Some factors in the rooting of Ilex

The Hollies constitute one of the more important groups of plants in Ornamental Horticulture. The Genus Ilex is of value to the commercial nurseryman, the home owner as landscape material, and to those who wish to conserve our native trees. Since Hollies are becoming more important in the nursery industry, satisfactory methods for increasing the best selections should be developed. Male as well as female plants should be made available for planting since most of the genus is dioecious. Better methods of propagation for the more difficult to root species must be developed to make this possible. This work was designed to test some of the external factors which affect the rooting of Hollies. The factors tested were mediums and watering methods under controlled humidity and bottom heat.

The mediums selected were those which had proved useful to nurserymen as well as those which some experimental papers recommended Hollies.

The watering systems were selected for ease of installing, adaptability to propagating benches already in operation, relative low installation cost, and ease of operation.

All Ilex species of which cutting wood was available in quantity were tested in these experiments. These species were aquifolium, cassine, cornute, cornute clon Burford, cremate clon Spreading, crenate clon Convexleaf, crenate clon Roundleaf, decidua, opace, and vomitoria.