Semiorganic,

In general, you prune evergreen shrubs in early to mid-spring just before they put out a flush of new growth followed by blooms.

There really is no reason you cannot prune now, though, as long as you understand that you are likely to prune off the blooms that will be or would be your berries this fall and winter, if your plants are the type that produce berries.

However, having said that, there may be a more serious issue and that is whether or not the existing holly shrubs are the right shrub for that location. Do you know what kind of holly they are? If I had to guess, my money is on Dwarf Burford Holly, simply because they would be the size you describe after a few years in the ground and they are one of the most commonly planted hollies. Note my use of the word "Dwarf" and understand that, if they are Dwarf Burford Hollies, they are only dwarf in relation to the size of regular Burford Hollies. A mature Dwarf Burford Holly can reach as much as 20' in height and a spread of about 8'.

I planted Dwarf Burfords seven years ago and they are now about 8' to 10' tall with a spread of about 5'. I spaced them very far apart and very far from the house because I did not want to have to prune them. That is how it should be done if you are wanting to let your shrubs have their graceful, natural shape.

By contrast, at a local business, some Dwarf Burford Hollies were planted many years ago (I'd say at least 20 years based on their current size). These hollies are in a tiny rectangular bed that runs between the building and the parking area. That bed can't be more than 18" wide and about 30 feet long. The shrubs are huge. They are probably 15' to 17' tall and are about 18" to 24" from one another. They have been limbed up quite severely in tree form. Even with that pruning, they are way too crowded and lean out over the parking area. It isn't that they necessarily look "bad", but they definitely look overgrown and crowded.

So, look at your shrubs and ask yourself if they are the right plant for that location. Are you going to have to prune them several times a year to keep them the size you want? If so, you might want to consider removing them and replanting with something else which has a mature size that is more in line with what you want in that location.

I love hollies, but they are large, vigorous plants and maintaining them can become a nightmare if they are the wrong size for a given area or if they were planted too closely together.

However, weigh your options carefully and don't act too hastily. Shrubs of that size are a great privacy screen and provide homes for a lot of wildlife. And, if taking them out is the best option, it will take replacement shrubs a significant time to reach their mature and desired size.

Dawn

I am going to highjack this thread a little since you are talking about shrubs. I would love to have an evergreen hedge (not necessary formal looking) that would separate my property from my neighbors. Nothing wrong with the neighbors, but I would just like a little separation and a little more privacy. There is no fence and one lot just kind of blends into the other. The owners have moved and it has become a rental. I have never tried to plant anything there, but it is just a grassy area and I would never be able to keep all of the grass out. It will be 5-10 feet from the lateral lines so will get plenty of moisture, but can't be invasive to the lines. We have the type of lateral that is not a pipe, but is a narrow trench a couple of feet wide that has v-shaped plastic inserts that sit in the ditch (point up) and then are covered with soil.

I don't want to spend a lot of money because at some point I may put in a fence. It needs to be strong enough to survive the grass and cheap enough that I can afford to buy a lot of them. Got any ideas? A number of people have done this in my area and have used various shrubs. My neighbor has one that I particular like the looks of because it is bright green and kind-of waxy looking. I thought of trimming off some cuttings and trying to start a dozen or so. I don't know how much luck I would have at getting them to root. If I could make that work that would certainly be the cheap way out.

I sound like a real cheap-o don't I? LOL It just needs to be functional.

Hope your not offended that I highjacked the thread. Carol

For a very fast growing, beautiful screen you might consider planting Forsythias. They self-replicate like crazy by sending out stolens and when their branches come in contact with the ground they root very quickly. You can keep dividing them and planting more along your property line until you have the screen you desire in a really short time. They grow tall and wide and in the spring have beautiful yellow flowers. I love mine. In summer, the leaves are semi-glossy, deep green and make a beautiful back drop for any garden.
The plants cost about 5 bucks a pot or less - I got mine on sale at Lowe's for one dollar in late spring. Three plants would quickly turn into dozens in a year or two. To make it bushier and thicker, cut them back after they bloom in spring.

I am sure there are other plants but this is the first one that came to my mind when I read your post. I completely understand where you are coming from, Carol. I can't afford to buy a lot of landscape plants either.

If you know anyone who has them growing on their property, they might let you dig up some starts off of theirs.

~ sweetannie4u

Actually a lot of people in my area have forsythias and I didn't know they would root that easy. My next door neighbor (on the other side) had a couple in between our houses when we moved in but he had a water leak for a long time and I think they just stayed too wet and died.

Every one that I have seen is just allowed to sprawl and they are a open type plant. Would they provide a better screen if I kept them trimmed. I will have to look around and see if I can find some. I can see some out my front window but I can't tell which yard they are in. I will have to take a walk and look at them.

One family has a divider that is all red canna and it is really pretty in the summer. I live at the lake and most of the lots are small and almost all of them are irregular shaped. Some are on the water and some are on a curved road so either way they are not squared. I think "greenery" really gives a better look than a fence does on an odd shaped lot. We have two lots and they are wider at the front than at the back. I have a chainlink fence from the back of the house to the back property line which is where I have my garden, but the 2nd lot doesn't have any kind of fence or divider and that is where I would like a screen of some sort.

Thanks for the idea. Anyone else have a suggestion?