Before planting a black lace elderberry bush, work 5 inches of slightly acidic compost into 15 inches of well-drained soil. After planting the bush, keep it well-watered, giving it 3 inches of moisture every week to 10 days during the growing season. Don't let the soil dry out completely between waterings. Fertilize the plant with a diluted, balanced fertilizer as the buds grow and immediately before the fruit forms.
After fertilizing the bush, mulch the base of the plant in a 20-inch radius with 3 inches of organic material in order to help the soil retain moisture. Scrape away any remaining mulch from the previous year before laying down new mulch every spring. In the spring, prune the elderberry bush back to within 12 inches after its first year, and then prune the bush every three years after that. Remove any dead, damaged or diseased limbs at this time, and disinfect the pruning shears immediately before and after to keep from spreading any diseases.
