My Black Lace Elderberry Bushes Are Loosing Branches.

I planted 2 Black lace elderberry bushes last fall. Each were 12″ tall. This year one grew 5′ and the other 3′-5″. All was well until 2 weeks ago when leaves started wilting. We had rain last week and 75% of the branches were laying on the ground the next day. They broke off where the branch meets the main stem. I checked for insects and found none. I also cut open several branches and found no borers. Can anyone explain this strange problem? We have had quite a few hot days with not enough rain, but I watered the base of the plants every 3 days. I live in north NJ.

1 Comment (Open | Close)

1 Comment To "My Black Lace Elderberry Bushes Are Loosing Branches."

#1 Comment By GKH_Susan On 08/28/2023 @ 9:15 am

They were very thin and spindly. Has the soil been enriched with compost? They prefer moist soil. Try watering less often but more deeply. You might consider a soil test to see if something is amiss.

The first couple of years they should be left to grow. After that, they do best with yearly pruning.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/elderberry/pruning-an-elderberry.htm ^[1]

https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2020/08/what-best-way-grow-elderberries ^[2]

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm ^[3]

Article printed from Gardening Know How Questions & Answers: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com

URL to article: https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com/my-black-lace-elderberry-bushes-are-loosing-branches/

URLs in this post:

[1] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/elderberry/pruning-an-elderberry.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/elderberry/pruning-an-elderberry.htm

[2] https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2020/08/what-best-way-grow-elderberries: https://extension.unh.edu/blog/2020/08/what-best-way-grow-elderberries

[3] https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm

Have any questions about this topic? Visit us at https://questions.gardeningknowhow.com to ask your questions and get friendly answers from gardening experts.

You can also find us at:
'Like' us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gardeningknowhow
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gardenknowhow - @gardenknowhow
Follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/gardenknowhow/