Ilex Glabra Shamrock Inkberry Pruning

Timing

• The "Shamrock" inkberry will recover from pruning best if it is performed in late winter or early spring when the plant is still dormant, just before the spring growth flush occurs. This plant can withstand light pruning throughout the year to maintain its shape or control its spread, as needed. Prune the inkberry when conditions are dry to avoid accidentally spreading disease.

Routine Annual Pruning

• Use sharp, sterile pruning shears or loppers to cut the tips off of inkberry branches to control the plant's size and shape. Cut back overly vigorous, out of place or rubbing branches. Make each cut slightly angled and just above a branch junction, leaf node or bud facing in the desired direction. Trim off any suckers that are growing out of the ground beyond where you wish the "Shamrock" inkberry to spread, making each cut at or slightly below ground level.

Rejuvenation Pruning

• Older inkberry plants recover well from occasional rejuvenation pruning. Severe pruning of this sort is warranted when the shrub begins to look leggy, with little or no foliage on the lower portions of the stem. Cut the stems back to ground level before the spring growth flush. Once new growth begins to emerge, head back overly vigorous new shoots, cutting off the branch tips, to encourage a dense habit. Regular soil moisture helps the inkberry retain its lower foliage, helping to minimize legginess and the need for rejuvenation pruning.

Maintenance Pruning

• Prune off portions of the inkberry that are dead, damaged or diseased as soon as you notice the problem. Inspect the shrub occasionally, looking for potential pests of "Shamrock" inkberry like scales and spittlebugs and diseases like leaf spot. Prune out affected portions of the inkberry, making any cut several inches below the damage or diseased section into healthy tissue and dispose of the sections of the plant you remove away from the inkberry and other desirable vegetation. Perform pruning to remove parts of the inkberry with leaf spots only when conditions are dry to avoid dispersing spores.