Leaves on sky pencil holly are turning brown - Ask Extension
Hi,
I planted this sky pencil holly near the front of my townhome about 3 years ago. It has never had a problem and always looks healthy. Just recentl...
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Leaves on sky pencil holly are turning brown #666806
Asked July 21, 2020, 9:02 AM EDT
Hi,
I planted this sky pencil holly near the front of my townhome about 3 years ago. It has never had a problem and always looks healthy. Just recently the leaves have started to turn brown. They are scattered throughout the plant. The new growth looks fine. It is in shade but does get the afternoon sun. I water it and I checked the ground and it doesn't seem too wet. Can you tell me what is happening to it.
Thanks
Prince George's County Maryland
Expert Response
This does not look disease or insect related. You are most likely dealing with a type of cultural or environmental issue such as planting techniques, poor site conditions, poor drainage, overwatering, underwatering, etc. Here is more information https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/tree-and-shrub-problems-not-caused-disease-or-insects-abiotic
The new leaves on the foliage look okay. The brown leaves look like older foliage and old damage.
In general Japanese hollies grow best in light, moist, well drained, slightly acid soils. They are sun or shade adaptable. We could not see clearly around the base of the shrubs. It looks like they may be growing in a confined space or a container. If so, there may be limited space for the root system and possible stress from radiant heat from the building. We cannot say for sure.
All you can do is look around the base of the shrub. Make sure mulch is no thicker than several inches and away from the base of the shrub. Water the shrub deeply during dry periods. Check the drainage and make sure there are no waterspouts dumping water in the root zone. This type of holly is prone to root rots in heavy clay soils. Monitor the growth of the shrub and additional symptoms.
Marian
The new leaves on the foliage look okay. The brown leaves look like older foliage and old damage.
In general Japanese hollies grow best in light, moist, well drained, slightly acid soils. They are sun or shade adaptable. We could not see clearly around the base of the shrubs. It looks like they may be growing in a confined space or a container. If so, there may be limited space for the root system and possible stress from radiant heat from the building. We cannot say for sure.
All you can do is look around the base of the shrub. Make sure mulch is no thicker than several inches and away from the base of the shrub. Water the shrub deeply during dry periods. Check the drainage and make sure there are no waterspouts dumping water in the root zone. This type of holly is prone to root rots in heavy clay soils. Monitor the growth of the shrub and additional symptoms.
Marian
