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Top Questions About American Holly Bushes

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Questions About American Holly Bushes

  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    January 7, 2011
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Cutting the tops off will make the bushier, but will not make them grow taller faster. The best way to get them to grow taller faster is to encourage them to put energy into growing upwards. In the spring, when you see new growth, trim off all the new growth that is not growing in the direction that you would like. This will focus the plants' energy on the growth that is growing in the right direction. This will produce somewhat leggy growth, but once it reaches the height you would like, you can trim some of the top branches to bring about the bushiness.

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  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    April 4, 2011
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Loppers or pruning shears are fine.

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  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    May 8, 2011
    Certified Expert
    A.

    How has the weather been where you are? Has it been unusually cold? Are the leaves that are turning light green or brown dropping? Let us know this and we can better advise you on how best to fix the issue.

    If you have had a few nights where it was near or below 10 degrees F., the tree may start to go dormant and would act like a deciduous tree, changing leaf color and dropping leaves. This could be especially true of newly planted shrubs/trees, as the weather change would cause some confusion. However, it should recover on its own and grow new leaves once the weather returns to normal.

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  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    September 18, 2011
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Oftentimes, this is due to poor pollination. If not properly pollinated, the berries will drop before they are fully mature. Lots of times changes in temperature, lots of rain, or a lack of pollinating insects are the cause. There is probably nothing that you can do for this year, but next year you need to take steps to make sure that the shrubs can be properly pollinated. These articles will offer suggestions for improving pollination: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/insect-pollination-process.htm
    https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/beneficial/creating-a-pollinator-garden.htm

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  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    March 20, 2012
    Certified Expert
    A.

    If the shrub has leggy growth like this, it usuallly indicates that the shrub is in need of some pruning. Hollies, as with most shrubs, can be pruned back by a third of their growth. Any more than that will likely harm the plants. This article should help: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/holly/trimming-holly-bushes-how-to-prune-holly-bushes.htm

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  • Answered by
    Heather on
    February 11, 2014
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Yes, you can grow a new plant from the suckers, provided the plant was not a graft. It is unusual for hollies to be grafted, so you should be ok.

    Select a few of the strongest looking suckers and prune out all the rest. Then allow the suckers to grow. As long as you are cultivating just a few of the strongest, they should fill out on their own and you can treat them as you would a small "normal" holly. No need to prune until they are at the desired height.

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  • Answered by
    Nikki on
    March 23, 2014
    Certified Expert
    A.

    Here is an article that you may find helpful: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/tips-for-saving-cold-damaged-plants.htm

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