Kitchen Garden Forum

I have a young holly tree in the garden that has shed a lot of its leaves.
Could this have something to do with the so-called drought we're having?
The leaves that have fallen are lethal little buggers....they'd make a great deterrent for slugs!

Glory B

Hi Glory B,
Although Holly Trees are evegreen they do shed old leaves and if the plant otherwise looks healthy with good green leaves I would suggest that this is perfectly normal process. If not come back to me and we'll take it from there.

Good morning Johnboy....there are still a fair few yellowing leaves on the tree waiting to drop.
I said this was a young tree, but when I think about it, it was planted from a very small cutting about twenty years ago.
It stands next to a conifer,(dare I say Lleyandii)which is being kept under control. But I wonder if maybe it could be taking more of its share of nutrients from the soil, and gradually starving the poor Holly.

Glory B

Hi Glory B,
Certainly that could be the problem as Leylandii are exceedingly thirsty plants. You probably noted a recent posting where I felled over 100 of the buggers and one of reasons they had to go was that nothing would grow within 40ft either side of the what was a windbreak. Now my nursery is closed there was no longer to have them about a minute longer than necessary!!
That doesn't somehow help you though but if the Holly Tree is about 20 years old it should be about 15ft tall. I grew some from seed maybe a little longer ago and they were planted in the hedgerow for diversity and are now over 20ft and as luck would have it I unwittingly planted four females and one male and they provide Christmas berries if the Redwing's haven't had them before me.

Do you know JB, I have just taken a closer look at Holly and find that it is covered in clusters of tiny white flowers! I must go around with my eyes shut. (not such a bad thing some of the time)
Would this mean it is female and that it would need a male tree for it to produce berries....because I can't remember it ever producing berries. (then again I could be wrong)
I would say its about 11ft high but I wouldn't say it had loads of branches, which made me say in the first place it was a young tree.
I'm amazed you grew Hollies from seed...great stuff!
Bye the way haven't seen Redwings around this way for years.
Thanks JB

That's interesting about the holly dropping leaves. We bought a 3foot high holly last autumn and never got round to planting it so it has survived all winter rolling around in a tiny little pot with very little water and care , but amazingly was looking fine and healthy. A couple of weeks ago I finally planted it in a nice good sized pot with some fresh compost and watered it. Since then a lot of leaves have fallen off and it is looking a bit sad. I though it was something I had done, but perhaps it is just a seasonal thing?
Polly.