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After the second year, pruning should be done annually in early spring. All dead, broken and weak canes should be removed. Three-year-old canes should be removed, as they produce less fruit and appear to be more prone to winter injury. Removal of older canes will. May 29, When trimming elderberry plants, remove any dead, broken, or noticeably low-yield canes from the shrub at the trunk with the shears.

Canes that are over three years old go next. Elderberry canes are at peak production in their first three years; thereafter, productivity declines, so it is best to cut them out at this juncture of the elderberry stumpcut.barted Reading Time: 3 mins. When to prune elderberry bushes Pruning should take place in winter when the plant is dormant. In the case of both elderberry types, March is the best time for more drastic pruning if the bushes become too big.

Pruning elderberry in October & February. Elderberry cuttings are typically sold between January and March. We only sell cuttings ahead of the growing season so we can give you the best quality dormant stems.

This means pre-orders are typically available in the fall and go through the winter, and cuttings ship from January through April. Growing with loose, arching canes, elderberries require pruning and trimming to keep the shrubs dense and to improve fruit production. 1 Remove 4-year-old canes by cutting them back to the ground.

Elderberry Plant Care This plant spreads by root suckers which should be pruned out unless you are naturalizing an area to create a thicket. In late winter to early spring (before the plant begins to leaf out), prune out all branches that are 3 or more years old as these older branches become less productive. Jan 04, Elderberry bushes (or elderberry trees--they're the same thing) are mostly known as wildlife plants, but they look great in a natural garden setting, as well.

They're hardy plants that bloom white flowers in late spring, which, in turn, produce dark, edible berries that are ready for harvesting when their color is dark purple (or even black), usually in late summer or early fall (August-September).Author: Gurney's Seed And Nursery Co. Aug 28, At Direct Native Plants, we take many precautions to make sure your plants will arrive in the best condition possible. Our perennials are grown in a 4” quart-sized pot.

These plants are then cut back to fit our packaging, placed in a protective clamshell container (made from recycled materials), and then shipped to you in a cardboard stumpcut.bar Time: June to July.