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 round, it is an ideal tree for the garden, terrace or balcony, and it is always beautiful and showy even without its colorful red fruits. The quickest and easiest way is to buy a small tree in a pot and transplant it into a larger tree or garden soil and care for it to grow healthy, but you can get one for free. To learn how to plant holly cuttings which can guarantee to have this plant much longer.
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to telling you how to plant holly cuttings step by step.
Contents
what are cuttings
Planting or propagation by cuttings includes the use of a piece, segment or part of a plant to effect the propagation of the plant. 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 strongly recommended by some horticulturists to generate new plants under optimal environmental conditions.
It is a favorite planting procedure of horticulturists and hobbyists because it’s a simple and easy way to get a large number of plants in a relatively short period of time. Cuttings can be grass-like fragments obtained from perennial plants; softwood, semi-hardwood, hardwood of 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 better rooting. Holly is a vigorous and healthy plant in winter because it likes 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 cactus soil-based medium rich in clay stones that will nurture new roots. It is also convenient to place fertilizer for the roots to grow faster, either in the substrate or diluted in water from the first irrigation of the holly cuttings. In woody cutting types such as holly, liquid hormones are recommended because 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 holly node or bud, then remove the lower leaves by cutting from the stem, leaving only 2-3 pairs of leaves on top. In the case of holly, it can be cut with small scissors which will not damage the plant. Clean and sanitized garden tools should be used to prevent mistreatment or damage to plants or holly shoots.
Caring for holly cuttings
Holly cuttings should not be placed in water, but should be planted after small bits or pieces of the parent 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 strong. The soil or substrate in which holly cuttings grow should be nutrient-rich, very loose, and moist.
Fertilizers for holly should be iron-rich and dissolved in water so that after planting is complete, this solution can be used for irrigation. The substrate can be 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 should have good drainage, placing stones as the base of the substrate so that water does not stagnate or cut through rotten roots.
It is recommended that after planting the holly it be placed in the coldest spot available, in a very bright place but without direct sunlight. When preparing soil, growing medium, or homemade organic matter (like 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 2-3 years to start developing and producing new shoots. Therefore, the time it takes for holly cuttings to sprout, establish or spread will depend on the chemical, physiological and climatic conditions of the planting.
How to plant holly cuttings step by step
It must be said that holly cuttings are generally more complex than cuttings of other common trees, such as willow or boxwood. This additional difficulty it’s just because holly rooting is worse not because the technique is very complicatedbut let’s see how to proceed next for best results.
These cuttings are between 7 and 13 cm long, cut them at an angle at the bottom and below a node, and remove all but the two or three upper 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 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 berries, which are the fruit of the holly, in which we will find the seeds. The berries are taken without removing the seeds and put in jars with silica or river sand. The sand will ensure that the seeds do not dry out completely.
- 2nd step: We keep the jars in the fridge for a few months to provide the seeds with the cold needed to germinate properly later.
- Step 3: After this time, a simple seedbed can be made. We will use nursery 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 squeeze lightly, leaving the jar outside. After a while, when the hollies start to sprout, we pat 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: They are kept in pots for another year, after which they can be planted in the garden, especially in open spaces where the cold hits them. Holly will appreciate it.
Hopefully with this information you can learn more about how to plant holly cuttings.