Pruning:

• Inkberry Holly:
  • Pruning should be done in early spring, just before new growth emerges, but pruning needs are minimal unless you use the shrubs in a hedge.
  • Prune at least once a year.
  • Remove any dead or dying branches completely, where they meet healthy growth.
  • Maintenance pruning is usually needed to address legginess in the species. As the plant matures and becomes thin, remove up to one-third of the branches to their points of origin in early spring.
• Blue Holly:
  • Remove dead or diseased branches when noticed.
  • In late winter, before new growth emerges, thin out branches if plants appear overgrown.
  • Unless you use them in a hedge, these shrubs look best when the pruning is not too noticeable. To accomplish this, stagger the depth of your cuts.
• Japanese Holly:
  • Tolerate heavier pruning than many other evergreen varieties.
  • In late winter or early spring, remove dead, broken, or diseased branches.
  • If plants are too dense or overgrown, cut out up to 1/3 of the branches back to the main stem.
  • Mounding and spreading types can be kept sheared like boxwood as formal hedging.
  • These can also be rejuvenated by cutting the entire plant back to a few inches above the ground.
• Winterberry Holly:
  • Prune in late winter or early spring before leaves emerge.
  • Remove dead growth, broken and crossing branches, and lightly shape as needed.
  • To thin and rejuvenate, remove 1/3 of older branches (which should be at least an inch in diameter) at ground level to stimulate new growth.
• Avoid pruning any Holly in late summer and fall.