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sambucus nigra branches keep snapping

abibryningabibryning Posts: 2
in Problem solving
new to gardening and hoping you can help! i hard pruned my sambucus in march. The new branches are growing well but very vertical.... not bushing out and no flowers this year having always flowered previously. As they are getting longer they are snapping with the weight. The insides are white and they are not woody in any way... is this normal? can anyone advise what might be wrong and what i should do? when should i next prune to ensure flowers next year? Thanks 

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  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    Hello abibryning and welcome to the forum. I have had exactly the same problem with my black Sambucus but it was due to the strong to gale force winds we had the other week. I just removed the damaged shoots (which were about a metre long) back to the main stem and it is now about to flower. You may have removed the flowering shoots when you hard pruned in March. Just shape the shrub now and tidy up any damaged branches and it should be fine for next year.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • dappledshadedappledshade Posts: 1,017
    abibryning said:
    new to gardening and hoping you can help! i hard pruned my sambucus in march. The new branches are growing well but very vertical.... not bushing out and no flowers this year having always flowered previously. As they are getting longer they are snapping with the weight. The insides are white and they are not woody in any way... is this normal? can anyone advise what might be wrong and what i should do? when should i next prune to ensure flowers next year? Thanks 
    Sounds like you pruned off the flowering stems, if you cut them in March. I made that mistake too, once 😊 
    You have to prune (if at all) after flowering as they flower on old wood. 
    However, the black berries that follow the flowers are very pretty, so worth leaving on.
  • abibryningabibryning Posts: 2
    thanks @dappledshade. one question though.... if they dont flower this year when should i prune it because its grown sooooo big again already! i wont hard prune but will need to take some off ahead of next year. thanks!
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