"What's Wrong With My Hollies?"

I have received many questions lately regarding winter damage on evergreen shrubs.  The hardest hit in our area seems to have been the smaller hollies such as Dwarf Yaupons, Soft Touch and Helleri.  The larger Ilex compacta hollies seem to have tolerated the winter a little better. 

Whether they were damaged by January's severe cold temperatures or the snow load they received, now is the time that the true extent of the die-back can be accessed.  If the stems and twigs are dried and have defoliated, or lost their leaves, they have frozen and will need to have this damaged tissue removed.  You will need to trim off (or have someone trim them for you) those parts of the plants that are damaged. When in doubt as to the extent of the damage, the old stand-by "scratch test" (taking a sharp knife or your fingernail and scraping a section of the outer bark to see if the wood is still green), is your best indicator of how far back you may need to prune in order to save the plant.  It is even possible that you will need to remove some of the healthy tissue as well in order to restore shape and balance to the plant.  You may have some additional pruning and shaping to do as the new growth begins to develop.  Given a light trimming and a good fertilization with a slow release fertilizer such as Growers Special (12-6-6), they should recover fairly quickly. 

As always, we continue to be slaves to the whims of nature.  It seems that spring comes in dragging its feet, then runs full force into summer.  Be sure to visit Sartin Services Lawncare and Nursery today and let one of our knowledgeable sales associates answer any questions you may have regarding your lawn and garden needs.  (Be sure to pick up a bag of Growers Special while you are here.)

Happy Gardening!

Larry Vickers

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