BC Living
Embark on Culinary Adventures: 5 Must-Try Solo Dining Experiences Around BC
You Gotta Try this in April 2024
English Muffins – From Scratch
4 Tips on Balancing a Nutritious Diet with a Side of Indulgence
Choosing Connection: A BC Family Day Pledge to Prioritize Presence Over Plans
Embracing Plant-Based Living this Veganuary and Beyond
Inviting the Steller’s Jay to Your Garden
6 Budget-friendly Holiday Decor Pieces
Dream Home: $8 Million for a Modern Surprise
Travel Light, Travel Right: Minimalist Packing Tips for Solo Explorers
A Solo Traveller’s Guide to Cozy Accommodations
Local Getaway: Relax at a Hidden Cabin along Jordan River
Films and TV Series that Inspire Solo Travel
B.C. Adventures: Our picks for April
Cooking Classes
Sḵwálwen Botanicals – Changing the Face of Skincare
Culinary Fashion: What to wear on “Foodie Field Trips”
Freshen Up your Skincare this Spring with these 9 BC Based Skincare Products
Q: In the spring of 2007, I planted a ‘Sutherland Gold’ shrub in a huge ceramic pot with lots of organic material and gravel at the bottom. Each year since then, it has diligently tried to grow. But each spring, hoards of black aphids attack it. I squish some, but mostly I wait for the ladybugs to come. By summer, the aphids disappear, but by then the weak leaves seem to burn in the sun.
This spring, the plant was so weak that it didn’t even bloom – at all! Should I just accept that ‘Sutherland Gold’ and I don’t get along, or are there steps I can take to make it happier? I live in North Vancouver’s Zone 8 (or Zone 4 if you abide by Sunset’s Western Garden book). The pot gets afternoon sun.
‘Sutherland Gold’ Elderberry (Sambucus racemosa ‘Sutherland Gold’) has a reputation for being less susceptible to sun scorch since it was discovered in Saskatchewan. Sun scorch usually looks like the leaves are burning on one side of the plant, mainly in the middle of the leaves.
Try using a regular potting soil, without incorporating large amounts of organic matter and gravel. Provide some afternoon shade from the heat. Check your plant at least twice a week and try hosing the aphids off the plant. Use a control-released fertilizer as directed on the label.