Pruning a Holly - Newbie
danielj_2009
8 years ago
We had this holly put in this tight space because it was supposed to be slower growing. This is I think the second full season of growth. I didn't prune it at all last year. When it was put in it was a conical shape - I liked it. Question is, can I just prune off the extra long shoots to get back to a more conical shape? Basically can a holly like the be pruned pretty much like a boxwood, and is this time of year in NJ OK for pruning?
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Can I prune red sprite holly?
Comments (2)Ken, hollies have berries, not nuts. (-: Nancy, of course you can prune your hollies down to size. You may find that you have to prune frequently to keep them under control, they may not have as much visual appeal when heavily pruned, and they may not fruit as heavily when pruned. You should try to accomplish most of the annual reduction in late-winter/early-spring before new growth begins in the spring....See MoreHow to prune holly?
Comments (13)To be blunt: Garbage in = garbage out. Per dave_in_nova's comments - you can shear this one till the cows come home, and it is still going to be a piece of cr@p. It even appears that you have a China holly in the foreground along the brick wall. Good luck ever having this landscape planting ever seem like it is a success. The main reason I asked for an image of the whole plant is to try to determine what species/selection this actually is. That makes a huge difference in providing pruning advice. A selection like 'Dragon Lady' would need a different recommendation entirely than a selection like 'Blue Princess', since they have entirely different growth habits. A closeup of a few leaves doesn't provide the information necessary to separate these selections. I still think you have a heck of a challenge on your hands, and not one that will be solved with pruning advice. That is obviously a poorly pruned, grown, planted, and managed individual. I'd want to know a lot more before I merely tried to snip/tuck some of the current stems. I am bothering to comment on your situation because I am a KY resident and a practicing public Landscape Architect in Louisville. It is part of my job to help citizens with problems like this. A large part of my professional career was as horticulturist and landscape manager in KY prior to earning my degree in Landscape Architecture. There is often much more to consider with plant problems than the superficial conditions, and I'll assist to the extent that I'm allowed to....See MoreFoster holly--time to grow back from pruning?
Comments (0)When we moved into this house, the previous owners had done a nice topiary job on two foster holly trees at the front of the house. Each was about 8 feet tall, and had three neatly-trimmed balls of leaves at the bottom, the middle and the top. I was able to keep up with them and keep them looking good. Then, in a drought in 2011, I didn't water them enough. Half of each of the trees got dry enough that the branches were dead. The local university outreach office suggested I cut the trees all the way back to the trunks, and let them grow out again. This is now the second summer, and they're still not at a point where I can shape them. Does anyone here have experience with these trees? Do they take years before they're full enough to shape? I've considered taking them out and replacing them with something faster-growing, but maybe I just need to be patient. Thanks for any replies....See MorePruning yaupon holly as tree
Comments (20)How much space do I need to give them? They will eventually want to get 15 to 20 feet wide and about as tall unless you espalier or do other planer pruning along the wall. Looks enough like yaupon to me to think your builder probably has it right. Most of the 20+ year old ones in our neighborhood have been trained as multi-trunk trees, but have seen single trunk used nicely more often in newer plantings. Could help to know the gender of your plants before you move them - there's a small chance the builder/nursery might know. Berries on the females change the look (improve, imho) and would be nice to have matching plants, male or female, anywhere you may be wanting some symmetry....See Moredanielj_2009
8 years agodanielj_2009
8 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
8 years agodanielj_2009
8 years agolast modified: 8 years ago
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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A