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I planted two sky pencils in spring 2020, that winter I held the branches closed with twine to prevent snow damage. Last spring one looked great and the other was badly damaged by wind burn. I saved it over the summer and this past winter I decided to wrap them in burlap. When I uncovered them they appeared to be dry. The leaves are not spotted or falling off the branches.
We have been getting rain every couple of days. I applied Miracid on the today. Any advice on the matter?
Hi Barbara,
By the sounds of things, you have taken the right steps to protecting your sky pencils over the colder periods and your care routine sounds thorough and ideal.
As long as the foliage is not spotted or falling off, your plant should be able to recover. It doesn’t sound like it is infected with any disease so, with some time and a little TLC, you should be able to bring your sky pencil back.
The rainfall will help reinvigorate the soil and the Miracid should boost the nutrient content and encourage healthy new growth. Some light pruning can also be advantageous.
When wrapping your plants in burlap in the future, it is recommended to try a double layer and use stakes to leave a few inches between the burlap and the plants.
This will help to avoid damage from freezing, prevent any mould from forming, and will ensure your plant is also not suffocated during this time. You can also consider applying a healthy layer of mulch around the base of your plants during the winter while they are wrapped up.
We hope your plant can recover soon.
Mabel Vasquez – Horticulturalist
ReplyI had 13 holly trees which grow 17′ around our home one year ago and the gardner at the greenery stated to appy Holly Tone in the spring and fall to promote growth and health, just follow directions located on the bag.
ReplyDo you know how far down Sky Pencil Holly roots go down? Trying to decide if I can plant them in an area of my yard with a drain pipe underneath.
ReplyHi Candice,
It depends on your drainage. Any Ilex (holly) will grow a really deep tap root if it doesn’t have good access to water, but it can also be grown well in containers.
We had a Sky Pencil Japanese holly growing in our garden for years, and it developed a 2m long tap root, which grew around the concrete subbase of a patio. We excavated it to add a greenhouse, and the tap root hadn’t caused any damage to the structure.
It’s also worth noting that these shrubs can be grown in containers. So as long as you keep it well watered, their root will happily stay near the surface.
Best regards,
Mabel Vasquez – Horticulturist
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