Question
I am in NJ (Zone 6). This past winter I lost all the leaves on my Nellie R Stevens Holly trees.
Someone told me there is a spray to help prevent this. Can you advise of best ways or products to prevent this re-occurance?
(I fertilized w/ Hollytone and they all came came.)
Thank you,
Len


Answer
Len,
It is perfectly normal for that type of holly to lose it's leaves in winter.Not all hollies are evergreen,which means they keep their leaves throughout the entire year. There is no way to prevent this unless you replace it with a different type of holly. Most hollies DO keep their leaves all year but not all. Hollytone is a great product to keep the leaves bright green and shiny but will not perform miracles. I know how you feel though.You want an evergreen and were expecting it to be one. If it isn't too mature you could dig it up and move it somewhere else and replace it with another hollie that does not lose it's leaves.The Foster Holly,the Blue/Boy Hollies,Japanese Green Lustre Holly,American Holly,Helleri Holly(small shrub) all keep their leaves in winter.There are many more that do.
Here are some sources to look at hollies:
Wayside Garden,Musser Forests,Inc.,Jungs plants,Evergreens.com and of course www.google.com with a direct search of "evergreens".Good Luck to you!