Growing Holly Bushes – How To Add Big Interest To Your Winter Landscape! :- Holly bushes are a wonderful way to liven up your yard during the gray winter months. You can plant and grow them. There’s no doubting that dreary, gloomy landscapes can accompany winter. especially considering that’s when the majority of trees and plants lose their leaves for the year. But not every plant or shrub loses its leaves in the fall.
Growing Holly Bushes – How To Add Big Interest To Your Winter Landscape!
One such plant is the holly bush. Its leaves remain on the plant throughout the year, making it a deciduous or evergreen. Its thick, glossy foliage and vivid red, seasonally-ripe berries may make a statement when set against a dull background.
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Male & Female Plants
Dioecious plants, such as holly, are those in which each plant is either male or female. You will need both a male and a female holly plant for those gorgeous red berries to bear.
While the men create the pollen, only the females are able to produce berries. There must be a male plant within 50 to 100 feet for bees and other insects to pollinate the female’s buds.
Varieties of Holly – Growing Holly Bushes
There are numerous varieties of holly bushes to choose from. When fully grown, some can reach heights of 50 feet and a spread of 20–40 feet. As a result, they resemble trees more than actual shrubs. But most stand between 20 and 30 feet tall on average. Certain cultivators are ideal for tiny spaces since they can grow as low as two feet in height.
As pine trees mature, all holly bushes have a narrower top that progressively widens toward the base of the plant (imagine a cone shape). Holly bushes can easily clipped to meet your aesthetic preferences if you’d rather a different shape.
Their glossy leaves come in a variety of hues, including gold, variegated, blue-green, and green. The length of the leaves varies from around half an inch to several inches.
Popular Male Subtypes
Jersey Knight: With its glossy, black foliage, this male cultivator is among the more well-liked ones. It can attain heights of around 7 to 10 feet, but if it achieves maturity, it will eventually reach heights of about 20 to 30 feet in about 10 years.
“Cobalt” – This male type can withstand temperatures as low as -25ºF (-32ºC), making it a great choice for colder climates. When they reach maturity, they reach the taller end of the holly bushes, growing to a height of 40 to 50 feet.
Popular Types of Women
“Jersey Princess” is a fantastic option for women to go with “Jersey Knight.” It produces a lot of berries and has glossy, dark leaves. It reaches a maximum height of 20 to 30 feet.
A well-known female cultivator known as “Miss Courtney” is capable of withstanding lows of -20°F (-29°C). It reaches a maximum height of 20 to 30 feet.
“Goldie”: This female cultivar produces a lot of yellow berries rather than red ones. As it grows, it will be around 20 feet wide and 30 feet tall.
How To Plant, Grow, And Maintain Holly Bushes
Soil Requirements for Holly Bushes
Although they can grow in many different types of soil, holly bushes are more likely to grow in loose, well-draining soils than in clay or other deep soils. Furthermore, they struggle on extremely alkalinic soils.
To try to lower the pH level if your soil is alkaline, you can add pine needles or peat moss. You can also use soil conditioners that are acidic and contain aluminum sulfate. A pH balance of 6.0 or less is the goal.
Consider adding perlite or vermiculite to your heavy, dense soil to help break it up. Composting can also improve the general composition of soils that resemble clay.
Planting American Holly Bushes
American holly shrubs can withstand colder winter temperatures and are hardy in Zones 5 through 9. The majority are produced from potted plants that you may buy at garden centers or nurseries. Even online, you can find several kinds for sale. Before making a purchase, though, make sure the cultivator is suitable for your area.
Fall, very early spring, or late winter, provided the ground is workable, are the best times to grow holly shrubs. This enables the roots to take hold before the ground freezes or the intense summer heat takes hold.
Long-Term Care – How To Grow and Maintain Holly Bushes
Thankfully, once they become established, holly bushes are relatively easy to care for and maintain. They will grow around one to two feet a year until they have reached their final mature height (this will vary based on the cultivar).
Holly bushes typically bloom in the months of May through June, but the blooms themselves aren’t really that stunning. However, they are great for attracting all sorts of pollinators to your property. The berries on female bushes ripen between September and December and will last for several months.
Watering
When plants are newly planted, water them weekly. Continue to do so for the first few months. After plants are established, normal rainfall should be enough to keep holly plants thriving and happy. Only water in cases of extreme drought once established.
Mulching
Adding mulch after planting can help the berry bush to regulate soil temperatures and help retain moisture in the summer months. If your soil is highly alkalinic, use pine needles or wood chips as your mulch to help lower the pH.
