Propagation Results For 2013

A PASSION FOR PROPAGATING HOLLIES
Carmen A. Gianforte
My passion for propagating hollies started shortly after attending my first Holly Society
meeting in 1954. We lived in Baltimore, Maryland, in a two-story house. Remember those big
old houses that had a front porch that went from one end of the house to the other? My Dad had
the area under the front porch dug out and then installed propagating benches for me. Over time,
I added heating cables, irrigation, and fluorescent lights operated on timers.
The technique I’m currently using starts with installing heating cables that are set to maintain
a propagating medium temperature of 70 °F (21 °C). The mist system is set to turn on for 6
seconds every 10 minutes for 12 hours a day. This frequency is required to deal with the high
rate of transpiration of water from the new cuttings. After the cuttings have developed good root
systems the misting is reduced to 6 seconds every 30 minutes. Later, the timing is reduced to 6
seconds every hour. The propagating medium that I use consists of 50% peat moss and 50%
Perlite. This mixture is used in peat pots measuring about 2 sq. in. (5 cm2). I put 50 cuttings in a
standard 10 in. (25 × 51 cm) tray. I apply Hormodin #3 on all cuttings.
If you haven’t tried propagating you should—it is great fun.
This article appeared in Volume 1 of the 2014 Holly Society Journal. Attached is a
spreadsheet with the propagation results for Carmen’s 2013 plantings. ~Emily Jernigan, Editor
“The photo on the left was taken in 1956 when I was 15 years old. The photo on the right was taken just recently in my
greenhouse. You might notice that I have a little more gray hair, a little bigger waistline, and the saddle shoes are gone.”
Photos from Carmen Gianforte.
Propagation Results For 2013- Carmen Gianforte
Date Pulled
NumberPercentageNumber Of
Cultivars Propagated
Date Stuck
Numberand Potted
Rooted RootedDays To Root
Available
Ilex aquifolium 'Argentea Marginata'
06/21/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Berkeley'
06/29/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Duquette'
07/16/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Evangeline'
07/12/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Ferox '
07/12/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Ferox Argentea Marginata'
06/29/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Harlequin'
07/12/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Holly Girl'
07/21/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Jolly Holly'
07/07/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Lewis'
06/21/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Monvilla'
07/26/13
Ilex aquifolium 'Recurva'
07/12/13
50
15
25
50
25
10
50
50
20
20
25
25
10/18/13
09/30/13
10/18/13
10/13/13
10/18/13
10/18/13
10/20/13
10/18/13
10/01/13
10/18/13
10/18/13
10/18/13
47
15
10
25
16
10
16
46
11
20
8
22
94%
100%
40%
50%
64%
100%
32%
92%
55%
100%
32%
88%
119d
93d
94d
93d
98d
111d
100d
89d
86d
119d
84d
98d
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Ilex attenuata 'Fosterii'
Ilex attenuata 'Fosterii'
Ilex attenuata 'Savannah'
Ilex attenuata 'Sunny Foster'
Ilex colchia
Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii'
Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana'
Ilex cornuta 'China Doll'
Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint'
07/07/13
07/26/13
07/26/13
07/07/13
07/12/13
07/27/13
06/23/13
07/26/13
07/27/13
50
50
50
15
25
50
50
25
50
10/01/13
10/17/13
10/17/13
10/01/13
10/01/13
10/18/13
08/22/13
10/15/13
10/18/13
49
43
47
11
24
50
44
24
50
98%
86%
94%
73%
96%
100%
88%
96%
100%
86d
83d
83d
86d
81d
83d
60d
81d
83d
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Ilex cornuta 'O' Spring'
Ilex crenata 'Angyo'
Ilex decidua 'Finch's Gold'
Ilex latifolia 'Elizabeth Coleman'
Ilex liukiensis
07/12/13
07/26/13
06/17/13
07/07/13
07/12/13
100
50
10
15
50
10/14/13
10/19/13
08/17/13
10/01/13
10/10/13
100
38
10
13
43
100%
76%
100%
87%
86%
94d
85d
61d
86d
90d
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Ilex opaca 'Baltimore Buzz'
07/02/13 20
Ilex opaca 'Big Red Variegata'
07/27/13 25
Ilex opaca 'Fenton's Xanthocarpa'07/12/13 25
09/30/13
10/18/13
10/11/13
20
25
24
100%
100%
96%
90d
83d
91d
No
Yes
No
Ilex opaca 'Miss Courtney'
07/02/13
Ilex opaca 'Satyr Hill'
06/21/13
Ilex opaca 'Stewarts Silver Crown'
07/12/13
Ilex opaca 'Volunteer Orange'
07/12/13
Ilex opaca 'Xanthocarpa'
07/02/13
Ilex pernyi 'Vietchii'
06/21/13
Ilex spinigera
07/12/13
Ilex verticillata 'Afterglow'
06/17/13
Ilex verticillata 'Southern Gentleman'
06/17/13
Ilex verticillata 'Sunsplash'
06/17/13
Ilex 'Baltimore Blaze'
07/02/13
Ilex 'Bessie Smith'
06/29/13
09/30/13
08/27/13
10/19/13
10/19/13
09/30/13
08/27/13
10/19/13
08/17/13
08/17/13
08/17/13
10/01/13
09/08/13
19
15
17
33
25
15
19
15
12
35
25
25
95%
100%
68%
66%
100%
100%
38%
100%
86%
70%
100%
100%
90d
67d
99d
99d
90d
67d
99d
61d
61d
61d
91d
71d
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes
20
15
25
50
25
15
50
15
14
50
25
25
Ilex 'Centennial Girl'
07/12/13
Ilex 'Conaf' (Oakleaf)
07/26/13
Ilex 'Coned' (Little Red)
07/16/13
Ilex 'Coned' (Little Red)
07/21/13
Ilex 'Conin' (Robin)
07/27/13
Ilex 'Elegance'
07/05/13
Ilex 'Gentleman Joe'
07/16/13
Ilex 'Hefcup' (Buttercup)
06/23/13
Ilex 'Hugger'
07/02/13
Ilex 'Magland' (Oakland)
07/26/13
Ilex 'Miniature'
07/27/13
Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens'
07/05/13
Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens' (leaf bud)07/05/13
Ilex 'Scepter'
07/12/13
Ilex 'Venus'
07/02/13
Ilex 'Winter Bounty'
07/02/13
Ilex x koeheana 'Adonis'
07/27/13
Ilex x koehneana 'Chieftain'
07/16/13
Ilex x koehneana 'Hohman'
07/26/13
Ilex x koehneana 'Jade'
07/02/13
Ilex x koehneana 'Wirt L. Winn' 07/02/13
Ilex x meservae 'Blue Prince'
07/27/13
Ilex x meservae 'Conapry' (Blue Princess)
07/21/13
Ilex x meservae 'Mesan' (Blue Stallion)
07/02/13
Ilex x meserveae 'Heckenfee' (Honey
06/29/13
Jo)
Ilex x meserveae 'Honey Maid' 07/02/13
Ilex x meserveae 'Mesid' (Blue Maid
07/27/13
Ilex 'Mon Nieves'
06/29/13
Results
25
52
50
51
50
50
25
50
10
26
50
50
50
50
25
25
25
50
25
10
20
25
50
25
25
25
50
25
Total
Stuck
2348
10/19/13
10/15/13
10/11/13
10/14/13
10/17/13
10/01/13
10/14/13
08/22/13
09/30/13
10/16/13
10/18/13
10/01/13
10/01/13
10/01/13
09/30/13
09/30/13
10/17/13
10/19/13
10/16/13
10/18/13
09/30/13
10/17/13
10/15/13
10/01/13
09/30/13
09/30/13
10/18/13
10/18/13
24
52
50
51
49
47
25
41
10
26
50
49
36
47
24
25
20
28
23
7
20
18
50
24
23
20
50
9
96%
100%
100%
100%
98%
94%
100%
82%
100%
100%
100%
98%
72%
94%
96%
100%
80%
56%
92%
70%
100%
72%
100%
96%
92%
80%
100%
36%
99d
81d
87d
85d
82d
88d
90d
60d
90d
82d
83d
88d
88d
81d
90d
90d
82d
95d
82d
108d
90d
82d
86d
91d
93d
90d
83d
111d
Total Average Average
RootedPercentage # Days
2014
86%
87d
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes