3 month old holly bush losing leaves

Question

We planted a 3 ft. tall holly bush from a nursery in July in central Florida. After the very hot summer and watering often, it is now losing its leaves. The leaves are very green. It faces north and gets some shade. What is going on?

Answer 1

This sounds like a case of delayed transplant shock, a very common condition in recently planted shrubs. It occurs because the roots have not fully established in the soil yet, making the plant ore susceptible to stress. Hot weather can make the problem worse. See this article:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/learn-how-to-avoid-and-repair-transplant-shock-in-plants.htm