Question
I have sevral hollies that appear to be dying...in fact one is completely dead. The leaves turn brown...they don't necessarily fall off. The other holly's leaves are beginning to turn brown also. The leaves turn brown from the tip down. I've looked on the back of the leaves and do not see any signs of fungus ie black spots or mothy webs. what should I do? I'm concerned my two Nellie Stevens are going too. They are over ten feet tall and are showing signs of stress. I live in northern Delaware and we had a very mild winter. I have noticed that my neighbor's boxwoods seem to be dying too. Thanks

Answer
Peggy,

Was there any flooding in your area from the Nor'easter? If there was, this is probably the reason. Water damage to the root zones would explain why several different species of holly are declining.

I would recommend giving them a good fertilization to spark new growth and stabilize the plants.

Good luck,
Ed Gulliksen