Taking Elderberry Cuttings in Summer: A Detailed Guide

Missouri Botanical Garden agree, claiming plants generally develop a better root system when planted in a soilless medium rather than water.

Rooting in a soilless potting medium is a bit more challenging than water since you can’t see if any roots are forming, and you’ll need to do some extra investigation to figure out when it’s time to transplant.

You can purchase a premade mix to put your starts in, like this one from Mother Earth, which contains a mix of 70 percent coco coir and 30 percent perlite.

You can find a 50-liter bag of this medium available on Amazon.

You can also make your own mix by combining half sphagnum peat moss and half vermiculite.

If it has been more than a few hours since you took your cuttings, make a new cut at the base of each and dip it in rooting hormone gel or powder. Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

For me, a powder is easiest to work with. Bontone makes a good one that I’ve had a lot of success with.

If you want to try it, you can buy a 1.25-ounce container, which will last you a good long while, at Arbico Organics.

Use a stick or pencil to poke a hole in the medium. This helps ensure more of the rooting hormone stays on the end of the branch as you insert it into the medium.

Place softwood cuttings in the medium so they’re buried by a third. Hardwood should be buried so the lowest node is two inches below the surface of the medium.

Each person can use a four- or six-inch container, or they can use one big container and put them four to six inches apart.

I prefer to use CowPots™ because they can be put directly in the ground, so there’s less disturbance to the roots.

Water the medium thoroughly so that it feels like a well wrung-out sponge.

Tent some clear plastic over the pot to help retain moisture. Just make sure it isn’t touching the plant at all.

You can also purchase cloches to use as miniature greenhouses. Amazon carries a six-pack of plastic domes that are just the right size.

Every three days, remove the cover and give the plant a misting. Check to see if the medium is still wet, and if it starts to dry out, add water.

Place in a cool indoor location out of direct sunlight and keep the medium moist but not wet. The ideal temperature is about 50°F with some indirect sunlight coming in, so a basement spot near a window might be ideal. Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

After eight weeks, gently pull on a cutting. It should resist, indicating that it has developed roots. It may also have developed buds or young leaves by this point. If so, there’s no need to tug on it to check!

Trim away about half of any new growth to encourage the plant to focus its energy on developing healthy roots.

All that hard work paid off, and now it’s time to put your rooted cuttings in the ground. Warning: you’re entering the danger zone! If you’re going to kill your new plant, it will likely be during this stage.

That’s because young plants grown from cuttings have fragile roots – all the more reason to use biodegradable pots to grow your new starts in, since there’s less root disturbance.

Once spring rolls around and the danger of frost has passed, harden them off for a few weeks.

To do that, take your plants outside for an hour and put them in a sheltered spot. The next day, put them in the same spot for two hours. Add an hour each day until they can stay outside all day.

When soil temperatures reach 50°F, it’s time to start digging.

Gently remove a cutting from its container, but don’t tap away or remove any excess soil. Try to keep the soil ball as intact as possible.

Dig a hole that is twice the width of the existing root ball. Lower the cutting in place and fill around it with new soil.

Using a peat container or CowPot™? Dig a hole twice the width of the pot and plant it, pot and all, in the ground. Fill in around it with soil.

Then, treat it as you would an existing elderberry bush. Not sure how to do that? Our elderberry growing guide has got your back.

Just keep in mind that a young cutting has a small root system, so you need to be diligent about keeping the soil moist.

Rooting in the Garden

If you want to skip the extra work of transplanting, you can put cuttings directly in the garden.

Since it’s best to take cuttings in the winter or early spring, you may need to store them until you can plant them.

If this is the case, wrap the branches loosely in plastic and put them in a cool, dark spot until it’s time to plant. They can be stored this way for up to six months.

Then, once the soil is workable and all chances of frost has passed in the spring, soak the cuttings in water for about an hour before planting.

If you live in an area where the soil can be worked in the winter, you may opt to plant directly after taking the cuttings. This allows Mother Nature to decide when to let the plant break dormancy.

Regardless of when you plant, dip the cut ends in powdered rooting hormone and use a pencil or chopstick to make holes in the ground about six feet apart.

Insert each cutting into the ground so the bottom node is covered by two inches of soil.

Pack soil tightly around each cutting so it stays upright. Don’t use sticks or anything else for support. Keep the soil moist if the rain doesn’t take care of it for you.

Optionally, use a cloche and/or heap mulch around the stems to help retain soil moisture. A half inch of compost, straw, or dried grass should do the trick.

It’s also possible to root your cuttings in water, and if you feel more comfortable with this method, I say go for it.

The advantage is that you can see the roots forming so you know whether it’s working or not, and you can more easily determine when your plant is ready to be transplanted.

I’ve planted many water grown starts and have had plenty of success, so feel free to try it out and find what works best for you. Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

To grow in water, remove leaves from the bottom half of the cuttings, but be sure to leave at least one set of leaves at the top.

Set in a jar of water so the cutting is submerged by about half. Place in an indoor location away from direct sunlight.

Change the water every few days. You should start seeing roots develop after about a month. You’ll want to keep growing the new starts in the water for a few more weeks to ensure that the roots are strong before you transplant.

Expect fewer of your plants to survive using the water method as compared to rooting in soilless potting mix.

Once you see roots developing, and perhaps new growth forming, you can put your plants into pots filled with soil.

As described above, use either individual pots, or place multiple rooted cuttings in one large pot spaced about four to six inches apart.

Fill each container with potting soil and make holes that are large enough to accommodate the root system.

Gently lower each cutting into a hole and bury about a third of the stem. Then, firm soil around each and water the soil so it feels like a well wrung-out sponge.

When you’re ready to plant in the garden, harden the new plants off as described for rooting in in a soilless medium above before transplanting.

How to Propagate and Root Elderberry Cuttings

FAQ

Can I propagate elderberry in summer?

Elderberries can be grown from cuttings in both the dormant and summer seasons, but I like the dormant season better because it’s easier and I usually have more. Mar 15, 2022

Can you take cuttings in summer?

Most softwood cuttings are taken in spring and early summer, from the tender new growth of the season. If they are potted by the middle of summer, they will have enough roots to make it through the winter. If not, they will need to be potted again in the spring.

How long does it take for elderberry cuttings to root?

Elderberry cuttings typically take 6-10 weeks to develop roots. However, some sources suggest it can take up to 12 weeks.

What to do with elderberry clippings?

You can take elderberry cuttings any time of year. They root readily in any situation. Take off any leaves and push the sticks into any soil you have on hand or into a glass of water.