How to grow elderberry from cuttings

Here at Tinui Food Forest we take our elderberry cuttings in the winter after the elderberries have lost all of their leaves and are fully dormant. Each cutting is made in the same way with the flat cut is located at the “rooting end” of the cutting and the diagonal angle cut at the “leafing end” of the cutting. Each of our cuttings has at least two node pairs as well. These node pairs will produce roots and new elderberry shoots below ground and leaves above.

Elderberries root best in cold to cool weather, and typically take 8 to 10 weeks to develop enough roots to allow them to be transplanted.

You will need:

Large pots
Soil – potting mix should be fine
Rooting hormone, or willow bark water (optional)

When you receive your cuttings the first thing you want to do is soak them in water for a day or so. Place them in the water, flat cut side down.

After a day take them out of the water and place on a paper towel. Now is the time to use the rooting hormone if you choose to (dust the flat end of the cutting with rooting hormone).

Fill a large pot with potting mix. Make a hole in the potting mix with a pencil or similar, and then place the cutting into the potting mix.
Place the pot in a sheltered shady spot and water the pot weekly to make sure the soil is still moist.

After 10 to 12 weeks the cutting should be ready to be planted out.
Elderberry grow best in a semi shaded location.

I prune my elderberry back each year to around knee height.