

Select a piece of stem that is about six to eight inches long.Take cuttings in early to mid-summer, from new growth that is still green and flexible.This green branch that is starting to turn woody is an ideal candidate.
AIM FOR THE BUSHES HOW TO
How To Grow A New Elderberry Plant By Taking A Softwood Cutting Softwood cuttings should be taken from this year’s growth. Tip: hardwood cuttings of elderberries may be easier to propagate because they are not as prone to drying out before developing roots. Check-in 2-3 months to see if they have rooted by giving them a gentle tug.Place the container in a warm spot with indirect light.Make sure to firm up the soil around them, so there are no air pockets. “Plant” your cuttings in the prepared holes.Moisten the end of your cuttings and dust them with powdered rooting hormone.Use a small stick or pencil to make holes in the medium for planting your cuttings.

A medium-sized pot can hold multiple elderberry cuttings.

It should be from first-year growth and larger than a pencil in diameter.
AIM FOR THE BUSHES PATCH
They can be successfully propagated to expand your current patch or to create a new patch from Grandma’s old plants. Read on to learn how to start a larger elderberry patch without breaking the bank. There are many uses for elderflowers, including tea and wine -making. The white clusters of elderflowers appear about two months before berries ripen for harvest. They can be difficult to find in local garden centers, though some do carry them. However, they are pretty expensive and sell out quickly every spring. So how do you get your hands on these versatile and delicious plants?Įlderberries can be ordered from online nurseries as containerized stock or bare-root plants. Jars of homemade elderberry jam make great gifts if you can spare any.Įlderberry flowers are used to make cordials and liqueurs, as well as jellies, elderberry tea, and are even fried as fritters. The wood is hard and polishes easily, but the center is soft, pithy, and easily removed to make hollow tubes for whistles, pipes, pencils, and anything else your imagination can invent. Harvested pieces of hardwood are popular in crafts. I remember my mother making elderberry syrup when I was a child and how good it was on a fat stack of golden pancakes. The berries make a fantastic dark red wine. Perfect in pies, elderberries are also delicious as jams, jellies, and sauces. I often can identify an old homestead site by the presence of elderberry bushes, even though the buildings are long gone. Many farmsteads in the Midwest and New England have an ancient elderberry bush or patch around the corner of the shed, behind the garage, or along the back of the yard. They are seldom sold in stores, and picking them in the wild, if you have a place to do so, can be a battle between yourself, the animals, and other berry pickers.įortunately for elderberry fans, they are easy to cultivate. Elderberries are extremely easy to propagate from shoots and cuttings.Įlderberries are a rare treat. Techniques discussed may work for other varieties, such as the Blue Elderberry aka Mexican Elderberry, Sambucus Cerulea, though these varieties are often more difficult to root. * This article primarily discusses how to propagate the American Elderberry, Sambucus Canadensis.
