Holly tree leaf drop

Discussion in 'Gardening Discussions' started by Nickoslesteros, Dec 21, 2024 at 10:02 AM.

  1. Nickoslesteros

    Nickoslesteros Gardener

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    Hello!

    I was looking down my garden before, and I noticed that the mature Holly tree was looking remarkably thin on foliage. I went to take a look and noticed some significant leaf drop. I did the fingernail on the bark test on the affected branches, and they all show green and 'alive enough' underneath. The leaves that have fallen look, to me, fully green and healthy and not brown or dead. The tree has to be pushing 5m tall, possibly more.

    I'm in NW England, so we did have the strong blow the other week and we have had lots of this warm wet winter we seem to have these days (in this part of the world). Should I be worried?

    I am starting to feel like the current climate has seen off a log of my garden, and I don't want another victim!
     
  2. Tidemark

    Tidemark Gardener

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    Are the leaves that have fallen from the middle of the plant or from the outer parts of the branches?
     
  3. Nickoslesteros

    Nickoslesteros Gardener

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    Hello! I would say from the other branches, and more affected in the lower half of the tree. I'll try some photos once my phone is charged enough..
     
  4. Nickoslesteros

    Nickoslesteros Gardener

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    Some of the leaves in the affected areas pull off cleanly with no effort. But otherwise all looks green and healthy
     

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  5. Tidemark

    Tidemark Gardener

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    It does look rather odd, but at least the surviving ones are green , which is good. I’d venture to suggest a delayed reaction to storm Darragh.
     
  6. pete

    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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    How far are you from the coast.
    Reason I ask is that storm may have had salt in the wind.

    Going back to the storm of 1987 we even had salt burn on leaves around here near 30 miles from the coast.
     
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    • Nickoslesteros

      Nickoslesteros Gardener

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      @pete The tree is somewhere in the region of 200m from the sea wall. And boy was it a salty wind. The windows were grey!

      And to @Tidemark point, the lead drop seems to be on the windward side mainly
       
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      • infradig

        infradig Total Gardener

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          Last edited: Dec 21, 2024 at 1:28 PM
        • Spruce

          Spruce Glad to be back .....

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          Hi

          it may be holly leaf blight, always starts to show in early winter.

          has the holy been under stress , ie too dry in the summer and water logged over the autumn winter ? …. Try and clear all the old leaves away and burn them , top dress with fresh compost in the spring and give a good feed of a shrub fertiler in March ..
           
        • Nickoslesteros

          Nickoslesteros Gardener

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          @infradig. That's interesting. I've washed it with a hose, as has the past day or so of heavy rain.

          @Spruce . I'm not sure about dried out. Probably more like it's been more wet than anything with this year that we have had, especially in the coastal NW. I've cleared away the leaves and will top dress and feed in the spring. Hopefully she bounces back ok.

          There doesn't appear to be any blotching on the leaves, or any signs of scale. Some kind of stress reaction seems to make sense.

          My garden seems to have suffered so badly with these warm wet years that we seem to be having. Fingers crossed I get my tree back
          Thanks for your comments and help so far!
           
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