How to Trim an Ilex Holly

The genus Ilex includes many species of hollies, most of which have evergreen foliage. They are used as hedges, foundation plants or can be grown as specimen trees. They come in a wide range of sizes from the 3-foot tall Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) to the 20- to 30-foot tall American holly (Ilex opaca). It is important to know which kind of holly you have so you can determine if it is appropriate for the space you have in mind. Even though you can prune hollies regularly to achieve a particular height, it is not a wise move to attempt to keep a 20-foot tree in a 5-foot space.

Hand pruners
Hedge trimmers
Gloves
Protective clothing

Instructions

- 1
  Sharpen your pruners before you start any pruning. Sharp pruners will make the job much easier if you have a lot of pruning to do. Clean cuts heal faster and do not allow diseases or bugs to invade.
- 2
  Shear hollies that are in a formal arrangement or a hedge. Manual hedge trimmers do a good job, but power trimmers make the job go much faster. For a natural, informal appearance, use hand pruners to create an irregular outline to your shape. This allows some light in the interior of the plant to produce a fuller shape. Shearing restricts growth to the outside edge of the plant with little interior foliage.
- 3
  Cut anywhere along the stem to whatever size and shape you desire. Hollies are easy shrubs to prune as there are no complicated rules about where or how to make the cut on the stem. New growth will emerge from wherever you cut. Start at the top and work your way around and down the plant.
- 4
  Step back from your work frequently to judge if your shrub is symmetrical and the size and shape you want. Try to visualize the final shape as you cut away material to form that shape.

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