Holly is a tree full of symbolism and mysticism, but its appearance is also very elegant and colorful, and it has great ornamental value. For this reason, and because it keeps its leaves all year long, it is an ideal tree for the garden, patio or balcony, and it always looks beautiful and showy even without its colorful red fruit. Really the quickest and easiest way is to buy a small tree in a pot and transplant it into a bigger tree or garden soil and take care of it so that it grows healthy, but you can get one for free. Learn how to plant holly cuttings which can guarantee to have this plant for much longer.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you how to plant holly cuttings step by step.
What are cuttings
Planting or propagation by cuttings includes the use of a piece, segment or part of a plant to effect plant propagation. It is impossible to give precise, general and static guidelines for planting or propagating cuttings, each species requires its specific procedures.
The technique of propagation by cuttings is considered very simple, but it involves a complex interplay of genetic, physiological, environmental and temporal factors. This method of propagation is highly recommended by some horticulturists to generate new plants in optimal environmental conditions.
It is a favorite planting procedure of horticulturists and hobbyists because it is a simple and easy way to get a large number of plants in a relatively short period of time. The cuttings can be fragments of herbaceous type obtained from perennial plants; softwood, semi-hardwood, hardwood from woody plants; leaf cuttings and root cuttings.
How to plant holly cuttings
The best time to propagate and propagate holly cuttings is mid spring or early summer for best rooting. Holly is a strong and healthy plant in winter because it loves the cold. How to properly root holly cuttings so that holly cuttings to root properly, they must undergo a rooting treatment.
Rooting holly cuttings is very simple, using a substrate based on cactus soil rich in clay stones that will nurture new roots. It is also convenient to place fertilizer so that the roots grow faster, either in the substrate or diluted in the water from the first irrigation of the holly cuttings. In woody cutting types such as holly, liquid hormones are recommended as powders break down more easily than liquids.
To propagate, holly cuttings must be taken from a healthy, phytosanitary mother plant. Cut about 10 to 15 cm from the base of the knot or bud of the holly, then remove the lower leaves by cutting away from the stem, leaving only 2-3 pairs of leaves on top. In the case of holly, it can be cut with small scissors that will not harm the plant. Clean and sanitized garden tools should be used to prevent mistreatment or damage to holly plants or shoots.
Maintaining Holly Cuttings
Holly cuttings should not be placed in water, but should be planted once small bits or pieces of the mother plant have been selected. It is important to facilitate the use of fertilizer or compost in the planting and propagation of holly, as this will keep the new plants healthy and robust. The soil or substrate in which the holly cuttings are grown must be rich in nutrients, very loose and moist.
Fertilizers for holly must be rich in iron and dissolved in water so that once planting is complete, this solution can be used for irrigation. The substrate can be based on loose soil, black soil, cactus soil in equal parts and a mixture with them, very compact when watering. The pots in which holly is grown must have good drainage, placing stones as the base of the substrate so that the water does not stagnate or cut rotten roots.
It is recommended that after planting the holly, it be placed in the coldest spot available, in a place with lots of light but without direct sun. When preparing soil, growing medium, or homemade organic matter (such as compost) to grow holly cuttings, gloves are recommended to keep plants and gardeners clean and healthy.
You have to be patient with the holly, as it can take 2 to 3 years to start developing and producing new shoots. Therefore, the time it takes for holly cuttings to grow, attach or spread will depend on the chemical, physiological and climatic conditions of the plantation.
How to plant holly cuttings step by step
It must be said that holly cuttings are usually more complex than cuttings from other common trees, such as willow or boxwood. This added difficulty it is simply because holly rooting is worse and not because the technique is very complicated, but let's see how to proceed next to get better results.
These cuttings are between 7 and 13 cm long, cut them beveled at the bottom and below a node, and remove all but the top two or three leaves. It is difficult to adjust such a dose, but it is advisable to impregnate the base of the cuttings with this hormone to increase the success rate and the speed of the process. Let's see the steps to follow:
- Step 1: If we want to propagate them at home, we will have to choose some berries, which are the fruit of the holly, in which we will find the seeds. We take the berries without removing the seeds and put them in jars with silica or river sand. The sand will ensure that the seeds do not dry out completely.
- Step 2: We keep the jars in the fridge for a few months to provide the seeds with the necessary cold to germinate correctly later.
- Step 3: After this time, we can make a simple seedbed. We will use seedbed soil, which is a substrate to which sand has been incorporated to facilitate seed germination. We put the substrate in the pot and then add the seeds and sand directly from the pot.
- Step 4: We press lightly, leaving the pot outside. After a while, when the hollies start to sprout, we stroke them and let them develop. Since it is propagated by seed, we will not be able to determine the sex of the resulting bush.
- Step 5:: Once they were the right size, we removed the plants one by one from the seedbed and transplanted them into larger pots.
- Step 6:: We keep them in pots for another year, after which we can plant them in the garden, especially in open areas where the cold hits them. Holly will appreciate it.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about how to plant holly cuttings.