Question
My Grandma has a two holly shrubs (one male and one female) and wants to know how to start another shrub using the shrubs she already has.  Basically she wants to know if a clipping would work.  
Many Thanks
Tanya Campbell

Answer
Hi Tanya,
 The best method for starting a new plant is by taking a "cutting" from the existing plant. In the nursery, we usually take cuttings in mid- to late summer. But you could try to start a cutting now and probably have success. I would not suggest trying to "root" the new plant by placing the cuttings in a glass of water - hollies usually don't root well using this method. Take a cutting approximately 3-4 inches long and remove all the leaves EXCEPT 2 or 3 at the tip end. The cutting will start roots where you stripped the leaves off. We root our cuttings in a mixture of 50% ground pine bark, 40% washed sand and 10% peat moss. You can purchase a good quality mixture with PERLITE or VERMICULITE at your local nursery. The most important thing for success is to coat the cuttings with a root stimulant called ROOTONE. You can buy this in small packages for about $2.00. This white powder stimulates the cutting to produce roots and also prevents the cutting from rotting. After you put your cutting in the soil, it must be kept warm and in a sunny location with HIGH humidity. Use a misting bottle on the foliage. Take alot of cuttings and if you're lucky more than 75% will take root and thrive. You should keep your "baby" holly plants in containers for at least one year so they will be able to survive when you plant them in your yard. As a side note, my parents started propagating azalea "cuttings" back in the 1950s as a hobby and it grew into a thriving business. Good luck and soon you'll find yourself  breaking limbs off of every interesting plant you see and rooting one for yourself. And the best part - it's free!