Q.We Live in NH and Had a Very Mild Winter
I have had my holly bushes for 6 years with not a problem, beautiful and plenty of berries, but now the the leaves are dry and curling and falling off. I don’t see any black spots. Is it due to the lack of snow? What do I do to save them? The bottom of the bushes are green. Thank you, bon
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
They may have suffered a bit of burn from the winter and yes, a lack of snow makes them more susceptible to it. It would be caused by cold winds and bright winter sun drying out the leaves. Snow helps to protect and insulate the leaves normally and a plant that has never gone through a winter without snow would be less prepared to deal with these conditions without their winter blanket. Normally, they will recover without you doing anything. They will just look a little bald for a bit. Some fertilizer may help speed the process along.
I would also treat the plant with a fungicide as a precaution as this kind of leaf loss can also be caused by a fungus.
