These two hollies have grown quite tall and scrape against the house.
by
Louise
+27
The scraping isn't all that bad and the cats love to watch birds in them in the spring and summer. But when they were much smaller several yrs ago, a landscape designer said they would look better and "frame" the house if they were allowed to grow taller. THen, this past summer, a guy who was cutting some trees in the yard said they should be cut way down this fall. That never got done. Is it too late to cut them to about 6 ft tall? And SHOULD they be cut shorter?
23 answers
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I had 2 hollies at the sides of my house I had recently purchased and I cut them back to about 8-10 inches in height. You can cut them a little taller if you want them to be more tree like. I wanted small bushy plants. It did not take them long to fill back in. That was in Charlotte NC, not far from you. I think I cut them back in the fall. If I want something cut back in my yard that has overgrown, I cut it back when I have the time and energy to do it or it may not get done. I don't pay much attention to hort info. I never have any problems with growing plants outside, they grow all by themselves. However, they will not prune themselves =;}
Laura
on Nov 27, 2013
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I cut mine all the way down to the ground last winter. This summer they were 4 ft high again. Wish they had not planted them so close to the house--would look much better away from the house.
Juju, the Anti-Gardener
on Nov 27, 2013
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I wish these hadn't been planted so close to the house either. The builder probably planted there. Didn't give much thought to the fact they might grow.
Louise
on Nov 27, 2013
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cut them down to whatever height and try to start over at the height you want.{ Be careful because hollies can cause an allergic reaction}. sometimes hollies will fill out and become bushy. But it looks like it has been more of a "tree" for some time. since you live in about the same zone, the holly will not take long to grow again. Good luck
The Garden Frog with C Renee
on Nov 27, 2013
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I'm going to be contrarian and say they should be pruned for shape and to prevent them scraping your house, but not for height. I think they probably do frame your house. And, depending on the type of holly, I'm not sure how good it would be for them to cut them back drastically. Generally the rule is not to cut back more than one-third at a time.
Douglas Hunt
on Nov 28, 2013
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So, maybe cut them back to about where the overhang of the house is? A significant amt of the bottom area is just "trunk" and no leaves, so will leaves sprout out in the spring on that trunk area? That's what I'd like to happen.
Louise
on Nov 28, 2013
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Ohh would that I could, but I would need a backhoe--been there over 20 years, and I ain't no spring chicken. TNX
Juju, the Anti-Gardener
on Nov 28, 2013
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I'm not a professional gardener, but my train of thought is that sometimes the wrong things get planted in the wrong place and over years, they look awful...and all you can do it take your chances. Clean these up around the bases, shape them up and trim them back and down. If it kills them, fine, they need to be removed if they can't be improved! Do some research for something that will work better there and do not plant it so close to the house!
Jeanette S
on Nov 29, 2013
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Oooh, OK. To cut them that high up, I'd need to stand on a tallish ladder, so that would leave me out, anyway. I'm not a fan of standing higher than maybe the 3rd step . :-) And cutting them that high will leave them still looking decent. Thanks for the info.
Louise
on Nov 29, 2013
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I would be afraid of the roots ruining the foundation of the house! If they were at my house they would not be planted next to the foundation!
Mikell Paulson
on Nov 29, 2013
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I never even considered that. The builder planted them, or so I assume, over 30 yrs ago. Wonder if I should consider having them dug up?
Louise
on Nov 29, 2013
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there is a new tool now that will measure the water usage of a tree and map the root pattern so you know if it needs taken out. I live in a condo that was built in 95 and this last summer I noticed the sidewalk was cracked and the pesident of the board had the two trees root systems mapped and they took out the trees before they cracked, broke the foundation to the building lost my great shade which made the cooling bill go up about 45 dollars a month but that is bettdr then the foundation cracking.
Gladys Rhoads
on Nov 29, 2013
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Do you know what the tool is called?
Louise
on Nov 29, 2013
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I would not take them out, you can prune them back. Use the boughs for decor this season. Do they have berries? Ours is planted in mid yard, only one so it wont berry.
Patricia W
on Nov 29, 2013
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Louise, Please do yourself a favor and consider the root system of these trees and any other major plants up close to your house. Your foundation, plumbing and siding is at risk for damage and it gives passage of other critters to the cracks and crevices.
Debbie Harris
on Nov 29, 2013
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Yep, the do have some berries. :-)
Louise
on Nov 29, 2013
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I am sorry, but they need to come out.They are to close to the foundation. Even if you prune them back, the root system is still growing bigger. I know.
Hester Franck
on Nov 30, 2013
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I like to keep all my trees and shrubs pruned at least a foot from the house. Then they are not an entree for critters to get into the house. I allow even more space to keep squirrels away. I had two giant, overgrown hollies that I reluctantly removed completely. I planted two more size appropriate plants and now it looks so much better. I'm glad I made the switch.
Linda P
on Nov 30, 2013
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The trees helping critters enter the house never occurred to me. That in itself is amply reason to trim them.
Louise
on Nov 30, 2013
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Loiuse, you can do a revitilization or restoration pruning to reduce the size. A Holly can be trimmed down to the ground if you want to, or to 6ft or wherever you want them to me. They will look dead because you have chopped off all of the green, but they will recover and sprout from where you chopped them. But look at it this way, they are detrimental and ugly as is, so you don't have much to lose. If you kill them in the process you can take them out and start again. The roots will be a booger to get out of the ground.
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Dec 01, 2013
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WHAT??!!! My hollies aren't gorgeous??? :-) I actually was outside this morning looking at them and figuring how to cut them. I'll see if my can-do-everthing hangman will cut them for me.
Louise
on Dec 01, 2013
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hehe...I am sometimes brutal with my opinions on the beauty of a landscape plant. I usually start with 'this is really detracting from the beauty of your home'.......
360 Sod (Donna Dixson)
on Dec 01, 2013
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I've been told I have no filter between my brain and my mouth, but I actually have a very large one, so I understand completely!!!! :-)
Louise
on Dec 01, 2013
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