Stem Cutting

• 1). Cut a 5-inch-long healthy cutting from a vigorous berry plant in late spring. Inspect the cutting beforehand to ensure it is succulent but firm, with its woody tissue established but still flexible so it roots. Use sterilized, sharp scissors or a pruning knife when taking the cutting from the mother plant.
  
  
• 2). Remove the lower leaves from the cutting, leaving two to three on top. Also chip off the bark at the lower end of the cutting with a paring knife to help it root better.
  
  
• 3). Add equal amounts of perlite and peat moss to a flat until 1/4 inch below the top. Mist the plant medium lightly with a spray bottle.
  
  
• 4). Lower the end of the cutting in a container with rooting hormone until its scarred section is completely covered. Remove the cutting from the container and tap gently so excess hormone powder falls off.
  
  
• 5). Slide the lower end of the cutting in the flat so its hormone-covered end is below the growing medium. Firm the medium around the end of the cutting so the cutting stands upright on its own. Also insert four to five equally spaced wooden dowels into the medium along the edges of the flat.
  
  
• 6). Place the flat in a plastic bag and position it in a spot with indirect but bright light. Bind the opening of the bag with an elastic band. The dowels prevent the bag from touching the foliage of the cutting.
  
  
• 7). Mist the cutting daily and water the medium so it remains evenly moist until it roots, which usually takes six to eight weeks. To check if it has rooted, tug the cutting gently after three weeks to determine whether you meet resistance. If not, leave for another two to three weeks.
  
  

Suckering

• 1). Select a well-draining, fertile site with full sun exposure and pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Amend the soil with organic compost and fertilizer two to three weeks before planting.
  
  
• 2). Inspect berry plants for healthy suckers or shoots growing at the base of the mother plant. Unlike stems, suckers produce fewer leaves that are lighter in color.
  
  
• 3). Dig the ground around the suckers to locate roots. Separate the smaller plant from the parent plant at the point of attachment using a spade. Work carefully so you do not damage the mother plant in the process.
  
  
• 4). Lift the smaller plant along with its roots and plant it in its new planting site. Do not dig the hole too deep, but just enough to cover the roots with 4 inches of soil.