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Holly Bush Problems?

stringersimon67stringersimon67 Posts: 21
in Plants
Hello all,
            I have a holly bush that's maybe about 6 feet tall. It's not looking too good for 2 reasons. There's a lot of growth where the stems growing off the main ones are very thin, weak, long and leggy looking. What is the reason for this and should these be removed?
 There are quite a lot of stems coming off the main ones, which are more woody than the green previously mentioned ones but have got what look like splits in them, looking a bit like sausages that split open sometimes in a frying pan. The leaves past these splits look healthy enough. Again, what is the reason for this? Is it normal? I've never seen it before but my feeling is it's not right.
It's a communal bush and my neighbour has been removing new growth as soon as it emerges on top if that's got anything to do with it.
Please could anyone give me some advice, as I'd like a healthy bushy holly bush outside my window! Many thanks, Simon

Posts

  • Joy*Joy* Posts: 571
    Hello. Long leggy growth is sometimes a result of a plant or part of it, being grown without enough light. It struggles to get a bit more light and it rushes to grow length at a cost of strength. Is your bit in shade? As to removing them, it depends on how big you want it to grow. I'd be tempted to remove some of the length to make it look tidy. Sometimes, leggy growth is just its natural shape. If your neighbour is cutting new growth off, what sort of shape are you looking for? Is your neighbour just wanting to stop any increase in size? Perhaps you should look at it together and come to some arrangement as to how the holly is to trimmed. The splits in the bark might have been caused by physical damage. If the outermost layer is damaged, the inner part of the stem would still grow whilst the bark which is damaged dies along the cut edge. If the leaves are growing, it sounds as though the bark is simply growing a callous to heal itself and there is sufficient undamaged bark for water to pass along. You say it is a communal bush so having a joint plan would be appropriate. 
  • stringersimon67stringersimon67 Posts: 21
    It gets plenty of sun so it can't due to lack of light. I've removed a fair few of the limp looking stems but left a few as it's now looking quite bare, and I've taken pics of one left and also the damaged stalks. I've removed a few of those as well as it just doesn't look right. It's not physical damage as it's happening on quite a lot of them. Is it disease or something else? Not sure whether this post should be on the problem page.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    I don't think that is a Holly.
    Looks more like Aucuba japonica to me.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • stringersimon67stringersimon67 Posts: 21
    Thank you for correcting me. It's good to know what it actually is!
  • stringersimon67stringersimon67 Posts: 21
    I thought it was holly from the slightly jagged leaves.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    edited July 2020
    Definitely Aucuba..which is why it has yellow markings on the leaves.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=aucuba&client=firefox-b-d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj1292Tjq_qAhVJVsAKHRGcCtkQ_AUoAXoECBsQAw&biw=1920&bih=938

    Aucuba are far happier in shade than full sun.Evergreen.
    It may get berries if it is a female shrub.

    Much loved in days gone by, park departments loved planting them round the public loos.
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
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