34 replies to this topic

[PsyBearknot]

Ranch:
Ranch tends to be more compact and upright. Shorter plants make for easier harvesting, and this plant might be good fit for a “You Pick” operation. Tolerates marginal or less fertile soilshttp://normsfarms.co...berry-cuttings/
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Cuttings soaked in water and dipped in rooting hormone before planted

[PsyBearknot]

Adams:
Adams. This variety ripens early and produces large clusters of purplish/black berries. This robust cultivar produces sweet berries and large yields. Adams was originally collected as an old cultivar from New York.http://normsfarms.co...berry-cuttings/IMG_4623.JPG

Cuttings dipped in rooting hormone after being soaked in water

[PsyBearknot]

'Haschberg
Also described as German but mostly described as the European elderberry.
Haschberg is a variety of black European elder, especially popular in commercial orchards in Austria and Germany. It produces abundant and large clusters of dark purple berries, and grows to about 8 feet tall.
European black elderberries are the most sought-after and productive elder species because they have been selected for heavy yields and tolerance of temperatures well below 0°F. If you buy elderberries or elderberry tincture in the store, you are most likely looking at a variety of European black elder, Sambucus nigra. This species is partly self-fertile, so doesn't require cross pollination, but the yields will be heavier with a second variety planted near by.
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Had some pest problems on these cuttings but got this from a local Gardner
Cut back the damaged and letting re grow

The mother was out all winter. Hard to see but it's sending new growth up from the soil by the base of the stem.

[PsyBearknot]

Goldbeere
The only golden-berried elderberry, 'Goldbeere' was developed by German growers, a group that doesn't mess around when it comes to plant breeding. Shrub is more upright than other European cultivars and very productive. Since this is a nigra selection, you need to process the berries to make them edible, either by cooking or wine-making. Fabulous with the native Scuppernong grape in jams or jellies. And if you're looking for golden berries for flower arrangements in mid-summer, these branches are unsurpassed in mixed bouquets
(At this time I may not have a live plant as I am waiting till spring to see if last years plant survives the winter )

No signs of life ATM

[Arathu]

Awesome!....................... I used to pick for the old guy up the road when I was a kid (now I'm the old guy up the road) and he'd let me taste the wine...............

 

 

A

[PsyBearknot]

Well let’s put a little life back in this thread

[Arathu]

Well let’s put a little life back in this threadD222CFEA-20DE-4C70-B0ED-7DDF60599867.jpeg

I'm outta likes and definitely starting some of my own this year.....good growing vibes!

 

A

[PsyBearknot]

Good to see you man.

My first year cuttings did not like the container they were in. They did not grow too well. They will get ground and raised beds this year so they should do better.

It will be interesting with the seeds to see what type of plant grows for them. One week into the cold soak

[PsyBearknot]

Time and space cut the cold soak about 1/2 but still in the parameters of the cold soak time being a benefit in germination
50-54 seeds sowen in peat pellets

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[happy4nic8r]

I just found a huge elderberry tree in my sisters back yard, just in time to see this post. I'm going out today to check out the possibility of winter cuttings to transplant to my place for a collection of my own. I'll take pics later on when the berries come out again.

Thanks once again to the watchful eyes and careful posts of the members here.

 

added note: this tree is well over 20 years old, and 30 feet high. It grows a huge amount of elderberries and the birds eat most of them because there is no way of getting to most of them. I don't know much about this plant, but I am familiar with the syrup. I am learning more about the plant as we speak.

Edited by happy4nic8r, 20 February 2018 - 12:12 PM.

[PsyBearknot]

Perfect time to take cuttings
See IF you can find some young wood or 1-2 year old wood.
Make a clean cutting and use rooting hormone and stick into dirt / compost / potting mix and you should bee good

[PsyBearknot]

No activity yet on the Seeds

Looking like 3 out of the 6 plants from last year are waking up

Edited by PsyBearknot, 22 March 2018 - 08:59 PM.

[PsyBearknot]

6 out of 7 are ALIVE
They will be happy they are getting out of the containers and going into the ground (In a new garden plot I just added in addition to my back yard

Edited by PsyBearknot, 22 March 2018 - 09:02 PM.

[PsyBearknot]

[GLP]

PsyBearknot, I also used the seeds from Strictly Medicinal, using outside winter propagation instead of freezer stratification. Due to our winters, I knew I would lose a few this way, but it was so much easier for me to plant and forget for a few months. In the spring I had multiple little plants which needed tender love and care which they did not always get. But now after 5 years I have 4 beautiful plants that are 6 foot around and 8 foot tall. They provide blossoms for soda's, leaves for tea, and berries for syrups, pies and scones, and wine in the future. Because I suffer from Epstein-Barr, the syrup was the main thing I needed after my research which I will share below.

 

I have had the privilege of conversations with an Israeli Researcher, Dr. Madeleine Mumcuoglu (pronounced mum-shu-glu). She has told me about a remarkable elderberry extract she developed called Sambucol. (Sambucol comes from the Latin name for elderberry, Sambucus nigra.) I’ve been investigating Sambucol for some time, and it is definitely something you need to be aware of.  Sambucol has been shown to be effective at inactivatin viruses, which is no small feat. Proven antiviral preparations are few and far between, especially natural ones. With the exception of the expensive and limited use of interferon, even the pharmaceutical companies haven’t been able to come up with an effective antiviral. Surprisingly, the person who discovered interferon also played a part in the development of Sambucol.

 

 In 1980, Dr. Mumcuoglu looked for a research topic to complete her doctorate in virology (the study of viruses).  Her supervisor, Dr. Jean Linderman, the discoverer of interferon, suggested elderberries. Dr. Mumcuoglu acted on the suggestion and completed her thesis on elderberries in the early 1980s. But she didn’t pursue the topic again for the next 10 years. It was in 1992 that she resumed her research on the antiviral effects of elderberries. Shortly thereafter, she developed and patented a procedure to isolate certain active compounds from the berries.

 

Her extract proved to be just as effective in human tests as it did in the laboratory. Since elderberries had been used extensively in folk medicine to treat influenza, Dr. Mumcuoglu told me she decided to channel her first research efforts in that direction. And since elderberries are known to be nontoxic, Dr. Mumcuoglu was able to test her product on actual patients in the Southern Israeli flu epidemic of 1992-93. The results were very encouraging. Within 24 hours, 20 percent of those patients taking Sambucol had dramatic improvements in symptoms like fever, muscle aches and pains, and coughing. By the second day, 73 percent were improved and by day three, 90 percent. In the untreated group, only 16 percent felt better after two days. It took the majority of that group almost a week to begin feeling better. (Infect Dis April 26-30, 1994; Prague, Abstract #1271,392)

 

 I’ve talked to numerous doctors and patients using the product, and everyone I’ve interviewed so far had nothing but praise for it. Everyone agreed that if the product is taken at the first sign of flu, the problem will disappear within 24 to 48 hours. Some report that it is just as effective for treating colds and even the herpes-like Epstein-Barr virus. In our discussions, Dr. Mumcuoglu didn’t seem surprised that the extract worked on other viral conditions as well as the flu. Dr. Mumcuoglu also told me that Researchers at Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Israel have shown that in laboratory tests, Sambucol stimulates the body’s immune system by increasing production of disease-fighting lymphocytes. It also acts as a powerful antioxidant.

 

 Why conventional medicines haven’t been effective. Today, most research efforts are now concentrating on creating drugs that inactivate viruses and make them incapable of penetrating healthy cells, instead of killing the viruses outright. However, these drugs have been difficult to create since viruses can mutate into hundreds, if not thousands, of different forms. Dr. Mumcuoglu’s extract seems to work based on this premise. The active ingredients in elderberries apparently bind with viruses before they have a chance to penetrate the wall of a normal cell. This is another case where a natural substance has far greater capabilities than anything man can create synthetically.

 

 She told me the extract has been lab tested on seven different strains of influenza viruses—Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, Ann Arbor, Yamagata, Texas and Panama. It was effective on every single one. As far as its effectiveness on Epstein-Barr, colds, and other viral-related diseases, it is still being tested. Based on its mode of action though, it should prove to be effective on a wide range of “envelope” viruses such as influenza viruses, the hundreds of rhinoviruses responsible for colds, the Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, and the herpes virus.

 

 How to use Sambucol: While Sambucol has been sold in Israel over the counter for some time, only recently has it become available in the United States and France. It comes in two forms, as liquid syrup or as a lozenge. Each package contains enough for four days (for adults), more than enough to knock out a cold or flu.

 

 The normal recommended dosages are:

 • Children under one year, two teaspoons daily.

 • Children 1–6 years old, one or two table-spoons or two lozenges daily.

 • Children 6–12 years old, two to three tablespoons or lozenges daily.

• Children over 12 and adults, four tablespoons or lozenges.

 

 Since Sambucol is slightly acidic, it should be taken following meals to avoid stomach upset. The standard product has been sweetened with honey and glucose. If you are counting calories or are diabetic, you might consider the product sweetened with aspartame.

 

 

How to make your own elderberry syrup.

 

Prep time 5 mins

Cook time 1 hour

Total time 1 hour 5 mins

 

A simple elderberry syrup recipe made with dried elderberries, honey and herbs for an immune boosting and delicious syrup. Can be used medicinally or on homemade pancakes or waffles.

Author: Wellness Mama

Serves: 1 quart

Ingredients

 

    ⅔ cup dried black elderberries (about 3 ounces)

    3½ cups of water

    2 Tablespoons fresh or dried ginger root

    1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

    ½ teaspoon cloves or clove powder

    1 cup raw honey (we get from our farmer's market)

 

Instructions

 

    Pour water into medium saucepan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon and cloves (do not add honey!)

    Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour until the liquid has reduced by almost half. At that point, remove from heat and let cool enough to be handled. Mash the berries carefully using a spoon or other flat utensil. Pour through a strainer into a glass jar or bowl.

    Discard the elderberries (or compost them!) and let the liquid cool to lukewarm. When it is no longer hot, add 1 cup of honey and stir well.

    When honey is well mixed into the elderberry mixture, pour the syrup into a quart sized Mason jar or 16 ounce glass bottle of some kind.

Store in the fridge and take daily for its immune boosting properties.

Is there a substitute for honey in elderberry syrup?

Some people prefer not to use a sweetener and honey is not recommended for babies under 1-2 years old. Some easy substitutes are:

 

• Use maple syrup or nutrient rich molasses in place of the honey.
• Omit the sweetener all together (this will make elderberry juice which will need to be consumed much more quickly).
• Make an elderberry tincture for adults. Mix the concentrated elderberry syrup with equal parts food grade alcohol like vodka or brandy instead of sweetener. This obviously wouldn’t be for kids, but is a sweetener free option for adults.

 

Can I use powdered elderberries?

Yes, I’ve used powdered elderberries when whole elderberries weren’t available. Just use about 1/2 cup in this recipe instead of 2/3 cup.