Holly, often grown from American, Chinese or Japanese holly plants, varies in size from 0.6 to 12 m, depending on the variety and method of cultivation of the plant. This evergreen broadleaf beautifies your environment with leathery, pointed leaves, white flowers, and red and black berries. Keeping your holly plant the size of a shrub depends on proper pruning. Pruning also promotes the growth of larger flowers by focusing the plant's energy on their growth. While American holly prefers a gradual reduction pruning schedule once a year, Chinese and Japanese holly shrubs are able to withstand a more vigorous pruning regimen.
Steps
Step 1. Prune healthy holly shrubs before their growth period, in the latter part of winter or early spring
Look after holly shrubs that are sick or have broken branches as soon as you notice the shrub has health issues.
Step 2. Get the tools you need for pruning, taking into account the size of the branches to be pruned
Pruning shears work well on twigs and branches that are about 1.3cm in diameter or less. A quality branch cutter can cut branches up to 5 cm in diameter. The branches and larger parts of the tree may require the use of a pruning saw.
Step 3. Evaluate the holly shrub you wish to prune
Identify any branches that need to be cut entirely or simply shortened for the plant to retain its shrub shape. Keep the natural shape of a holly in mind when making decisions regarding pruning.
Step 4. Thin out the thin branches and twigs of holly that you want to remove completely by cutting off at the height of the main branch or an intersecting branch
Only cut back if you don't want future growth there, because older wood doesn't regenerate as easily as newer wood.
Step 5. Trim any branches or twigs that only need to be shortened
Make the cut directly above a side shoot, which is a bud that forms on the side of a twig or branch, rather than haphazardly in a mid-section of the branch or twig.
Step 6. Give holly shrubs a shape more suitable for more challenging environments by trimming along the growing surface of the leaves
Allow the surface of holly shrubs intended for less demanding environments to grow naturally.
Advice
- Prune sick or dying holly shrubs back to where they are thriving, eliminating all diseased parts of the plant.
- Large holly shrubs rarely require pruning, while holly shrubs kept as hedges need to be pruned annually to maintain their shape. Prune the small holly shrubs to keep their small size and eliminate the long offshoots.
- Disinfect pruning tools with denatured alcohol after each cut if you are pruning a dying or diseased holly shrub. If not, disinfect the tools when pruning is complete, before storing the tools.
- You can prune holly shrubs during the winter holiday season to use greenery and berries in holiday decorations. If you prune the American holly during this time, avoid pruning again later in the season so as not to over-prune the shrub.
