Elderflower/berry Cuttings

[silly_sammy]

I am obsessed with Elder. I forage for the flowers and buy dried for cordials. Im thinking it would be so nice to actually grow my own. Thing is, I'm not sure how to actually get a cutting. We recently took a branch and used honey as rooting hormone but not much seems to be happening with it. Any other ideas for getting this gorgeous bush to grow in my back garden?

[MKG]

The normal question is how to get rid of it!

Cut a foot or so of reasonably new (green) growth with a few leaves on it. Strip all but the topmost leaves and stick it into the ground with the top few inches (and the leaves) showing. The leaves will drop off fairly quickly but should have done their job of pumping water into the cutting by then. Given my efforts to clear elder, it will take root.

Mike

[Odsox]

Or failing all else, you could buy one .....http://www.futureforests.net/

[oldjerry]

Or sow the berries......

[doofaloofa]

plant 20 cuttings and you're sure to get at least one plant, but I would wait till autumn myself

[silly_sammy]

funny, but the plants I love are the ones you can't get rid of! I have mint, comfrey and fennel outshinning the rest of my garden. this is the year to undo most of my damage! I'm so glad that once i get it in there it will grow and grow.... Like I said, I'm obsessed with elder!

[diggernotdreamer]

When I had a small garden on a housing estate, I grew one elder; but didn't allow it to get too tall, I kept it as a 5 to 6 foot tall shrub (which it technically is) and it produced loads of flower and berries and the flowers were huge, much bigger than the ones growiing wild that are a lot taller,

[GeorgeSalt]

I am obsessed with Elder. I forage for the flowers and buy dried for cordials. Im thinking it would be so nice to actually grow my own. Thing is, I'm not sure how to actually get a cutting. We recently took a branch and used honey as rooting hormone but not much seems to be happening with it. Any other ideas for getting this gorgeous bush to grow in my back garden?

I'd try layering it. Scoop a small hole and pin a low branch down into it, put the soil back over the branch. Leave it until spring and go back to see if it's rooted. Do several of these to improve your chances of getting one.

But.. if it's for you garden, have a look at some of the ornamental varieties. You can use their flowers and berries as well.

I prefer foraging for them, but I do have a very good line of them along a nearby track.

[silly_sammy]

Or sow the berries......

Not a bad idea! Just pot them in during Atumn?

[oldjerry]

Create a nice seed bed,then just collect as many ripe bunches as poss,I'd wash them clean of the fruit,but you'd probably get a few any old how.
More fun,going on from George's suggestion,try air layering(too useless to explain in words,google it).