All about holly crenate

There are about 400 species of holly in the world. Most of them grow in tropical latitudes. But gardeners have learned to grow them in other regions as well.

Crenate holly is also known as krenat and Japanese holly. This plant is a beautiful evergreen shrub growing from 3 to 5 meters.

Holly grows very slowly. An adult roll has a dense crown. It is two meters in diameter. The leaves grow up to 1.5 cm long and 3 cm wide. They are usually oval in shape. The leaves are glossy above, and matte below.

The flowers of the crenate holly are white. Flowering begins in late spring or early summer. At the end of August, fruits appear - a resinous berry color.

Gardeners most often grow the following varieties of this plant.

• Glory Jam. The adult holly of this variety is a shrub that grows to a height of one and a half meters. It grows rather slowly. The dark emerald leaves of the plant are small and have a glossy surface. Flowering begins at the end of May.

• Golden Jam. The shrub develops slowly. The leaves grow up to 2 cm in length. Initially, they have a golden hue, but over time they begin to turn green. It is best to plant Golden Jam Holly in well-lit areas.

• Green Lastre. The height of this variety of holly is 1.5 m. The plant develops slowly, has greenish oval leaves. It is worth noting that the tree does not bear fruit.

• Hetsy. This Japanese holly variety is especially beautiful. A small shrub has many shoots. In mid-May, the plant throws out flowers with a yellow tint. The dark blue fruits begin to ripen in mid-August. They can be used for cooking. Leaves are light green in color, with thorny edges. The plant can be planted both in the shade and in the sun.

When choosing a place for a crenate holly, it is worth remembering that he does not like direct sunlight too much. Therefore, it is best to plant a tree in partial shade. The soil should be light and slightly moist, as well as rich in nutrients.

The holes for seedlings must be harvested in the fall. At the bottom you need to lay out a drainage layer. You can use both coarse sand and crushed brick. Next, you need to fill up a layer of soil. It should include peat, manure and humus, taken in equal parts. If the seedling is planted more than one, then the distance between the pits should be at least 2 meters.

In the spring, when it gets warmer, you can start planting. It is best to use a one-year-old plant for this. The young holly should be placed in the middle of the fossa. You also need to pour a bucket of water there, only after that you should again fill the hole with a layer of earth.

Since the plant is not too whimsical, any person can take care of it.

1. Watering. It is very important to provide the tree with the necessary amount of liquid. Water the holly once a week. This is best done early in the morning or late in the evening.

2. Top dressing. Fertilizers can be applied throughout the season. In the spring, you can use organic fertilizing or special solutions. Then, after 3-4 weeks, complex fertilizers should be applied. Experts do not recommend using fresh manure, as it contains too much nitrogen and pesticides.

3. Crown formation. In order for the plant to always remain beautiful, it is necessary to prune its branches in the spring. During the summer-autumn season, it remains only to maintain a given crown shape.

4. Wintering. The crenate holly tolerates light frosts well. But if the winter is too cold, then the plant will need to be well covered. You can use ordinary sawdust, leaves or peat for this. If it is not possible to shelter the holly for the winter, then it should be transplanted into containers and brought into the room.

You can grow a seedling both from seeds and using cuttings. The second option is simpler.

To prepare new seedlings, the first step is to cut small cuttings. They should be up to 5 cm long.

Each stalk must have two internodes. All cuts should be done at a slight incline.

The workpieces must be stuck in containers with a prepared substrate from 2 parts of humus and 1 part of sand. Rooting lasts 20-30 days. The seedling needs to be watered from time to time. When strong roots of the right size appear, you can transplant the plant into open ground.

A plant like holly can suffer from aphids, whiteflies, spider mites and mealybugs. To rid the tree of them, it must be treated with special insecticides.

Other fungal diseases can also affect the tree. In this case, all affected leaves must be torn off and burned. The plant itself must be treated with a fungicide.

Summing up, we can say that Crenate holly is a beautiful evergreen that will allow everyone around to admire its beauty throughout the year, if it is properly cared for.