If you want a beautiful plant and a full harvest of tart and tangy elderberries, adding fertilizer is a task you can’t put off if you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor to the fullest.
Fertilizing will not only help your plant grow to its full potential, with big, fragrant flowers and healthy foliage, it will also help to promote a healthy and abundant berry harvest.
If only fertilizing elderberries were as simple as tossing some nutrients at your plants when you have the time!
But it isn’t. You need to apply fertilizer at the right time and in the correct amounts if you want to get this garden task right.
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If you’re looking for a little guidance, read on. We’re about to get into the weeds when it comes to elderberry fertilizer.
Here’s what I’ll cover:
Test Your SoilIdeally, you would conduct a soil test before planting your elderberry shrub to determine the pH level of the soil, and any nutrient deficiencies.
After you have amended your soil with compost and planted your shrub, it’s not recommended to apply any additional fertilizer it in the first year of growth.
Soil testing is also a good idea if you want to minimize your impact on the land, because it enables you to add only the nutrients the soil needs, without adding things it doesn’t – which is often the case when we blanket-fertilize, using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Excess fertilizer can leach into groundwater and have a negative impact on the environment, so it’s best to avoid applying it except when absolutely necessary.
You can get your soil tested at your local extension office, which is a department run
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