holly bushes lost leaves

Question

I have 5 holly bushes, all of them have lost leaves and some have turned brown. There are still some green leaves on the bushes near the bottom. Also, some of the branches are dead. Should I dig them up, or can I just cut them back and see if they start to regrow?

Answer 1

We did all have a very trying winter!
It certainly does sound as if your Holly suffered greatly.

I personally try to give my plants a chance to come back. I would trim back all the obvious dead material and continue to care for them.
I try to turn losses of plants into new planting opportunities, sometimes that makes it easier to dig up those lost plants.
Good luck.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/holly/trimming-holly-bushes-how-to-prune-holly-bushes.htm

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/holly/leaf-scorching-in-holly.htm