West Sussex, United Kingdom
1)Please can you identify the holly tree see photos attached?
2) I want to get it cut back/shaped/reduced - what is the best time of year?
3) It is continuously dropping dead leaves although seems to be healthy - is this usual?
4) Tree is approx. 40ft high - estimated age 35-40 yrs.
Any advice greatly appreciated - thanks in anticipation.
JohnS
- 27 Jun, 2016
There are many varieties of holly with variegated leaves, so I'm not sure which particular one it is, except to say its a female (because its got berries forming). Regarding the leaf loss from an obviously healthy specimen, yes this is quite normal - evergreen plants do shed and replace their leaves, they just don't do it all at once, they do it year round, so a layer of dead leaves beneath is to be expected.
The best time for pruning, particularly drastic pruning, is winter, when the plant is dormant, so probably around November/December. Holly will regenerate readily from old wood, so you can take off growth down to 6 feet if you want - but you will then need to keep an eye on it as it responds with very vigorous growth and reshape as necessary.
27 Jun, 2016