Growing Holly and Hawthorn from cuttings

johngalway

Hi folks,

I am at the beginning of transforming the landscape of my farm. Carving up the open areas into smaller fenced paddocks, which will naturally need shelter in the form of trees and eventually some hedging. Part of my plan involves planting Holly, at the moment I am thinking trees and not hedging for this Holly.

Am I too late to take cuttings at this time of the year? If I'm not too late can someone tell m the easiest way of successfully growing holly cuttings please? I have done a bit of internet searching but it's been a little confusing, I'd like to get this right the first time.

To date I've bought and planted 150 trees, mostly Ash and Alder (for the wet areas). The reason I want to go down the cutting route is because this will become an overly expensive exercise if I keep shelling out coin on buying plants and trees when there are plenty of perfectly lovely trees locally who's owners I am on good terms with

Advice and guidance appreciated

I am also looking into growing hawthorn for hedging! Have done some reading on growing it from seed, would cuttings be easier/faster?

Thanks in advance

ATB,

John

Cardinal Richelieu

Smart move, Cuttings is way faster than growing from seed. Amazing how many people don't raise their own cuttings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H2OJc-ismM

The process can be speeded up by using hormone rooting powder, just dip the base in the powder before planting.

Ophiopogon

I think you can take hardwood cuttings from Holly, I've done semi cuttings of Holly before but it's too late for that.

Do you know where you are planning to trench the cuttings? Needs to be a well sheltered area and I would use a coldframe if possible, can make a DIY coldframe fairly easily.

Also, a good compost mix is needed.

Make sure to take healthy cuttings, with Holly the darker wood should be suitable. Make sure you use a clean knife and try scaring the wood beside the actually cut as this can help produce roots. Take cuttings from both male and female Hollys.

Also, I presume you know it will take forever to produce a viable Holly tree. How many do you need?

magicbastarder

also, i understand that holly mainly produces the prickly leaves down at the level where browsing is an issue - and that if you take a cutting from higher up the tree, you're less likely to get a traditionally prickly holly as a result, as the tree maintains the prickliness of the leaves.

planetX

Holly cuttings are very difficult, and very slow to reach any size. Buy yourself a few bigger ones so you have something to watch grow to a decent size.
I've never heard of taking hawthorn cuttings, but you can buy year old whips in bulk for very little.