Normal Holly Leaf Drop or Something Else?

6 months ago

Red Oak Leaf Hollies. I planted them (properly) a few years ago and they had been doing great. Container grown. Roots spread out. Planted high. Watered properly. Thrived first few years.
Some leaf drop of the INNER leaves this spring. One of the three dropped more than the others and was looking pretty thin.
Fast forward now to fall and it still looks somewhat thin, and remaining inner leaves can be seen in the attached photos (key is that the photos are from now, the fall) as all spotty and yellow. Very outer most leaves seem OK.
Is this more normal leaf drop or is this excessive/abnormal for fall. The outer most leaves are still OK, but that wouldn't leave many leaves left if the spotty ones fall soon.
Some backstory. These hollies are along a property line. My neighbor's driveway is only about 2 feet away from the property line, and they have sprinkler heads along their driveway that spray out towards me. Hollies are 3 to 4 feet in from property line but the holies/my soil are hit by their sprinklers. They water too often. Their sprinklers use well water not public water, so no idea what pH is. They also had some masonry work (patio) done last year and the workers used the driveway as a work area ... lot of rubble ended up in my bed...removed what I could. Assume mortar rubble is fairly alkaline.
I didn't do a soil test. But the abundance of water... potential alkaline well water...mortar crumbles...and yellowing leaves, albeit only the inner ones, made me suspect chlorosis.
So, a month ago, I removed all mulch and I put down some organic compost and espoma soil acidifier. More recently I put down some espoma iron tone.
Neighbors are difficult to deal with. I'd be better off erecting some kind of barrier to stop the sprinklers if that is causing the problem (there is a fence there now right next to the hollies but it is a split rail, obviously doesn't block water).
What do you guys think? Chlorosis or normal leaf drop? All 3 hollies have it, but 2 to a much lesser degree. All 3 are same species... The one suffering more was a different grower. They were performing similarly until this spring.

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Comments (9)

cecily 7A
6 months ago
Have you checked for spider mites?
saabturbo99
Original Author
6 months ago
Yep, don't see any spider mites.

Also forgot to list location - same zone as you, 7a, Long Island.
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KR KNuttle
6 months ago
Like all trees hollies renew their leaves periodically. So unless the tree is loosing a large percentage of their leaves, I would monitor the situation, but do nothing at this time. It is the "fall"
saabturbo99
Original Author
6 months ago
I'd say the tree lost 30% of it's leaves in the spring...and looks like it will lose (if the spotted ones fall off) another 30% this fall. So it will have maybe 40% remaining, which is pretty thin. That 40% is comprised of the outer leaves...so that is why I'm wondering/hoping if it still may be normal (versus a more universal loss of leaves).
KR KNuttle
6 months ago
If you lost 30% in the spring and there were new leaves in the summer, and you lost another 30% this fall, they will be replaced next spring. So in three season your tree will have all leaves less that about 2 years old.

It all sounds natural to me. But as I said I would monitor it.
saabturbo99
Original Author
6 months ago
I would say it lost 30% in the spring...it did put on new growth but not enough to compensate for the loss...so the tree is thinner now than it was last year. If it loses these yellowing leaves it will be quite thin...albeit with the outer most leaves intact. Perhaps it is preparing for an extreme burst of growth in the spring?
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
6 months ago
Did you have a dry summer and fall? Or adequate rainfall. Also, can you take a pic of the bottom sides of the leaves?
saabturbo99
Original Author
6 months ago
Hi Dave - it has been a wet summer and fall, moreso than usual. I'm actually concerned they get too much water as my neighbors sprinklers system hits them, and at times this spring and fall he was watering every single day because of grass seeding. So I was worried about chlorosis (plus he uses well water, don't know if it's acidic or alkaline). I was also worried maybe about a root rot.

I remember from past posts you also have red oak leaf hollies. Have yours ever done this? Your beautiful specimens are what helped make.ne decide to get these. They're in the ground for 3 seasons now and had been doing great until this season.

I can get some pictures of the undersides of the leaves.
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
6 months ago
last modified: 6 months ago
No, I don't think mine have ever done this. They get NO supplemental water. And we've had an extremely dry summer and fall. So, too much water is a possibility. As is some kind of fungal issue. You got me. Could you take some sprigs to someone local? We have one or two good nurseries here where you can get help for things like that.

Normal Holly Leaf Drop or Something Else?

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cecily 7A

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Normal Holly Leaf Drop or Something Else?

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cecily 7A

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Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A

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