Harvesting my Elderberries and they were playing hard to get
So I used my pole saw shear to cut the little teases off!
The Elderberry "bushes" are on the hillside and tower above the ground. Every year I have tried different methods of harvesting them with varying levels of success. This year I decided to try my pole saw shear and cut the branches holding the berries. It is far safer than hauling the ladder up and climbing to the top of it while it is leaned against a tree on a steep hillside.
And it is stupidly difficult to see the milky whitish blueish berries against the partly cloudy and blue sky behind. The easiest way is to look for the berry cluster shape and outline. The pole saw was fully extended to 16 feet and I had my arms above my head to get the highest berries. While I admit this is not the way to get every last berry, it is allowing me to get more than I would if I weren't to pick them. The bunches fall to the ground and bust a number of Elderberries off of the bunches, but I figure it is acceptable losses.
I use the icing buckets for hauling everything and especially for harvesting produce. The handle makes it super handy and the things are really tough and durable. They also work well when a rope or webbing is tied to the handle to hang around the neck for harvesting. I use them slung when I am climbing apple trees as it gives me a manageable weight to down climb with.
10.5 pounds of Elderberries in the bucket, with stems, equals approx 7 pounds of actual berries. I figure 1/3 of the weight on average is from the stems and try to use this measurement when saving for wine recipes. These are sitting in the bucket outside, under the carport, to allow the bugs and spiders to migrate their way out of the berries before they get frozen. I prefer to give them an opportunity to save themselves instead of just dropping them in freezer with no warning. They may be bugs, but still they deserve a chance, plus I don't want them in my berries.
The Elderberries will be frozen and added to the stockpile of fruit and berries that is threatening to overflow our giant chest freezer. I SERIOUSLY need to make some more batches of wine to make room for new harvest.
More vinting... SHUCKS!!
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Very cool. The local ones here look like this.
Want to swap some cuttings to propagate?
Those look killer! Ours are the Western Blue Elderberry - Sambucus nigra. I will trade in an instant if I am able to take late season cuttings.... otherwise it will be an assignment for spring. These northern latitudes make it a bit tough as fall comes on.
BUT I will say that these have sprouted from seed. I had been throwing the chaff and old, no good berries to the chickens for a while. Well the berries sprouted and I now have a very larger clump of Elderberry growing. This is the 3rd year of their major growth and they have produced about 3 pounds of berries. Next year will be closer to 8 or 10 pounds given the size of the growth this year. Only problem is it is taking over one of my garden spots... but is is probably more valuable than what I would grow in that area anyway.
Let's try cuttings and if that don't work try again in spring. Are you on chat?
Sounds good. I'm on Discord and Slack. My Discord is flemingfarm#7006.
This is the bush the best of your cuttings came from. It had access to large quantities of nutrients being next to the sheep pen so grew very nicely this year. Only 2 years old and this little one put out a pound of berries.
We love the health benefits of Elderberry and have been propagating some for our homestead. I'm currently aware of three main colors, the dark purple, which we have, the light blue, which you have, and a red one too, but I hear that it is poisonous.
Do you know any more about any of that?
I know there is a Black, Blue, and Red Elderberry. None of them to my understanding are poisonous. There is report of:
Other than that there it nothing I can think of that would be of major concern.
Thanks for letting me know.
What an ingenious idea! Using the pole saw shear to cut them down. At least this way you get more berries with a little wastage. I bet they'll make delicious wine!
They are wonderful for wine, whether alone or in a mix, Elderberry is awesome.
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Those are giant "bushes"! Good call on not using the ladder!