How to Care for Sambucus Elderberry

Cultivate the soil with a spade until it is loose to a depth of 12 inches.

Mix 3 to 4 inches of organic compost with the turned garden soil.

Make a planting hole double the diameter of the root ball and deep enough to set the roots of sambucus elderberry at their prior depth.

Situate the roots in the hole and cover them with the soil and compost mixture. Leave a space of at least 6 feet between bushes.

Add water until the soil feels evenly moist at root level.

Apply a 2- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch under the bush, beginning a distance of 3 to 4 inches from the main stem and extending out to the tips of the farthest reaching branches.

Keep the soil evenly moist throughout the first growing season. Provide supplemental moisture only during very dry weather after the initial season.

Prune during late winter to eliminate the oldest branches and those that are damaged or unsightly. Clip off unwanted shoots that form at the base of the bush.

Apply a fresh layer of organic mulch in early to mid-fall and again in spring. This helps to protect the root system, controls weeds and works as a fertilizer, as the mulch adds nutrients to the soil when it decomposes.

Stretch bird netting over the bushes when berries start to develop if you plan to use the fruits, as wild birds devour them quickly if they are left unprotected.