• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Carla Burke
  • Nancy Reading
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • Pearl Sutton
  • paul wheaton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Anne Miller
  • Nicole Alderman
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
gardeners:
  • Maieshe Ljin
  • Benjamin Dinkel
  • Jeremy VanGelder

Companion plants for Elderberry cuttings (planted this year)

 
Posts: 48
Location: NE Wisconsin USA; Zone 4b -25F to -20F
10
4
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I'm just starting out and have planted 24 Elderberry cuttings, 8 each of 3 cultivars. I was wondering if there are any companion plants that would help the elderberries but not out-compete them? Or maybe it would be good neighbors for the elderberries? I was advised to plant them at least 4 feet apart with 12 feet between the rows and to plant the rows to facilitate wind pollination. That's a lot of space that I'd like to use wisely perhaps on the order of the 3 sisters. Does anything come to mind?
 
pollinator
Posts: 523
Location: Gulf Islands BC (zone 8)
209
4
hugelkultur goat forest garden chicken fiber arts medical herbs
  • Likes 5
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
My elderberries are still in pots but my plan once they get into the ground is to underplant with a layer of edible/medicinal groundcover species. Thinking mints, strawberries, walking onions, clovers, etc. I would think any herb that likes similar living conditions would do - somewhat rich soil and medium to wet moisture? I would plant the Mediterranean herbs elsewhere.
 
gardener
Posts: 5343
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio,Price Hill 45205
1083
forest garden trees urban
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Alliums seem to be a go to for companions.
I find that onion sets and starts do poorly when left to their own devices, but as long as you plan on weeding and watering, they might be fine.
I often plant onions I find in dumpsters and they thrive on neglect,producing both green onions and big flowers.
I would suggest beans or greens but either of these is liable to tower over the cuttings pretty quickly.
A crop of daikon could provide greens, seed pods and soil improvement.
A crop of sweet potatoes can be used the same way, but they might climb.
I planted squash with my cuttings but I can't recommend it.
My cuttings have mostly died, as has most of the squash, but there are many variables that could account for that.

For the borders of your beds, comfrey is a natural choice.
I'm also  gonna suggest Illinois bundleflower also known as  prairie mimosa.
They make tiny edible beans, fluffy flowers, lacy foliage  and dappled shade.
They never grow very big and they leaf out late, so they won't suppress your elderberries.
They wont suppress anything else either, so maybe add some alfalfa.
 
Andrea Locke
pollinator
Posts: 523
Location: Gulf Islands BC (zone 8)
209
4
hugelkultur goat forest garden chicken fiber arts medical herbs
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Yarrow would be good too
 
Andrea Locke
pollinator
Posts: 523
Location: Gulf Islands BC (zone 8)
209
4
hugelkultur goat forest garden chicken fiber arts medical herbs
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Ajuga is another perennial edible that could work
 
pollinator
Posts: 3828
Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat
557
2
forest garden solar
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I have strawberry which does great, and things in the onion-garlic-chive family. Garlic mustard greens also seems to do well too, I do zero work and it reseeds itself every year.
 
Posts: 105
Location: Meriden, NH
24
3
chicken homestead
  • Likes 3
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Right now, I'm trying my hand at rooting cuttings from the ones originally on my farm near the house.  I'm moving them to new locations that are wet sometimes, but not all the time.  I initially give them a wide area of mulch and we'd a bit the first 2 years.  By year three they are often taking over and what ever grows around them fills in.  I may have to abandon the original patch, it's being taken over by Sumac.

I suggest some queen Ann's lace or yarrow for attracting small flying insects for pollination.  My berries seem to be pretty space on their umbrella or Florence's or whatever you call them
 
Andrea Locke
pollinator
Posts: 523
Location: Gulf Islands BC (zone 8)
209
4
hugelkultur goat forest garden chicken fiber arts medical herbs
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Suggest researching the behaviour of garlic mustard in your region before considering planting it. In some areas it becomes an invasive weed that readily naturalizes and outcompetes native understory plants.
 
Do not threaten THIS beaver! Not even with this tiny ad:
build a better world instead of being angry at bad guys
https://greenlivingbook.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic