Central NJ Nelly Stevens looking anemic!

[jstarzy]

Hi everyone...

I'm new to the forum, seeking out help for our 10 year old Nelly Stevens Holly. Thank you in advance for any tips and pointers.

Up until this year, aside from some deer bites, the tree has been healthy and beautiful at over 12' tall and intense green. After this winter, it has a tremendous amount of leaf droppings and is looking thin, brown and unhealthy in many parts. Much of the tree is still alive but it almost appears that the decay is spreading ever so slowly. However, there are parts where there is light green stem growth, too bit nothing close to previous years at this time in the season.

Nelly gets plenty of sun from a southern exposure. The front of the tree is in worse shape than the back, the back section is partially protected from the house. It was an intense winter here with much snow on the ground and cold temperatures for an extended duration! The tree has done fine with each prior less intense winter season.

What can I do do get Nelly thriving again? I am going to try to attach some pictures. Thank you!

HELP!!

Jim.

[jstarzy]

Hi all....

A friend of mine suggested the tree is "wind-burned" from the tough winter and that it will recover on its own in due time.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks...Jim.

[applestar]

The suggestion of "wind burn" rang a bell -- one of the essential care for evergreens is to make sure they get plenty of water between hard frost and hard freeze. This is when they store up moisture for the winter. Because evergreens don't lose their leaves and don't entirely go dormant, they continue to transpire and lose moisture through their leaves, and if they don't have sufficient reserve during harsh temperstures and especially dry winter with less precipitation, then can incur the "wind burn".

There is a product they sell to prevent this -- it's sort of a sealant -- but I believe you don't need it if you water them before the hard freeze if there isn't enough rain.

The dried up brown leaves won't recover, so you may want to give this shrub a good pruning so new growths will take over. Although typically evergreens are pruned in early winter, I have pruned my scraggly holly bushes in spring before and it works like a charm if you do this before the new shoots begin to grow out. Don't cut all the way to sticks but always cut just above a cluster of buds that look like they are wanting to grow.

Make sure to give it a good mulch cover for the summer. I can't remember the best time to fertilize them, but I'm sure it would appreciate some Holly-tone at the correct feeding time.

[jstarzy]

Applestar....

Thanks for the reply. The Nelly Stevens is still looking sick with no prominent sight of new growth. I'll clear the tree of dead leaves, water it and mulch at the root ball, as you suggest.

Does anyone know of any fertilizer or treatment I can add that will expedite the tree's return to good health? It's definitely alive as the rear of the tree is looking kind of ok, the front, however, is thin and looking unhealthy, still this far into spring.

Jim.