How to Care for Holly Bushes

Overview

Holly bushes provide popular landscape plants often used for edging, borders or screens. Some holly plants are deciduous, although most varieties grown in the United States are evergreen. Fast-growing and tough, holly tolerates a wide range of environmental conditions. Gardeners value the plant for its attractive, glossy foliage and ornamental berries borne in fall and winter. Holly bushes produce red, yellow or even black berries that attract birds to their branches and serve to brighten the winter landscape when other plants are dormant.

Step 1

Plant holly bushes any time of year in a location that receives full sunlight throughout the day. Apply a 3-inch layer of organic compost to the planting site and use a garden tiller to work it into the soil to increase fertility and drainage. Space holly bushes 3 to 12 feet apart.

Step 2

Apply a 2-inch layer of mulch to the ground surrounding holly bushes to insulate the soil and suppress competitive weeds. Add additional mulch to the layer as often as necessary to keep it about 2 inches thick year-round.

Step 3

Apply water once every two weeks during the spring, summer and fall months to prevent the soil from drying out completely. Do not water when more than 2 inches of rain has fallen since the previous application of water.

Step 4

Fertilize during early spring, just before growth begins. Use a balanced 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer to provide adequate nutrition for root establishment, foliage growth and berry formation. Read the manufacturer's instructions for dosage information.

Step 5

Prune holly bushes in late spring and summer to promote a compact growth habit. Use pruning shears to remove branches that are excessively long, diseased or damaged. Cut off diseased branches at their point of origin to prevent spreading the infection.