Elderflower/berry Cuttings
-
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:44 am
- Location: Cork, Ireland
Elderflower/berry Cuttings
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?
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
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
The secret of life is to aim below the head (With thanks to MMM)
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
Or failing all else, you could buy one .....http://www.futureforests.net/
Tony
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Disclaimer: I almost certainly haven't a clue what I'm talking about.
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
Or sow the berries......
- doofaloofa
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 1351
- Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 9:50 am
- Location: Wesht Cark, RoI
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
plant 20 cuttings and you're sure to get at least one plant, but I would wait till autumn myself
ina wrote: die dümmsten Bauern haben die dicksten Kartoffeln
-
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:44 am
- Location: Cork, Ireland
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
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
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1861
- Joined: Sat Jun 30, 2012 10:23 pm
- Location: North West Ireland
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
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,
-
- Living the good life
- Posts: 425
- Joined: Sat Apr 28, 2012 10:21 am
- Location: West Norfolk, UK
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
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.silly_sammy wrote: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?
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.
Curently collecting recipes for The Little Book of Liqueurs..
-
- Jerry - Bit higher than newbie
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Sun Jun 02, 2013 11:44 am
- Location: Cork, Ireland
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
Not a bad idea! Just pot them in during Atumn?oldjerry wrote:Or sow the berries......
Re: Elderflower/berry Cuttings
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).
More fun,going on from George's suggestion,try air layering(too useless to explain in words,google it).