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Sunbeam Borb 🌻:pirate_flag: via wakest ⁂

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 16:12:37 -0700 from mastodon

More #elderberries

Image/photo

wakest ⁂

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 16:16:19 -0700 from mastodon

@Sunbeam Borb 🌻:pirate_flag: I just noticed they are all ready in Berlin rn too. I was thinking of collecting some for some juice or something

Sunbeam Borb 🌻:pirate_flag:

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 16:58:33 -0700 from mastodon

@˗ˏˋ wakest ˎˊ˗ I plan on making syrup. Most recipes call for honey, but I'm considering maple syrup and putting it on pancakes.

Adam Robertson

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 19:15:17 -0700 from Streams

Elderberries are a powerful anti-viral. We make a tincture/syrup out of it every year and take shots throughout the fall/winter to combat colds and such.

@Sunbeam Borb 🌻:pirate_flag: Where are your elderberries from? They grow wild here in our part of California, although they have been scanty this year because of drought conditions.

mike

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 19:37:23 -0700 from y

My mum used to pick them wild and make them into wine. I've got many fond memories of raiding the wine cellar. Her strawberry wine was the tastiest, but the elderberry wine was deadly alcoholic.

Adam Robertson

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 21:56:23 -0700 from Streams

@mike. Do elderberries grow wild where you live? I know they grow in Europe and all over the US

Sunbeam Borb 🌻:pirate_flag:

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:12:17 -0700 from mastodon

@Adam Robertson @mike I ordered cuttings from a farm and planted them. They're native, but none around where I live that I've found.

mike

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 00:49:39 -0700 from y

That was in Calif...

Adam Robertson

Tue, 16 Aug 2022 18:08:00 -0700 from Streams

@mike a little bit of searching reveals that although elderberry does not grow natively in Australia, it has been imported Europe and apparently does very well.
I am surprised the california variant is not more prevalent. I would guess it is more drought tolerant. I can send you some cuttings this fall if you want some.

mike

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 02:56:35 -0700 from y

Organic material is heavily scrutinised and sprayed with all kinds of nasty stuff at the border, if they allow it at all. I'll have a look on Diggers... they probably have it.

mike

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 03:58:01 -0700 from y

Apparently they've got eldeberry plants at Bunnings, That's the Aussie version of Home Depot; and there's one of those in Mittagong. But they probably only stock them at certain times of the year. Spring is coming so I should look around.

Adam Robertson

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 07:09:22 -0700 from Streams

I would get two from different locations so you have genetic differences. Once you have those in the ground and growing you can do cuttings from them each year in the winter, and plant those in the spring. So far I have 12 elderberry trees growing on my property from cuttings. I plan on doing several more.

mike

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 14:33:58 -0700 from y

The first question from the wife we "Aren't those plants poisonous?". Yes. They are. That's an important consideration for a farm in a wildlife corridor. I've heard the tale that animals know not to eat something poisonous, but I'm out there every day watching them and it isn't completely true.

Adam Robertson

Wed, 17 Aug 2022 16:10:26 -0700 from Streams

We give the chickens leftover elderberries. Not sure about cows or horses. The dogs and cats dont bother with it

mike

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 04:17:52 -0700 from y

It's the leaves, not the berries. I've watched our horses eat all kinds of toxic stuff (anything green) when they're hungry enough or simply bored. But none of this is relevant because the wife vetoed it.