I have a holly tree that was distorted by a large conifer that grew up
beside it and took the light. The conifer is now gone but the holly has
several ugly long bare branches on one side. It found the following advice
on the web:

To rejuvenate a holly, "hat rack" it in late winter by cutting back the
branches by half to three-quarters of their length. The remaining plant will
have few leaves and look like a hat rack, but in spring it will flush out
with new foliage from all the pruning cuts. In two to three years, it will
be fully covered in leaves. Hat racking will result in a plant much reduced
in size, but still full of foliage.


But I am not sure if cutting back just a couple of branches will cause them
to generate new shoots. Anybody any experience?

thanks

Davy