Elder
Sambucus
An ornamental plant, planted at any time of year.
In September: nothing to do. It can be planted now.
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Elder, month by month
Bar: the usual months. Sprout: this month.
| Sowing, planting or job | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | 2027Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant a pot-grown elder. | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual | usual |
| Cut the elder hard back for new stems. | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none | none |
| Mulch the elder. | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | usual | none | none | none |
| Harvest the elder. | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | none | usual | usual | none | none |
What to do, and when
The usual months for a UK garden. Your own plan gives the week.
Planting
Plant a pot-grown elder at any time of year, 50cm apart. Strong sources: RHS and Ashridge Nurseries.
Cut the elder hard back for new stems
Gardeners call this coppicing and stooling for stem display.
Cut all the growth back hard, to a stubby low framework or to ground level.
Usually February to April. Moderate source: RHS.
Mulch the elder
Use organic matter such as garden compost, to support stem and flower growth.
Usually March to May. Moderate source: RHS.
Harvest the elder
Usually May to June. Moderate source: Gardeners’ World.
What the source words mean
Strong: the RHS page for this plant is among them.Moderate: another trusted UK source, or the RHS on its group.
Every line above names the page it comes from. Where we found no good source for a job, we left it out. Where the name “Elder” comes from.