300 ????? yikes ... evergreen or not.. no plant holds interior leaves forever .. interior browning.. yellowing.. leaf loss is normal .. especially after the canopy grows enough to start shading the leaves inside ... increased by drought the year prior ... bad winter.. transplanting .... etc ... but without a picture.. its hard to give you more than general information ... life is all in the buds.. how do those look???? if viable.. soon enough they will bud out.. and hide the sparse middle ... ken

You haven't given us enough information for us to be able to provide good answers for your particular situation. Your location can make a big difference, and how the hollies have been grown can make a big difference. Are your hollies container-grown, B@B, freshly-dug, or what? If container-grown, are they root-bound? How large/old are they? Below is a link to some good general information. More specifics may be available when we get more info. BTW, moving woody plants in late summer (in many areas) is a good way to kill them. Here is a link that might be useful: Planting a Tree or Shrub

Putting Narture's Helper and topsoil around the base now won't help. That should have been done at planting, mixed with the original soil and then used as backfill for the large hole after you put the plant in. If they are dry, that's a whole lot better than too wet, so I'd water them and perhaps use just a little slow release fertilizer with minors, like Sta-green Nursery Special or Lesco 14-14-14 with minors. For hollies, an alternative is Espoma's Holly Tone, which has been used successfully for a long time.

Mike, HGi, THANKS SO MUCH FOR GETTING BACK!!!!! sorry so long in delay, nellie reportedly is fast growing and great for windbreaks. Further reading claims she needs protection winter winds (there goes windbreak theory). I've had POOR luck with conifers, most died,blue spruces/norway spruces are out, too many diseases where I live. Arbs (occidentalis) reportedly don't live too long in this climate (like it a bit cooler).. I never tried other kinds of arbs. I want something not too susceptible to diseases, esp. as various fungi are killing half my garden here. Abies concolor i have, that's it for windbreak at present. I'd take anything else, most E.G's need wind protection... Screening, my goodness, too much to afford, space, a lot but gotta watch money now... Full and part sun, both types of soil... main EGS for screening listed for this part of PA (Pittsburgh area) from Penn state are I believe Pines (but then I read they shouldn't be grown this area- pine blister- it's killed so much).. and norway spruce (again, susceptible to numerous diseases, after a loss of 4 I'm too afraid.. Concolor abies (I'm getting from forest farm)... and some say Nellie R stevens, but messsages conflicting. I always thought arbs needed protection from winds? Just some?? ANY feedback helpful, for now may just have to be some trees I'm getting (decidous), the winds are rough here due to my house, others houses, windtunnels.... few landscape around here so there's not much shade, privacy, anything... The man beside me is on raised area (my yard drops about 5 feet under his), the lady behind has steep yard with no trees, winds sweep down, erosion and rain from all for sides, messy complicated situation... house beside just has 2 screaming babies and 2 dogs that are vocal.. Amy