Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Old elderflower tree in need of care

sarah.j.honsbergEHeNnNyZsarah.j.honsbergEHeNnNyZ Posts: 2
in Problem solving
Good morning everyone! 
We recently moved house and have inherited an old, neglected elderflower that is in need of care. I have only found advice in pruning much smaller bushes and I am concerned that if we prune it back, it will not grow back. There is also no way for us to reach the top. I would be so grateful for any advice. We love this tree and it provides important cover in the garden. I’ll post a picture to help. Thank you! 
Sarah

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    If you cut the long green new branches close to the woody branches they will tend to fall down vertically and you can remove them easily. You should be able to cut most of them with secateurs. Do this before they go woody. You will then have a more manageable shape and you can decide what to do with the older branches.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited October 2020
    Hello @sarah.j.honsbergEHeNnNyZ  and welcome to the forum 😊. 

    That’s lovely 😊 
    I wouldn’t do much to it other than to remove any obviously dead wood. It is as you say an older tree and won’t grow much more so if it can remain at that size it’ll be happy for a while.

     In the spring I would give the area around it a generous sprinkling of dried chicken manure pellets. In the country elders are always to be found around chicken runs ... they seem to like the nitrogen from the droppings. 

    They don’t make old trees, so while you’re enjoying its venerable beauty I would keep your eyes open for some of its offspring popping up in the garden from blackbird droppings ... you can nurture a few and choose its replacement when the time comes ... 🌱 

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505

    Mine is fairly old and in the spring I prune off the non flowering branches and prune it again when the birds have finished the berries. They are short lived but I'm hoping to get few more years out of it.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,697
    We cut right back every 3 years and the following year all the new growth is very healthy but obviously no flowers.
    The next year we get loads of flowers which some are taken for elderflower wine and the rest left to make elderberry wine with the remaining bunches being left for the birds.
    Ours is not as large as Sarahs so B3s advice is good.
  • sarah.j.honsbergEHeNnNyZsarah.j.honsbergEHeNnNyZ Posts: 2
    Thank you everyone for the lovely advice. I will enjoy the tree while it lasts and give it a bit of care while we can. 
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have an elder about the same size as yours and I agree with the above advice. Don't worry about the top. Take out the dead wood that you can reach. Elders do seem to get dead limbs fairly regularly - bits die off and new bits sprout.  Enjoy it while it's there.
Sign In or Register to comment.