Most hollies naturally develop a rounded, full form and require little pruning except to keep the shrub or tree to size. Hollies can be either deciduous or evergreen and pruning practices differ slightly between them. Many gardeners like to use evergreen holly for hedges and topiary, which require regular pruning. Read on to learn when and how to prune your holly shrubs and trees.
When to Prune Hollies
The ideal time to prune hollies is in late winter just before they start to put on new growth in the spring. This is when the plants are dormant and less stressed by cut branches. Keep in mind evergreen hollies bloom on old wood, whereas deciduous hollies bloom on new wood. Any evergreen branches pruned in late winter will not produce flowers and later berries. To preserve the berries on evergreen hollies, you may wish to prune in late summer, after the berries appear. The downside is that this timing can be more stressful on the plant and may promote new growth that doesn't have time to harden off.
Why Prune Hollies
Pruning hollies allows dead, crossing, and diseased branches to be removed. It also serves to thin crowded growth, so the canopy can receive more air and sunlight. Pruning with these goals in mind every year will maintain the health of the tree and increase its lifespan. You may also want to prune your hollies to control height.
Evergreen hollies grown as a hedge should be pruned to keep them to a single height. On evergreen hollies, make cuts just above a bud and try not to cut the leaves. Any cut leaves will brown at the edges and look unsightly all summer. To control height, the recommendation is to remove 1/4 to 1/3 of the oldest branches. Other hollies may be pruned to keep their original shape.
Holly Pruning Tips
The best way to prune holies is with a good pair of sharp hand pruners. Follow a branch that needs to be shaped and remove it by cutting it back inside the plant at an angle. This is a good technique to reduce the height of the plant and hide the cuts. However if you are training it into a particular shape, you can use hedge clippers. Holly can be cut back hard and will resprout like a yew, but it will likely have unsightly, uneven growth for a year or two. To rejuvenate an old holly, it is better to prune in stages, removing about 1/3 of the growth every year.
If you are cutting branches for holiday decorations, wait until the weather has turned cold to avoid stimulating new growth.
- Use clean, sharp hand pruners
- Evergreen and deciduous hollies require different pruning techniques
- Wait until the weather has turned cold for holiday decorations
Sources: "Why doesn't my holly have berries?" PennState Extension. extension.psu.edu
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Author Chris Link - Published 10-19-2021 |