 |
| Black Elderberries |
If you take your own cuttings, cut a six to eight inch section of woody stem and make sure to include at least one leaf node at the top, and one or two others lower down if possible. Place the fresh cuttings directly in water as soon as possible
So, given that you now have some black elderberry cuttings in your hand - what next?
 |
| Fresh cut elderberry cuttings |
Inspect your cuttings to make sure you know which end is up and which is the bottom. Obviously, if your cutting is upside down, the water uptake won't happen and the cutting will dry out. If you have leaves still attached, orientation is easy. I like to make a slanted cut at the bottom of my cuttings when I remove them from the mother plant. If you inspect the leaf nodes, you will see that the node is wider at the top, tapering down to the stem. The wider side of the node should be facing upward.
 |
| Roots forming at the lower leaf node |
If you still have a couple of months before winter, place them in a suitably sized container that will allow them to be more than halfway submerged in water. Set in a sunny window and wait. You will need to change the water every few days. Within a week or two you will notice bumps enlarging on the base of the cutting. This is where the roots will form - a little every day. Once you see the roots stretching out, it's time to plant them out either in their permanent location or in a plant pot. Be very gentle not to disturb the roots as you plant them and then water well.
Plant elderberries in full sun for best fruit production. They are quite tolerant of poor conditions, but will do best in loamy soil with full sun and plenty of water. Do remember that they will go dormant in the winter and then burst into life in early spring. The first year will be somewhat unimpressive, as the plant will establish a good root system and send up two or three stems. The next year, be ready because they will explode with growth, reaching upwards of ten feet in height and six to twelve arching branches that will each bear nice large umbels of beautiful black elderberries.
 |
| Healthy elderberry bush |
If you don't have cuttings, you can check out my Etsy site, Wildflower Run.
