I would not stop you if you did! Thanks for everything the last couple of years. My grafting doesn’t look good again this year. I only had one take. I’m ready to give it up, At least with peach.
OK, this is the first year my Samyl, and Sandal fruited. Both are impressive, but Samyl has larger berries and more flower heads, it is the one to get of these two.
To end on some good news the currant cuttings did well and I added three cultivars from the cuttings. Also a couple of the cuttings rooted on some cultivars. Now to keep them alive! I lost one from last year, having a bit of bad luck. I feel though I have enough to get a decent crop of black currants. I added Tiben which is a Polish cultivar that appears to be a winner. A few Polish cultivars look excellent, but I only found Tiben at various online nurseries.
I have found some of the sambucus nigras to be more difficult to root than s canadensis, which are pretty automatic for me. I grow both as a nursery crop. I typically take fully dormant cuttings in late winter, hold them in the cellar or refrigerator till early spring. I like cuttings with two nodes, and I scarify one of the buds at the lower node by slicing it off, and also a small strip of the cambium, just enough to see green. Root hormone seems optional, maybe the nigras need it and that’s why I didn’t get my usual 75% take. I stick them in a couple inches deep into medium like promix bx or xp and leave them outside, then transplant into nursery rows later that season or the following spring.
Sadly SWD have ruined the majority of my berry crop the 2 out of the last 3 years, thinking about harvesting more blossoms this year for fritters and drying.
Have rooted some from a particularly productive plant I spotted on the side of the road.
Bought some ‘improved’ selections a couple of years back, as really inexpensive small rooted plugs, they’re bearing now.
See here: http://www.botanyshop.com/botanyshop-mobile/elderberries.html
Seeing this thread come up, reminded me that I took stock of the cuttings about a week ago.
6/10- Samdal still alive
3/14- Sampo still alive
Here’s a pic of the largest one. It is interesting on a couple fronts-
1- I think it is one of the 3 Sampo’s to survive.
2- It is closest to the large black walnut in the neighbor’s yard.
Very interesting. What we call elderberry here in SoCal is Sambucus mexicana. I have two of these trees as ornamentals, and I’ve tried fruit, which at best is bland. However dried fruit tastes like current, which is pretty good, but not much in size.
For those still interested i saw a study on FB where a guy rooted and propagated successfully 2 plants per node.
He made cuttings about 1.5 inch long each of which had 2 nodes (one on each side). He split the cane and then had 2 node halves.
He laid the cut flat side down with node up. And covered with coir.
He watered every day or every other day and after the cut portion was callused… roots formed then the node sprouted a cane.
He made the exact same experiment with sand and all failed. He mentioned that coir wasnt necessary and growth would have been better had he used potting mix…but the sand did not hold moisture enough or maybe too much and they all rotted.
Not the best option for those that have lots of access to canes, but a good option for mass sharing or selling lots of plants.
I can link the FB group later if there is interest in the full study… just an average guy doing an experiment from what i saw. lots of pics and documentation.
Has anyone used leafed-out cuttings to start elderberry? I had planned to take cuttings this fall from a patch that leafed out this week in the warm temperatures. I normally wouldn’t try it, but the property was sold. I don’t know if the new owners will kill everything.
Elders are so easy to root, but a bit more challenge once actively growing. I’ve tried a few different ways.
The easiest way with leafed out elders is just to pull the new growth off (they just tear off at the woody stem) and root the new shoots in water. Most of the new roots will come right from the base of the new green growth, so when you tear them off make sure to get all the cuttings. Or you could use a pruning shear, but they pull off so easily I don’t bother. Once they have roots, pot them into very wet potting mix and keep them in the shade. They will wilt badly but should perk up in a few days as the new roots settle into the potting soil. Starting in water keeps them hydrated while they develop the first roots.
You can also root the new growth directly in soil (or diatomaceous earth, etc.) but you’ll need to keep them in the shade or under lights inside and keep a plastic bag or other humidity retaining top.
Finally, I’ve also succeeded in rooting from the woody stems after pulling all the new green growth off. They’ll push new growth, but this way you aren’t trying to sustain the new growth right away as it starts to root. If you do this choose thicker/lower wood with more stored energy in it and have one set of growth nodes below the soil and one above. This has been less successful for me, since some of the energy is already spent on the new growth I pull off, but if you do a bunch you’ll have plenty.
Clumps/crowns… are pretty easy to dig up/divide, transplant. That is what i did. That pic is from last spring.
The pic above is a week or two ago… they are doing great and multiplying.
I got a decent crop of berries off them last year… this year should be abundant.
TNHunter
Great, that’s what I planned on doing. I can keep them wet for awhile.