skip to main content

Southern Gardening

Need help with plant rehab!

8 years ago

Hey y'all. I'm new to this site. I came in search of advice.

I've never been a gardener. I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'd like to learn.

The back story- My fiancé and I have recently moved into a beautiful mid-century modern home. Once upon a time, the yard was beautifully landscaped. However, that is no longer the case. The most recent owner allowed the yard and flower beds to "go". Everything is overrun with vines, literally choking the life out of the shrubs. We've started working to tame the jungle we have growing outside.

Now to my first question- we've found a number of holly bushes that have been cut back, basically to nubs. It looks like someone was trying to kill them. However, there is (a little) growth on quite a few of these. What can I do to promote growth and revive these bushes? I can post pics when I get home from work, if that helps.

Comments (3)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
8 years ago
My suggestion is to simply stand back and wait to see what the hollies may do on their own. Whatever you do, DON'T fertilize.

If they've been chopped back repeatedly, that might pose a problem. But hollies are a plant that can undergo a rejuvenation pruning....all the way to the ground....and come back better than ever.

For better advice, we need to know your general location and those pictures of the hollies would be great. I need to be able to ID the hollies in order to be able to forecast their future growth.
mmmize2568 thanked rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
mmmize2568
Original Author
8 years ago
I live in northwest Mississippi. I meant to snap a few pics for you when I got home from work, but completely let it slip my mind until dusk. Sorry for the poor quality. We have probably 8-10 holly bushes in about this same condition, most are a little worse than this one, but all are putting out some foliage.

Please excuse the leaves and the condition of the yard. We've only been here a couple of weeks and this is in a section of the 2 acre yard that we haven't yet begun to tackle.
Related Discussions
Can I rehab an almost leafless 6 ft tall potted umbrella plant?
Q
Comments (9)
THANK YOU each for responding! I tried a little research and I believe it is technically a tree, most likely a "Schefflera actinophylla ÂAmateÂ Â" So while it is a schefflera, it's much taller than the dwarf version most people have as house plants. And yes, I think it's Australian in origin. I believe we've seen them thriving & commonly growing as 15ft+ trees in the ground in St. Petersburg Florida. But the Atlanta winters would kill it, so we've left this one potted so it can be brought inside during the winter, as it has been in the past. It was sold many years ago as a house plant, but that's maybe not its best situation. It now consists of only ONE 6 ft tall skinny stalk & three leaf stems hanging from that stalk at the top. It is trying to sprout from the top, but we need it shorter & more filled out. Would love to cut it close to the dirt & let it start over, but worry it would kill it, having no leaves then. THANKS AGAIN very much for each response! bett
...See More
Rehabbing land for native plants - stilt grass
Q
Comments (2)
Interesting document. Weed whacking in late summer before fruit seems a good option (and native plants should recover from whacking also). Remember, this is an annual plant so the best approach to prevent it from setting seed. Interesting to read that grazing is not an option because cattle won't feed on it. I think that is a major leg up for most of our invasives (chinese privet, jap. honeysuckle, etc.)- grazing animals, including DEER, aren't helping us to control it. In fact, they help it thrive by leaving it alone!!
...See More
Need help rehabbing a weed filled lawn
Q
Comments (6)
A rototiller would work, but it would ruin your life for the foreseeable future. Nobody notices this when they rototill a veggie garden, but the soil structure gets destroyed. As the new soil structure develops it creates a bumpy surface. That doesn't matter in a garden but on a lawn it will break you and your lawn mower. So don't rototill. Where do you live? What kind of grass do you want to have? Can you post a picture of the yard as is? We all have vivid imaginations and might be thinking it's worse than it is. Is it as bad as this?
...See More
help with a couple of rehab plants
Q
Comments (7)
ulicoco, I can see what looks like aphids (little dark specks, in this case) on the stem in your last photo. You can just crush them with your fingers, or knock them off with a stream/spray of water.
...See More
dottiecarrano
8 years ago
Looks like a brick foundation there upper left of photo and this had to have been a massive, broad, prickly mess of a shrub. It will only be broader if you let it grow since the sprouting is coming off of the below ground growth. Honestly, if that is a wall or a structure foundation I see in your photo you may want to consider digging this monster out and starting fresh.

Sign Up to Comment

Related Stories

FLOWERS AND PLANTS Help Monarchs and Other Butterflies by Planting Common Milkweed

By Pollination Press LLC

Summer-blooming Asclepias syriaca is an important larval host plant for the monarch butterfly and attracts a number of pollinating insects

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Common Boneset Helps Good Bugs Thrive

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Support bees, moths and butterflies with the nectar of this low-maintenance, versatile and tactile prairie-style plant

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Native Plants Help You Find Your Garden Style

By Oakley Gardens

Imagine the garden of your dreams designed with plants indigenous to your region

GARDENING GUIDES Help Fuel the Monarch Migration With These 6 Prairie Plants

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Try these nectar-rich beauties and help autumn monarchs

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Unthirsty Plants Help You Save Water in Style

By Bruce Parker

Spend less effort and money on your landscape with drought-tolerant and native plants that liven up your yard

MOVING Relocating Help: 8 Tips for a Happier Long-Distance Move

By Laura Gaskill

Trash bags, houseplants and a good cry all have their role when it comes to this major life change

SELLING YOUR HOUSE 10 Low-Cost Tweaks to Help Your Home Sell

By Lurdes Abruscato

Put these inexpensive but invaluable fixes on your to-do list before you put your home on the market

FLOWERS AND PLANTS This Sunny Yellow Flower Helps Fall Pollinators and Landscapes

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Oligoneuron riddellii’s distinct grass-like leaves and bright flowers jazz up the garden in the upper Midwest and Central Plains

PETS 6 Ways to Help Your Dog and Landscape Play Nicely Together

By Marianne Lipanovich

Keep your prized plantings intact and your dog happy too, with this wisdom from an expert gardener and dog guardian

Guest Picks: Give Your Home a Helping of Spring Greens

By Bonnie Christine

Celebrate garden growth with this collection of housewares and gardening gear in the shades of budding plants

Sponsored

RTS Home Solutions

3 Reviews

BIA of Central Ohio Award Winning Contractor