Ima Googler wrote:
Thanks for the diagram! That helps!

The fence we are trying to cover is chain link so we are hoping that
the hollies will grow through it a bit to hide it from both sides.

I read something that said if you plant them too close together that
they can develop this leggy look. Does anyone know if this is true?

We really need the bushes to merge and form a hedge as quickly as
possible, but we don't want to plant them so close together that they
don't thrive.

We're still trying to decide between Needlepoint and Nellie R Stevens.
Any thoughts? Whats the absolute closest you'd plant these type
hollies together?


I have dwarf Burford holly (Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii Nana') forming a
solid mass planted 2 ft apart.

According to Sunset, 'Nellie R Stevens' is a cross between Chinese holly
(I. cornuta) and English holly (I. aquifolimn). It will grow 15-20 ft
tall and 10 ft wide. To make a solid hedge, plant about 5 ft apart. To
improve the setting of berries, plant a Chinese holly nearby for cross
pollination.

I can't find 'Needlepoint' in my copy of Sunset.

Planted as a hedge, there will be some die-back between individual
plants. That should not be noticeable except when the hedge is sheared
or individual plants are severely pruned.

If your neighbor is agreeable, plant the hedge right against the chain
link fence, to grow through it. Both sides of the hedge will get enough
sun. However, if your neighbor moves away, be sure to talk to your new
neighbor promptly. Obviously, the goal should be to have a good,
secure, durable fence that no one sees because it is so hideous. Thus,
a new neighbor (if approached correctly) should agree to keeping the
hedge.

If you want a sheared hedge, plant in a straight line about 2-3 ft from
the fence. However, constant shearing will reduce the crop of berries.

For an informal hedge that is trimmed only on occasion, mark a line
about 2 ft from the fence. Then stagger the plants, alternating 2 ft on
either side of the line. The resulting zigzag will not be pronounced,
but there will be a pleasing irregularity. The plants that are 4 ft
from the fence will still grow through the fence.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean
Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean
influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19)
Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/