Pruning Nellie Stevens holly
 

I have a hedge of Nellie Stevens that is starting to get a bit "arm-y"
(it's not growing up excessively, it's throwing out long branches). How
severely and when can I cut it back to promote density instead of long
limbs? The plants are about seven-eight feet tall at this point. It's
been in the ground for a number of years, but this is the first year
that it seems to have bolted in this fashion.

Steve

It sounds like you might want to shear the entire plant if not dense enough
but that's probably overkill. I have found that Nellie's generally only
require some occasional hand pruning to keep their shape.

--
Baine


"Steve Holzworth" wrote in message
...

I have a hedge of Nellie Stevens that is starting to get a bit "arm-y"
(it's not growing up excessively, it's throwing out long branches). How
severely and when can I cut it back to promote density instead of long
limbs? The plants are about seven-eight feet tall at this point. It's
been in the ground for a number of years, but this is the first year
that it seems to have bolted in this fashion.