sweet and sour fruits ripen, which are consumed both fresh and processed (jams, preserves, wine).

The species of black elderberry includes many garden forms. Among them there are bushes with a columnar (formerly pyramidal) and drooping (formerly weeping) crown. The most interesting varieties are presented in the photo. Among the species with unusual shape and color of foliage are:

B. fernifolia– the leaves are narrowly cut, and the white flowers have a musky aroma.

Elderberry fern-leaved

B. porphorolifolia– a form with purple or inky leaves and pinkish flowers with a pleasant strong odor. Popular varieties:

• "Purple";
• “Ginshu purple” is interesting due to the changing color of the leaves: green changes to inky, and in the fall to bright red;

Variety "Ginshu purple"

• "Black Beauty";
• "Eve".

B. powdery– characterized by the presence of yellow or white spots on the foliage. Interesting varieties:

• "Luteovariegata" - with a yellow border on the leaf;
• "Pulverulenta" - foliage densely covered with white plaques;

Variety "Pulverulenta"

• "Madonna" - foliage with multiple yellow spots.

Of the variegated varieties, it is worth highlighting “Albo-variegata” - with white-variegated leaves, “Aureo-variegata” - with golden-variegated leaves and “Aurea” with yellow leaves.

Variety "Aurea"

The “Witches Broom” variety reaches a height of only 20 cm, blooms rarely and does not bear fruit at all. The “Kazachka” variety, on the contrary, is different abundant flowering and fruiting.

Subtleties of landing

Black elderberry is a fairly hardy plant. Well-lit areas are chosen for planting. The plant can tolerate shade, but decorative look suffers significantly from this.

Important! Forms with bright and variegated foliage colors are planted only in sunny areas. In the shade, the leaves become faded and lose their decorative effect.

Due to the property of elderberry to repel flies and other harmful insects, it is often planted near outdoor toilets and drainage pits. Growing nearby fruit bushes and the trees will promote cross-pollination.

For normal development Black elderberry prefers fertile, slightly alkaline soils (loams). If the reaction is acidic, the soil should be deoxidized with lime in advance.

To plant black elderberry, choose fertile soils.

Planting of seedlings is carried out in spring or autumn, when the weather is warm. Planting pit dig to a depth of about 40-50 cm and generously fill with organic matter and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. The root collar is not deepened. The seedling is sprinkled with earth and compacted under the weight of an adult’s body. Until the seedling takes root and begins to grow, it needs to be watered regularly. The young bush blooms in the third year.

Growing and care

Caring for black elderberry comes down to watering, keeping the soil clean and loose, and pruning. The plant can tolerate short-term drought, but prefers moist soil without stagnant water. On moist soils, elderberry looks juicy, blooms well, and the fruits are plump.

Advice. To maintain soil moisture in the hot season, it is recommended to mulch the trunk circle of black elderberry with sawdust, leaf litter, peat or other materials.

Pruning of bushes is carried out for decorative (to give shape to the crown) and rejuvenating purposes. In young plants, frozen and damaged branches are pruned in the spring. In summer, the bushes quickly recover. To rejuvenate old bushes, pruning is short, leaving no more than a quarter of the trunk. New shoots will grow over the summer.

Important! Pruning is especially important for fruiting elderberry varieties. Upon reaching the age of six, the branches stop bearing fruit. The peak of fruiting is observed on two to three year old branches.

The plant is almost never affected by diseases. The crown of the bush is sometimes attacked by aphids and spider mite. If signs of trouble appear, the plant should be immediately treated with fungicides.

Elderberry fruits ready for harvest in autumn

The fruits are harvested after full ripening. This happens in mid-September. The brushes are cut off entirely. The shelf life of the berries is short - 8-10 days in the refrigerator, so they are often processed. Uncut brushes can remain on the branches all winter. Elder flowers are prepared for medicinal purposes by cutting and drying them in the shade of trees or in the attic.

Application of fertilizers and fertilizers

Fertilizers are applied to elderberries in early spring. Solid mineral fertilizers are scattered in tree trunk circle, after which they are embedded into the soil by harrowing at a depth of 10-15 cm, soluble ones are added with watering.

Advice. Black elderberry is very responsive to the addition of urea.

From organic matter, solid manure or compost is used, as well as infusions of litter. Bring them in better in autumn, in a year.

For black elderberry, fertilizing once a year is sufficient.

Reproduction

Methods for propagating black elderberry:

• seminal;
• green or woody cuttings;
• layering.

Elderberry seeds black autumn is sown in the soil. After a year, the seedlings reach a height of 50 cm and are ready for transplanting.

Important! Black elderberry grown from seeds loses most of its varietal properties. It is impossible to predict which plant will turn out, highly decorative or unsightly.

Green cuttings immediately after cutting they are planted in a temporary bed. Woody shoots are cut in the fall and stored in a cool place until spring. In the spring, cuttings 25 cm long are cut, leaving at least two pairs of buds, and also planted in a temporary place for rooting. The soil on the site is always kept moist. By autumn, the cuttings form roots and young shoots. For the winter, seedlings need shelter. Grown bushes are transplanted to permanent place.

Green elderberry cuttings

For getting layerings Black elderberry branches are buried in the grooves in the fall, leaving the top on the surface. In the spring, young shoots will grow in this place; it is recommended to separate them from the mother bush after a few years.

Growing black elderberry on your own plot is not at all difficult. She needs basic care that does not require special skills. In return the plant will give you a gift pleasant aroma during flowering, decorative foliage in summer and healthy berries in the fall.

Planting and properties of black elderberry: video

Black elderberry: photo

The genus Elderberry (Sambucus) includes herbaceous and woody representatives. Most popular as ornamental shrubs, use red and black.

Planting, caring for and propagating red elderberry and black elderberry is an easy process that anyone can do. These two types of elderberry are unpretentious and grow quickly even without outside help. Like all plants, elderberry has two main methods of reproduction: vegetative and generative.

Vegetative propagation of elderberry

Fast, easy and reliable way reproduction of red and - with the help of vegetative organs:

• aboveground shoots;
• root suckers;
• parts of bushes;
• underground creeping rhizomes.

Advantage vegetative propagation- in conservation varietal characteristics elderberries.

Elderberry cuttings

It is easy to obtain cuttings from above-ground shoots. To do this, in June-July, with a sharp knife or sector, cut pieces of green branches 8-12 cm long. Woody cuttings take root much worse, so it is better to use branches of the first year for planting. You need to leave 1-2 leaves on the cutting, since elderberry leaves are complex, then part of the pinnate leaf needs to be cut off, leaving two paired leaves on the cutting.

Plant the cuttings in a mixture of wet sand and peat in a 1:1 ratio. Using a rooting agent will increase the formation of roots by 2-3 times, so it is more rational to use it.

After planting, seedlings should be kept at high humidity(75-85%), for this they are covered with film. The film should be located at a distance of 20-50 cm from the seedlings, and there should be holes in it for ventilation, otherwise the seedlings may suffocate.

It is important to maintain humidity for the first 4-6 days. This should be done by spraying the film from the inside, trying to prevent water from getting on the leaves (this can cause rotting and death of the plant). After a week, the cuttings do not need such intensive air humidification.

At proper care cuttings take root in 6-8 weeks, and in the fall they can be planted in open ground. For the winter, cover the first year seedlings with leaves or straw.

Stem layering

Seedlings, using stem layering, have a high survival rate (up to 98%). To obtain seedlings from stem layering, non-lignified green branches and 2-3 year old woody shoots are used. They are bent to the ground and buried in a ditch, leaving only the upper part of the shoot. To ensure that the branch is pressed tightly to the ground, it is secured with a metal pinch. You can add compost or not very acidic peat to the ditch, and mulch the top with sawdust or rotted manure.

Lignified shoots at the base are tied with wire. With proper rooting done in May or early summer, by autumn the shoot will take root and can be replanted.

Green annual shoots are not replanted in the fall, leaving them to overwinter. And only the next year, when woody tissue appears in them, the seedling is dug up and transferred to a permanent place.

Planting elderberries

Elderberry bushes are divided in the fall. In this case, the resulting seedling is immediately planted in a permanent place, or in a container, and in the spring it is planted in the ground. As a result of this method, you can immediately get a large bush. But only an adult, large plant can be planted, and no more than once per season, otherwise the mother plant will suffer.

Generative propagation of elderberry

Unlike most shrubs, black elderberry is easily propagated by seeds. When propagated by this method, elderberry may lose its species characteristics, returning to its maternal form. But this method allows you to obtain a large number of seedlings in a relatively short period of time.

Elderberry fruits are distributed mainly by birds - ornithochory. After passing through the birds' food tract, the seeds germinate better because their shell is slightly damaged.

If you artificially damage the seed coat (carry out scarification), then elderberry seeds will give almost one hundred percent germination. Scarification can be carried out by treating the seeds with sulfuric acid, or grinding them with coarse sand.

Planting and caring for black elderberry seeds involves sowing them in the fall in a prepared place with a moistened substrate. Red elderberry is propagated by seeds in the same way as black elderberry.

Fresh elderberry seeds planted in open ground in this way germinate in the spring. Seedlings need to be mulched, this will increase their chance of survival. The plants develop quickly, and after a year they can be transplanted from the nursery to a permanent place.

Note: seedlings have a weak root system, so they need additional watering, otherwise they may die from lack of moisture.

Planting elderberry

Elderberry can be planted in spring or autumn. Spring planting should be carried out before the formation of inflorescences. Autumn planting Elder planting is best done after the bush has begun to shed its leaves.

When planting, you need to monitor the depth of the root collar. It is best for it to be level with the ground.

Elderberry grows well on various substrates, but a mixture of turf or forest soil with sand and peat in a ratio of 2:1:2 is best suited for the bush. Elderberry will respond very well if you add humus or compost when planting it in a prepared hole.

Elderberry care

Elderberry care involves feeding the bush, pruning damaged branches, and protecting it from pests. Even if the shrub has a neat, clearly defined crown, pruning is carried out to renew the shoots and to “awaken” dormant buds.

When pruning, dried and broken branches are removed; this should be done in the fall, after the leaves have fallen. Pruning can be done in early spring, but this must be done before the active movement of juices in the tissues begins. But this requires some experience, sometimes over time you can make a mistake and harm the plant.

Note: if the elderberry branches are very frozen in winter, then you can cut the entire bush “to zero”; the elderberry will quickly recover thanks to new shoots.

Elderberry pests

Thanks to poisonous alkaloids, elderberry is not affected by most pests, but there are a number of species-specific insects that mainly attack elderberry.

The elderberry mite that infects the plant is not an insect; specific drugs (acaricides) must be used against it. The tick is very small and can be detected upon detailed examination. But signs of its appearance are drying curled leaves and cobwebs on them. The treatment must be carried out at a temperature of 22-25 degrees, the leaves must be dry, and the sun's rays should not fall on them, otherwise the plant may get burned.

Black elderberry planting and care

If previously the value of elderberry was determined medicinal properties its flowers and fruits, now the culture has acquired the meaning of fruit. In addition to a complex of nutrients and biologically active substances, its fruits contain a significant amount of coloring substances - anthocyanins. Today, this has brought the crop to the forefront as a source of natural food coloring. Sambucin is the colorant of elderberry fruits - it is now widely added to juices, yoghurts, etc.: in food products it successfully replaces chemical dyes, not inferior to those dyes obtained from chokeberry berries. Dyes extracted from elderberry became so popular that at one time (to prevent the falsification of port wine) in Portugal they even banned the cultivation of elderberry - adding its juice to low-quality wine materials significantly improved the color and taste of counterfeit drinks.
Advantage new culture Its cultivation is also environmentally friendly - the elderberry garden can be produced using pesticide-free technology.

Biology
Black elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) modern classification belongs to the Adoxaceae family, like its related viburnum. In addition to black elderberry, there are two more species of this genus in the natural flora: Sambucus racemosa L. - a shrub with red fruits and Sambucus ebulus L. - a shrub with black fruits (unlike black elderberry, which has a bushy or tree-like habit, a herbaceous plant). The last two species, due to the toxicity of the fruits, are not important for fruit growers.

Black elderberry grows in forests, on the edges, among bushes. In adulthood, the height of plants reaches 3-6 m. Young shoots of elderberry are covered with stomata (lentils), lignified branches have a soft white core. The leaves, if crushed, have an unpleasant odor. Small yellowish-white flowers are collected in corymbose racemes (panicles) with a diameter of 10-30 cm, each cluster has five main branches. Elderberry fruits are drupes with a diameter of 5-8 mm, shiny black in color, ripen in August-September and remain on plants after November. The pulp accounts for 95% of the fruit's mass; the juice of the fruit has a dark red color.

Site selection
An industrial garden is laid out according to a project, the development of which involves surveying the terrain, agrochemical characteristics of the soil, organizing the territory, preparing the soil, determining the types and layout of plants, planting and caring for the garden, etc. - just like other industrial gardens. The place and soil for the elderberry garden are chosen according to the same criteria as for others fruit crops. However, due to its high winter and frost resistance, elderberry can also grow on the lower parts of slopes, areas with poor air drainage, that is, in places unsuitable for many traditional fruit crops. Wild and feral elderberry often grows in abandoned sites and wasteland, so the plants are generally considered to tolerate low soil fertility. Therefore, the best soil and climatic conditions of the site are usually allocated for crops that are demanding in terms of growing conditions and provide greater profits. Considering elderberry a minor crop, they tend to plant it on lands unsuitable for other agricultural plants. However, elderberry requires fertile, sufficiently moist soil, and the choice of site for such a garden should be taken responsibly, otherwise you will not be able to wait for high yields! In areas with insufficient rainfall, where there are long-term droughts, it is important to provide for the possibility of irrigation, or to equip a stationary irrigation system.
The elderberry garden is placed in well-drained areas with different types of chernozem, with groundwater no closer than 1.5 m from the surface. The exchangeable acidity of the soil should be 5.5-6.5. Garden windbreaks are created around the garden.

Seedlings
Seedlings
Plantations of new fruit crops in initial stages often created with material of seed origin. Cheap planting material is seedlings. In gardens planted with such seedlings there are never problems with pollination. In years with extreme weather conditions, the different quality of the material also plays a positive role. However, seedlings are inferior to selected clones in productivity and fruit quality. Therefore, the selection of the best genotypes is important. The success of a new crop often depends on the availability of varieties with outstanding characteristics.
In the case of planting a garden with seedlings, seeds for growing seed planting material should be collected from the best local forms or varieties that have proven themselves. Elderberry seeds are sown in the fall or after 3-4 months of stratification in the spring. Seeds that have not emerged from a state of organic dormancy remain viable for several years. The seeds are small, the weight of 1000 seeds is 3-4.5 g. It is sown in grooves 1-2 cm deep and covered with mulch. Seedlings begin to bear fruit 3 years after sowing.

Layerings and cuttings
Varietal material is propagated vegetatively - with this method, all the economic and biological characteristics of the original plants are preserved. Elderberry is easily propagated by layering, green and woody cuttings, root cuttings and shoots. Sometimes budding is used. Woody cuttings are cut after leaf fall before the onset of severe frosts. It is effective to root cuttings 50-70 cm long, which take root by 80-90%, this allows you to obtain an annual planting material, suitable for planting in the garden. However, it is believed that to create plantings with standard formation, it is worth growing two-year-old seedlings. In this case, in the fall, the strongest shoot in rooted cuttings is cut back to reverse growth, and other shoots are removed. Next year, the plants develop one strong stem. It is pruned, forming a tree with a trunk of 80-100 cm and two branches at the top.
Propagation by green cuttings is carried out in special cultivation greenhouses under conditions of artificial fog. During intensive growth The shoots of their apical part are cut into green cuttings with two nodes, which are able to penetrate without the use of root formation stimulants. When treated with auxins, the majority of planted cuttings take root, but taking cuttings during a period of slow growth of shoots and from their lower part reduces the percentage of rooted cuttings. Since autumn and spring planting of cuttings during growing leads to the death of many rooted cuttings, specialists from Uman State Agrarian University suggest that rooted cuttings be transplanted during growing into plastic containers with a capacity of 1.5 liters 35-50 days after cuttings.
For propagation by vertical layering, the mother bush is first trimmed to a stump. When new shoots reach a height of 10-15 cm, they are covered half their length with moist soil. Subsequently, pressing is repeated, bringing the height of the tubercles to 25-30 cm. Care during the growing season consists of irrigation and weeding. In autumn, the plants unfold and separate cuttings that have taken root.

Varieties
IN North America The first fruit varieties of local elderberry species were selected at the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. In Europe, breeders paid attention to black elderberry only in the middle of the 20th century. The first varieties of the crop were selected in Denmark and Austria among populations wild plants. Now more than two dozen fruit varieties have been selected in Europe. Of these, the most common is the Austrian variety Hasberg. It is characterized by productivity and high anthocyanin content and has proven itself well.

Planting a garden
The elderberry garden is planted according to the scheme 5-6 x 3.5-4 m, 417-571 seedlings are required per 1 hectare. There is no point in reducing the row spacing - under the weight of the fruit, the trunk will bend in the row spacing and, if it is narrow, interfere with the passage of equipment. Denser arrangement of plants in a row leads to a denser garden and a decrease in yield.
Austrian gardeners prefer elderberry plants with a tree-like habit. To plant such gardens, they use two-year-old seedlings, the stem of which is stable if there are strong winds in the area. Annual seedlings can also be used for planting, but wind damages young plants to a greater extent. If the garden is created with annual seedlings, in the first years young standard plants should be tied to pegs.
The garden is established in the spring, planting seedlings at the same depth at which they grew in the nursery. The duration of operation of the plantings is 20-25 years.

Formation of plants
To maintain high productivity of plantings, elderberries are regularly pruned. Plants withstand pruning and rejuvenation well. The crown is formed like a bush or tree. Two-year-old seedlings with four branches are heavily pruned after planting, leaving two buds.
During the growing season, the shoots formed on the trunk are removed, and the crown is thinned out, leaving up to seven strong and upright shoots. In the second year, new shoots that form on the trunk and in the crown are pruned again. The branches that bear fruit are cut out. Standard elderberry trees form a harvest on annual shoots that bend down under the weight of the fruit. Thanks to the high stem, the berries do not touch the soil and are not contaminated. Such trees are easier to care for and harvest. And although the formation of standard plants and the removal of excess sprouts requires a lot of labor, they are justified by the greater productivity of the garden.

Regulatory trims
The elder tree annually forms many strong growths 1.5-2 m long, on which lateral fruit-bearing shoots are formed the following year. Under the weight of inflorescences and fruits, these shoots arch outward, which promotes annual growth in the inner part of the crown.
After cutting out the fruit-bearing wood, about 20-25 strong growths are left in the crown. Thus, the crown consists of two types of shoots: young and fruiting wood. Before pruning, strong annual shoots are determined (depending on the age of the tree, there can be 7-25 of them). Next, cut out two-year-old branches that have borne fruit, dried branches and weak or extra annual growths, if there are many of them. During summer pruning the crown is thinned out by removing or shortening shoots that are too vigorous - this ensures better lighting and growth of fruiting shoots.

Care
In young gardens it is worth mulching the tree trunk stripes - this improves water and temperature conditions in the area where the root system is located. The system by which row spacing is maintained - or sod - is determined by the amount of rainfall in the region. In black fallow, inter-row tillage is carried out shallowly so as not to damage the roots in the upper layers of the soil. In the rows, weeds are pulled out by hand or herbicides permitted in gardens are used. In regions with insufficient moisture, irrigation is important to obtain high yields.
In areas of sufficient moisture, a steam-green manure system is used: in summer on green manure sow - lupine, phacelia, etc. and wrap them in soil in the fall. According to the sod-humus system, a mixture is sown in the rows, which are periodically mowed, leaving the chopped grass in the garden.
Elderberry is susceptible to nitrogen fertilizers. The quantity and frequency of their application depends on the level of supply of plants with nitrogen and other nutrients. Mineral nitrogen fertilizers applied at the beginning of the growing season and immediately after flowering at a rate of approximately 90-120 kg/ha. Once every three years, organic fertilizers are applied during basic tillage, depending on the type of soil. Green fertilizers are an effective substitute for manure.

Pest protection
Elderberry is resistant to pests, although it can be harmed by aphids and mites. In commercial elderberry plantations in Europe, diseases of unknown etiology occur, probably due to the development of pathogenic fungi or physiological disturbances. Sometimes the crop is partially destroyed by birds, and mice damage root system, building numerous burrows. Since elderberry plants are often infected with viruses, planting material must be free of them.
During the years of mass reproduction of aphids and large quantity early spring eradicating sprays are carried out on overwintering eggs in gardens. The treatment is carried out at a temperature higher than 4 ° C until the buds begin to open. Against the aphids themselves, if there are many of them, they are used on the basis of dimethoate, fosalone, deltamethrin, lambda-cyhalothrin, fenitration, etc. If there are few pests, there is no need to use pesticides.

Harvesting
The yield of elderberry plantations varies less from year to year than the yield of apple trees, which are characterized by periodic fruiting. According to Austrian authors, an elderberry plantation produces the first harvest, about 1 kg per tree, in the year of planting, 17.5 kg in the second year, 35 kg in the fifth year. The planned yield of the elderberry garden is 14.6-20 t/ha. If elderberry is grown in bush form, the yield of the plantings is lower. The harvest from the bush in the second year after planting reaches 3 kg, in the third - 11 kg, in the fourth - 18, in the fifth - 20 kg of fruits per bush.

The fruits are harvested when they acquire their characteristic black color. Unripe and overripe fruits produce a reduced yield of anthocyanins. There should be no more than three unripe fruits per bunch. Most of the harvest can be collected without the use of ladders, because the branches with clusters bend down and are easy for a person standing on the ground to pick them off. During harvesting, the bunches are cut using garden pruners or grape shears.
If you harvest the crop in whole panicles, labor productivity is 70 kg per shift. Since the axes of the inflorescences contain the toxic substance sambunigrin, when collecting they should be separated from the fruit and removed. Labor productivity with this harvesting method is 45 kg of fruit per shift. If you harvest the crop in whole panicles and only then separate the fruits from the axes of the inflorescence, labor productivity is reduced to 30-40 kg. The collected fruits are immediately sent for processing to prevent the fermentation process.

Elderberry - very interesting, fanned folk beliefs plant. She is a member of the honeysuckle family. There are approximately 40 different species of elderberry known. In the north of our country, the most common is the cluster or red elderberry. Previously, it was a mandatory part of a village farmstead or personal plot.

It was believed that the characteristic odor of elderberry leaves could repel flies, mice and garden pests. Red elderberry, or common elderberry, like herbaceous elderberry, is a poisonous plant. Their flowers and berries contain cyanoglycosides, which is what gives them their almond smell.

Known for its medicinal properties, black elderberry is most common in the South. It contains a lot of medicinal and biologically active substances in flowers and fruits.

Black elderberry flowers are used for cooking medicinal infusions, which are used as a diaphoretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, disinfectant, choleretic and laxative, as well as for external use for burns, boils and wounds. The fruits are used to make preserves, compotes, jellies, marmalades, and are also used in the alcoholic beverage industry.

Black elderberry is a shrub or small tree, up to 10 meters high. It has gray bark, large, odd-pinnate leaves, consisting of individual lobes ranging from 3 to 9. There are many varieties of black elderberry. Its decorative varieties are used in garden and park plantings. Popular varieties include Purpurnaya, Madonna, Zolotaya, Pulverulenta, Marginata, Lanceolate, and Eve. The elderberry foliage of these varieties is very beautiful: golden yellow, with a silver edge, purple, bright green, dark purple.

Black elderberry flowers are collected in wide shield-shaped inflorescences, white or with a yellowish tint. In decorative varieties, the flowers can be creamy pink (Eva variety) and light pink. They have a pleasant aroma that attracts honey collecting insects.

Black elderberry fruits are small shiny black-purple berries containing 2 or 3 seeds. They ripen in September.

Growing elderberry

Different types of elderberry differ from each other in winter hardiness. Red elderberry tolerates well winter frosts, and black elderberry often freezes. Among its varieties there are both frost-resistant and cold-resistant. Non-lignified shoots of such varieties are frostbitten. Therefore, when buying an elderberry seedling, inquire about its frost resistance.

Where to plant elderberry? Elderberry, which has a not very pleasant smell that repels flies, is traditionally placed near toilets, compost and cesspools. Elderberry loves light, although at the same time it is shade-tolerant. It should be taken into account that with a lack of light, decorative varieties lose their attractiveness, their leaves become pale-colored.

Elderberry will grow worse on sandy soil than on loamy soil. The soil should be moderately moist and, if possible, nutritious, and the planting site should be protected from cold northern winds.

Caring for young plants involves watering, loosening the soil, thinning, and removing weeds. An adult elderberry does not require much care. In spring, its old shoots need to be cut out. To prevent the elderberry from spreading throughout the garden, you can dig it into the ground around it to a depth of 50 cm old slate at a distance of one and a half meters from the bush. It is good to mulch the soil under elderberry with peat or compost. It needs to be fed periodically mineral fertilizers. The plant especially loves urea.

Elderberry propagation

Elderberry is propagated by cuttings, seeds and layering.

Cuttings can be either woody or green. They are harvested in June or early July. Cuttings are cut with two or three internodes. The prepared cuttings are placed in a mixture of sand and peat, covered with a jar on top. They need to be watered regularly. In autumn, cuttings can be planted in the ground.

When breeding seeds They are harvested at the end of October, and can be sown both in spring and autumn. When sowing in autumn, seeds do not need to be specially prepared. They are sown to a depth of 2 - 2.5 cm. Shoots usually appear in April.

For spring sowing, the seeds are stratified. To do this, they are pre-soaked for several (3 - 6) days. When soaking, the water must be changed every day. Then they are mixed with moistened sand and placed in sealed packaging on a refrigerator shelf for 50 - 60 days. This technique improves seed germination. By the end of the first summer season seedlings grow up to half a meter. At the age of one year they can already be planted in a permanent place.

Layerings Elderberries can be added in drops both in autumn and in spring. When propagating by layering, after planting the main branches are shortened by 10 cm, the plant is regularly watered until it begins to grow.

Good luck to you in growing this useful plant!