broken Sambuca

mikemove

Some idiot has managed to trample all over my "this season planted" sambucas last night while relieving themselves on the way home from the pub in an area of may garden which has open public access!
Ive tidied up the plant this morning [and washed my hands!], cutting back the trampled sections with nice clean cuts... but I'm looking at whats broken and left over, and it seems such a shame to just ditch these healthy stems to the compost heap... is it too late to make softwood cuttings from the remnants, and if not... how do I do it? I love the foliage of this plant and would certainly find other places in the garden it could be used.
 

Fairygirl

Not sure I'd bother trying with cuttings mike but if the material looks viable, cut pieces about 6" long just below a leaf joint, remove the lower leaves and pop them round the edge of pots of gritty compost, water in and cover with a poly bag and put in a sheltered spot out of direct sun, or in a cold frame if you have one. If the remaining leaves are big cut them in half as there would be too much foliage for the cutting to support. If you get some new growth in a few weeks time then you're fine. 

It's infuriating when these things happen- it's why I've enclosed my entire garden with a new fence and I'm putting a blackthorn hedge round the boundary this winter!