Content
- 1 History of variety selection
- 2 Description of elderberry Black Lace
- 3 Characteristics of the variety
- 4 Planting and caring for black elderberry Black Lace
- 5 How does elderberry reproduce?
- 6 The use of elderberry in landscape design
- 7 Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
- 8 Conclusion
- 9 Reviews
A beautiful ornamental shrub is successfully used in landscape design. According to its characteristics, black elderberry Black Lace is suitable for decorating gardens in many climatic zones. This is a unique and beautiful variety of ornamental plant, with a rich aroma and benefits of berries and flowers, which are successfully used in folk medicine. In addition, it bears tasty berries that are perfect for consumption.
History of variety selection
The name of the variety translates as black lace. This decorative variety is known recently and came to Russia from Europe. In the Moscow region, this variety has a second name - “Eva”. The Black Lace elderberry looks picturesque both in the photo and on the site, and there are no difficulties in caring for it.
Description of elderberry Black Lace
It is a deciduous shrub that grows vertically. It reaches a height of 2–10 meters. The branches are dense, but very thin.While the branches are young, they are green in color and in appearance resemble stems more than full-fledged tree branches. The leaves are long and consist of an odd number of individual leaflets.
Elderberry begins to bloom at the end of spring and continues until the end of August. White and light beige inflorescences form on the tree. The inflorescences reach 20 cm in diameter. After flowering, at the end of summer, the berries begin to ripen. These are black, small berries with red flesh and a seed. During flowering, the elderberry develops a strong aroma, which, when found close, even becomes unbearable for some.
Recommended areas for cultivation: Moscow region, North-West and most of Russia, with the exception of Southern and Central Siberia.
Characteristics of the variety
Black elderberry Black Lace is used not only as an ornamental shrub, but also as a berry bush with healthy and tasty fruits. The variety in question has its own characteristics that determine its distribution area and options for use.
Drought resistance, frost resistance
This is an unpretentious plant, quite resistant to frost. But it is necessary to provide the shrub with timely watering. In hot summers you need to water at least once a week. Flooding is also not recommended, but the soil under the bush should be moist. This way the elderberry will bear fruit better and look beautiful.
There are indications that the shrub, with proper care and a snowy winter, can withstand frosts down to -25 °C.
Productivity and fruiting
The elderberry variety in question begins to bear fruit at the end of summer. Fruiting lasts until the end of September.Since the plant is most often used for decorative purposes, there is no exact data on the yield, but the taste of the berries, according to reviews, is good. The variety is not prone to shedding and the berries feel excellent when left in the sun for a long time. It is important that a shrub located in the shade will not bear fruit at all.
Area of application of fruits
Compotes and jams are made from elderberries. But most often the berries are used as cosmetics. Tea with elderberry jam has diaphoretic properties and helps with colds in winter. Dry elderberries are excellent at repelling rodents. Homemade wine and some types of medicinal tinctures are also prepared from elderberry.
Resistance to diseases and pests
Plants are not resistant to the following diseases:
- fusarium;
- powdery mildew;
- anthracnose;
- phyllosticosis.
Among the pests for elderberries, the most dangerous is the spider mite. Aphids also often attack elderberries. To control and prevent diseases and pests, proven fungicides and insecticides should be used. This will help prevent the leaves from curling and killing the plant.
Advantages and disadvantages of the variety
Among the advantages of this variety, it should be noted: a wide range of application, use for both decorative and culinary purposes, as well as unpretentiousness in care and in choosing a place for planting.
A relative disadvantage of Black Lace elderberry can be considered low resistance to some diseases and pests, which is fully compensated by properly carried out prevention.
Planting and caring for black elderberry Black Lace
To obtain a harvest and beautiful shrubs on the site, it is important to follow the rules of agricultural technology.With proper care, the shrub can live for more than 30 years and delight others with its beauty.
Recommended timing
Planting should be carried out either in the spring, when the threat of return frosts has completely disappeared, or in the autumn. In autumn, it is recommended to plant the plant 1.5 months before the onset of the first cold weather. This way the shrub will have time to take root and survive the winter calmly.
Choosing a suitable location
The place for planting elderberry of this variety should be sunny and with minimal access to the wind. Elderberry does not like winds, and therefore, even in the wild, it tries to grow near hedges and slopes. The eastern and northern sides of the site are considered optimal. Elderberry has no special complaints about the soil; it takes root in almost any soil. But optimal growth is obtained on slightly alkaline soils.
Selection and preparation of seedlings
The optimal seedling should not exceed 25 cm in height. There must be at least 2 healthy buds on the trunk. The seedling must be planted in a pot with moist soil and a drainage system. When the seedling takes root, it can be transplanted to a pre-selected location.
Landing algorithm
For planting, you need to prepare the soil and the hole itself for the seedling. The hole should be 50–60 cm in diameter. In this recess you should add:
- 50 g phosphorus;
- 50 g of potash fertilizers;
- 8 kg of humus.
Mix all these fertilizers with garden soil and partially pour them into the hole for the seedling. The rooted seedling should be placed on this mass and sprinkled with the rest. It is important that the root collar must remain on the surface. Immediately after planting, it is necessary to water the bush, after compacting the soil.
Aftercare for elderberry
For proper growth and reproduction, the Blake Lace elderberry must be provided with timely and competent care.
Watering should be carried out once a week if there has been no normal precipitation during this time. If the weather is too rainy, it is recommended to mulch the soil around the trunk.
Care should also include loosening so that the root system constantly breathes. After the shrub has begun to flower, it is necessary to feed the plant with complex fertilizer.
In the fall, it is important to prepare elderberries for wintering:
- harvest;
- in dry summers, the shrub should be watered before wintering;
- apply fungicides in October;
- in mid-autumn, treat the trunk with lime.
The plant should be formed in the form of a bush. The cutting order is as follows:
- In spring, the upper branches should be reduced by 1 bud, and the side branches by 5 buds.
- A ring shape is used for old branches.
- Once every three years, it is necessary to rejuvenate the bush, cutting off the shoots almost completely, leaving only stump shoots 15 cm long.
How does elderberry reproduce?
Elderberry propagation occurs in three ways:
- By layering. Gives the greatest result, and therefore is most often used. It is necessary to bend a young elderberry branch to the ground and sprinkle it with fertile soil. The end of the escape should remain at the top. You can plant it next year when the shoot takes root.
- Cuttings. The most common option. Cuttings must be prepared in advance and rooted before planting.
- Seeds. In order to propagate the shrub by seed, it is necessary to purchase seeds in the store, since those collected from the berries do not retain the characteristics of the variety and the parent plant.
The use of elderberry in landscape design
Most often, black elderberry of the Black Lace variety is used and has reviews specifically for landscape decoration. The shrub is excellent for landscaping areas and local areas, and is also used in alpine slides. Due to its growth rate, it is successfully used to create hedges. But in this case, the bush requires constant pruning. If you care for it correctly and combine it with other plants, you can create flower beds with different levels and microborders.
Diseases and pests, methods of control and prevention
There are several ways to prevent diseases and pests from appearing on shrubs. In autumn it is necessary to spray the plant with fungicides. In spring and summer, it is imperative to treat the elderberry bush with insecticides.
It is also necessary to use preparations that, according to the instructions, should be applied to the root collar.
The frequency of various treatments is 50 days.
Conclusion
Black elderberry Black Lace came from Europe and is used for landscape design throughout Russia with great success. Among the many advantages, it is worth highlighting unpretentiousness and frost resistance. The disadvantages include susceptibility to some diseases and pests. But with proper care, this shrub will be an excellent decoration for the site, and the berries will also be useful for jam.
