"JennyC" wrote in message
...
I have this straggly variegated holly tree that needs something doing with
it to bush it out. it's about 6ft tall but very 'ratty' looking. When is a
good time to prune it hard - now or spring??

Our variegated is kept as a hedging shrub - rather, um, casual in shape :-)

A seedling (not variegated) tree was causing a lot of shade to the
greenhouse so I cut back all the branches to the trunk, leaving the crown
because I couldn't reach it. It's like a standard now, I like it. It does
throw stuff up round its base, they're left or cut off as I feel inclined
but it suggests that cutting the main stem/trunk down might not be a
disaster.

I can't remember when I did it but it doesn't seem to matter.

Mary