Oh yes - lots of good tips. Question regarding rooting hormone - have never worked with it. Is there a particular type to use -- probably can't do the bottom heat tip but will try all other suggestions. I guess I could put it on a heating pad -- hmmm. Thanks again. and yes, please do update with your successes!!

Some heating pads can work a bit too well without a temperature controller. So if you use a heating pad, you might want to spend a couple bucks on a kitchen thermometer that can check the soil temperature - just to be sure you aren't cooking your cuttings.

You can probably find a powdered rooting hormone at any garden center or "big box" home improvement store, if you're in the US. I've been using Dip n'Grow, which is a liquid - I had to go to the local hydroponics store to find it (can also of course order online). You can also usually find a rooting gel (Clonex, I think) at those hydroponics stores. All 3 types will work.

Good luck! Let us know how you set everything up, and how it goes!

Well right now I have it in a plastic bag for humidity (do cuttings need much light)? It is sitting next to the heating vent. I will see about getting some rooting compound - I think that's about as far as I will take it. If these attempts fail, I will go buy one of each in the spring - a boy and a girl. Then hope for lotsa red "fruit". Thanks again for your thoughts and suggestions.

Cuttings need light, but not a huge amount. A single 100-watt-equivalent bulb (CFL, or LED might work too) will probably be enough for what you're doing. Keep it pretty close to the cuttings.

Thanks for that -- Happy growing!

Some varieties of holly root easier than others. What kind of holly are you trying to root? Ilex pedunculosa is harder, so is purpurea. I've not tried opaca, but have many hybrids. Usually best to take hardened last season's growth sometime between Mid-August through November or December. Best to take cuttings when temps are mild and preferably in the morning from well hydrated plants.

I put cuttings in small pots with 50% perlite / 50% commercial potting soil mix. I do use Rootone. I do not use a heat mat, but heat-mat use will likely give faster results. I put the entire pot into a zip-lock baggie. In winter most cuttings go into my heated garage -- no colder than 55 degrees F.

Sometimes cuttings sit all winter and don't root until next spring or early summer. In summer the baggies go under a shrub to take advantage of summer warmth and higher light levels. Never set bag in full sun.

What sort of light do the cuttings get in your garage? Do you use artificial light?

As much as I would like to create a brand new plant from some holly cuttings, I have thrown in the towel so to speak. I have no idea what variety they were from (neighbor''s plant-he didn't know)..I do think I will try again when I buy a couple of plants and know the variety from the start. I love holly and wouldn't mind having a few plants about. They seem to be very low maintenance and look good most of the time. I have learned a lot in this thread - thanks.

illsstep, if you are asking me, in my garage there is a south window, skylight and I have fluorescents on a timer.

I suggest that you find a female ilex opaca and use air-propagation balls. You can easily identify the females by the berries that are now fully formed. The balls can be left in place for as long as it takes for roots to form. Keep the soil or whatever medium you use moist but not totally saturated. Roots will eventually form - just give them time. Leave the balls in place for as long as it takes to get roots. Most important, don't let them go dry. If it takes a month or a year, just be patient. Spagnum moss has worked well for me in the past. Perlite is another good rooting material. Leaf compost will also work (and it's free). The balls are inexpensive and re-usable. The key is patience. This is a sure-fire method to getting rooted plants at very modest cost.

Another sure-fire propagation method is a lower branch and a heavy stone. I've cloned many copies of an extremely rare rhododendron that is supposedly "impossible" to root. It took 7 years, but I finally won the bet. Trouble is that he died before I could collect on the bet, but I now have about 30 of those "impossible" plants. As I've said, patience is key. I've even cloned Sciadopitys verticillata (Japanese umbrella pine) by ground layering. You name it, I've cloned it by layering.