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Post by rowanberry on Apr 23, 2023 8:34:48 GMT
Several years ago, an elder sapling came up right beside the path to our front door... I knew it wouldn't survive there, so I dug it out and potted it. It didn't appreciate being transplanted, and even though it survived it stayed about the same size for the rest of the year. Last year it grew about 20 centimeters, so I wasn't too worried about it.
Well, it's suddenly decided it wants to be a proper tree, and it has grown. Over the winter it's shot up and filled out, and is now almost a metre tall. (I've not taken a photo because it's raining... I'll try and get one later.) From what I've been able to find online, I should have pruned it in March, so it's too late now and I don't want to kill it... not after all this time!
My question is - how long can it live in a pot? We are hoping to move in the next year or so, and I'd like to take it along. If I increase the pot size, it's only going to get even bigger and might get too big to manage. I did have a brief interest in bonsai trees at one time, and I know the technique used to hinder a tree's size is to prune the roots- should I think about doing this come autumn? Again, I don't want to damage the tree... just slow it down a bit It's in a large terracotta pot at the moment.
Any ideas for its care would be much appreciated!
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Post by Psamathe on Apr 23, 2023 10:55:08 GMT
I'm afraid I don't value elder. Elder has pretty well wiped out a old hedgerow on one side of my garden. Loads of berries but nothing seems to eat them. It spreads like a weed, is short-lived and then fall down destroying other "better" terrsd that are trying to establish.
My hedgerow has suffered from Dutch Elm Disease so the larger trees are mostly dying. I've purchased and planted quite a lot of Field maple, dog wood, spindle, holly, hazel, etc. However there is a lot of elder which quickly grown, dies, falls down breaking/crushing the saplings I've planted. So whilst the elder is there I'm getting virtually nowhere in replacing the trees.
I'd suggest if you have space for a tree visit a nursery and get a small sapling, maybe a species that has fruits sought by wildlife. Bare-rooted in autumn are often very low cost.
Ian
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Post by ianr on Apr 24, 2023 7:35:49 GMT
Must be nice to have a hedge that'll take large trees and plenty of them by the sounds of things. Are there any schemes out there that would give you native trees and shrubs to replant the hedge? it seems there big on getting trees planted wherever they can. Could save you some money Ian trees aren't cheap. Talking of saplings this time of year I end up pulling small oak and sycamore out of the garden and walking down the road with the dog I pass horse chestnut and sycamore with dozens of saplings underneath that will never come to anything. As for your elder rowanberry just keep it pot bound maybe. I had a rowan pop up in the garden a a few years back I nurtured it till it shot up too much and I don't have room for one so got the daughter to put it on face book for a fiver they were queuing up for it, should have put the price up ian
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Post by rowanberry on Apr 25, 2023 6:25:35 GMT
Psamathe... I use elderflowers in spring to make salves, and the berries in autumn to make a tinture for colds and flu- it's interesting the birds don't don't the berries from yours- I have a constant battle trying to keep the pigeons from eating them all! The blackbirds also like them, but the pigeons especially so.
Ian... I did think about advertising it if it gets too big, (I'd need to take it out of the pot first- it's worth more than a fiver! I think what I'll do is keep it as is for now- if it starts looking miserable I'll either repot it larger, or put it on freecycle. Anytime I've put plants or saplings on there, they've gone with hours. I might move it to the back garden so it will get more light, though.
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Post by aeshna5 on Apr 25, 2023 14:47:11 GMT
I'm surprised by Psamathe's comments regarding the berries & birds as here everything tends to go for them- Starlings, Wood Pigeons & warblers love fattening themselves up before migration.
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