Aronia bushes are the perfect garden plant for gardeners who don't have a lot of experience or don't have much time for their garden. The plants are undemanding and do not require much care, and they are easy to propagate.
How can I propagate aronia?
To propagate aronia successfully, you can use either cuttings or root shoots. Cut shoots suitable for cuttings and plant them. For root shooters, separate them from the main plant and plant them separately.
Propagate Aronia via cuttings
You can propagate the chokeberry, as the aronia is often called, using seeds, cuttings or so-called root shoots and thus obtain new bushes. Propagation via seeds is quite time-consuming, which is why you can achieve quicker success by planting cuttings. You are also safe from surprises with cuttings because they have the same genetic makeup as the existing plant. Essentially it is a clone. However, mutations can arise from seeds and the resulting plants often have different properties.
Procedure for propagating from cuttings
Aronia bushes usually develop numerous new shoots and runners, which can be easily used as cuttings. The suitable shoots are quite thin and often hang over.
- Select a suitable new shoot.
- Cut it to a length of approx. 20 centimeters.
- The shoot tip is cut off down to the lower eye.
- Remove about half of the remaining leaves.
- Plant the cutting in the soil at the desired location.
- Keep the soil moist.
The cutting will take root within a short time and grow well. The best time for planting cuttings is early autumn, when it is still relatively sunny and warm and no cold snaps are expected. The plant is expected to bear flowers and fruit in the second year.
Propagate aronia via root shoots
Root shooters are shoots that shoot directly from the root. They grow out of the ground next to the main plant and should usually be removed. However, they can also be used to propagate aronia bushes. To do this, dig up these shoots along with the roots and plant them again in the desired location. Be careful not to damage the roots. You should also dig deep enough, because the Aronia has deep roots.
Tips & Tricks
In contrast to the cultivated forms, the wild form of Aronia can best be propagated by sowing. To do this, collect the seeds contained in the berries and simply sow them in the desired location in the spring. However, you can also grow the plants on the windowsill or in the greenhouse and plant them out later.
