Guest,

You could try both, but stem-cttings are probably the best option. Elderberry cuttings root best from softwood cuttings in spring, but you can also try hardwood or semi-hard cuttings from current year growth taken in late fall.

Check your gardening books or search Google for detailed instructions, but generally you want short pieces of stem from current year's growth. Fill a pot with your rooting medium (no potting soil or dirt, please), poke a hole in the medium with a pencil, dip the end of the cutting in rooting hormone, put it in the hole, press gently to firm the rooting medium around the cutting, and then wait and see what happens. You want to pre-poke the hole so that the rooting hormone doesn't get scraped off of the node when you plant it.

In the FWIW department, I generally use vermiculite as the rooting medium when I propagate cuttings from trees or shrubs. If you cut the bottom off of a 1 liter soda bottle it makes a great cloche that fits perfectly on a round 1 quart pot. The narrow neck opening usually allows just the right amount of ventilation.

Good luck! Let us know how well they rooted.

Janie