How to Root Black Elderberry Cuttings

Black Elderberries

Elderberry - one of the fastest growing plants is also very quick to form roots on simple hardwood or softwood cuttings. If you have access to healthy black elderberry plants, you should be able to take a few cuttings (with permission, of course) and within just two years, be harvesting your own 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.

https://wildflowerrun.etsy.com

 

How to Root Red Mulberry (Morus Rubra) Tree Cuttings

Summertime is such a fun time for kids when school is finally out. They often have time to think for themselves and be outside exploring this big grand world even if it is from within the scope of their own backyards or maybe a park close by. Half of the United States, from the Mississippi eastward is home to a wonderful fruit tree that almost always grows wild without any care from humans and produces bucket loads of fruit free for children. The red mulberry is the tree I remember finding early in the summer before the blackberries were ripe. They are so much easier to pick as the tree has no thorns. 

Now, I am happy to have a few mulberry trees on my property even if it's only to harvest a few handfuls to eat fresh after I get my mail on summer days. The fruit is soft and sweet and the seeds are barely perceptible when I eat them. I was pleased to find out that this tree will also root from cuttings while it is actively growing, unlike most fruit trees that root from dormant cuttings.

So, how to get these red mulberry tree cuttings to root? There are just a few steps that you can follow and within a few years, you can harvest your own mulberries!

1) Obtain fresh cuttings, preferably with a top leaf. You want to make sure that they cutting is still moist inside so that water can flow from the potting soil into the cutting. If you received them via mail, recut the bottom cut so that you are working with a fresh surface. Immediately place the cutting in water.

2) Prepare a pot by filling it with a well moistened mixture of half coconut coir and vermiculite. (You can also use perlite). Poke a hold in it the same diameter of the cutting about 4 inches deep

3) Dip the freshly cut end of the red mulberry cutting into a rooting hormone preparation

4) Carefully place the cutting into the prepared hole, sinking it down until there is only one node above the soil line

5) Press the soil firmly around the cutting, using your fingers.

6) Water the cutting with room temperature water - preferably non-chlorinated

7) Cover the cutting with a clear cup or bag to keep humidity levels high. 

8) Place the cutting some place warm and with indirect light for four to six weeks or until rooted.

9) Check the cutting every few days by lifting the cover and allowing fresh air in. Make sure the soil stays damp but not wet. 

10) Plant the rooted cutting into a new pot filled with good garden soil. Place outside in a sunny spot and make sure to keep soil damp. In the fall, you can plant your new tiny mulberry tree in permanent location where it will get plenty of sunshine, preferably near other trees but still have room to grow.

That's it. Pretty simple. Although I will say that sometimes the mulberry cuttings can be resistant to rooting. Don't expect more than 50 percent to succeed, unless you have a special touch!

You can check out my Etsy page, Wildflower Run to see if I have any mulberry cuttings in stock.

Full grown mulberry tree