Ilex cornuta is a large , evergreen shrub with lustrous black green , often spiny , blocky to oval - shaped leaves , 2 to 3 inch long . Heavy crops of red or white-livered berries , to 1/2 column inch in diam , remain throughout the winter . Effective hedge , filmdom , espalier , or garden specimen . Old plant may be lop into small tree . Easy and long-lasting . exceedingly heat and drought liberal . Does well in full sun or part shade in almost any grime .
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Characteristics
Requirements
Plant Care
Fertilizing
Light
You will point out that sun and nicety patterns transfer during the twenty-four hour period . The westerly side of a house may even be suspicious due to tail project by great trees or a structure from an adjacent property . If you have just buy a young home or just beginning to garden in your older home , take time to map sun and shade throughout the 24-hour interval . You will get a more accurate flavor for your site ’s dependable light condition . Conditions : Partial Sun , Partial ShadePart sunorpart shadeplants choose luminance that is filtered . Sunlight , though not verbatim , is crucial to them . Often break of the day sun , because it is not as strong as afternoon sun , can be considered part sunshine or part shade . If you live in an area that does not get much intense sunlight , such as the Pacific Northwest , a full sun vulnerability may be ok . In other areas such as Florida , plant in a location where afternoon refinement will be pick up . Conditions : Full to Partial SunFull sunlightis needed for many plants to assume their full potentiality . Many of these plants will do fine with a small less sun , although they may not blossom as heavily or their foliage as vivacious . Areas on the southerly and westerly sides of buildings usually are the sunniest . The only exception is when houses or buildings are so tight together , shadows are cast from neighboring properties . Full sun unremarkably means 6 or more hours of unmediated unobstructed sunlight on a gay Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . Partial Lord’s Day receives less than 6 hours of sun , but more than 3 60 minutes . plant able to take full Dominicus in some climates may only be capable to tolerate part Sunday in other climates . Know the cultivation of the plant before you buy and plant it!Conditions : Types of PruningTypes of pruning include : pinching , thinning , shearing and rejuvenating .
Pinching is polish off the stem tips of a untested industrial plant to push branching . Doing this avoids the need for more severe pruning afterward on .
Thinning demand take out whole branches back to the trunk . This may be done to open up the inside of a industrial plant to let more light in and to increase aviation circulation that can cut down on flora disease . The in force room to commence thinning is to set out by polish off dead or pathological wood .
Shearing is flush the surface of a bush using hand or electric shears . This is done to conserve the desired shape of a hedgerow or topiary .
restore is remotion of old branches or the overall reduction of the size of a bush to restore its original sort and size . It is urge that you do not remove more than one third of a plant at a prison term . Remember to move out arm from the interior of the plant as well as the outside . When rejuvenate works with canes , such as nandina , cut down back cane at various superlative so that industrial plant will have a more natural facial expression . condition : Light and Plant SelectionFor best works performance , it is suitable to tally the correct plant with the available unaccented circumstance . Right works , right place ! Plants which do not encounter sufficient luminousness may become wan in colour , have few foliage and a " leggy " stretched - out appearance . Also expect plant life to grow slower and have few blooms when Christ Within is less than desirable . It is possible to provide supplementary lighting for indoor works with lamp . plant can also pick up too much sparkle . If a shade loving plant is let out to direct sun , it may droop and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged . Conditions : Full SunFull Sunis defined as exposure to more than 6 hours of uninterrupted , direct sun per daylight .
Watering
The samara to watering is piss deeply and less frequently . When watering , piddle well , i.e. provide enough H2O to thoroughly impregnate the root clod . With in - ground plants , this think exhaustively imbue the grease until water has infiltrate to a depth of 6 to 7 inches ( 1 ' being just ) . With container grown plants , apply enough piss to allow water supply to flow through the drainage holes .
judge to water plants early in the day or later in the afternoon to conserve water and cut down on plant stress . Do water betimes enough so that piss has had a chance to dry out from plant leaf prior to dark crepuscle . This is preponderant if you have had fungus problems .
Do n’t wait to water until plants wilt . Although some plants will recover from this , all flora will croak if they wilt too much ( when they attain the lasting wilting breaker point ) .
count water supply conservation methods such as drip irrigation , mulching , and xeriscaping . Drip system which slowly drip moisture forthwith on the ascendent organisation can be purchase at your local home and garden substance . Mulches can significantly cool down the etymon geographical zone and conserve wet .
view adding water supply - save gel to the root zona which will hold a backlog of water supply for the flora . These can make a world of difference particularly under stressful conditions . Be certain to accompany label directions for their exercise .
circumstance : Normal Watering for Outdoor PlantsNormal wateringmeans that soil should be kept evenly moist and irrigate regularly , as circumstance require . Most industrial plant like 1 inch of H2O a week during the grow season , but take care not to over water supply . The first two year after a industrial plant is installed , regular watering is important for establishment . The first yr is critical . It is estimable to water once a week and water deep , than to water oftentimes for a few minute .
Planting
Pruning deciduous shrubs can be divided into 4 groups : Those that requireminimal pruning(take out only dead , pathologic , damaged , or crossed branches , can be done in early spring.);spring pruning(encourages vigorous , newfangled growth which bring about summer flowers - in other word , flowers seem on new wood);summer pruning after flower(after flowering , cut back shoot , and take out some of the old emergence , down to the ground);suckering habit pruning(flowers appear on wood from previous yr . Cut back flowered root by 1/2 , to strong grow new shoot and absent 1/2 of the flowered stems a couple of inch from the reason ) Always remove utter , damaged or diseased wood first , no matter what eccentric of pruning you are doing .
Examples : Minimal : Amelanchier , Aronia , Chimonanthus , Clethra , Cornus alternifolia , Daphne , Fothergilla , Hamamelis , Poncirus , Viburnum . Spring : Abelia , Buddleia , Datura , Fuchsia , Hibiscus , Hypericum , Perovskia , Spirea douglasii / japonica , Tamarix . Summer after prime : Buddleia alternifolia , Calycanthus , Chaenomeles , Corylus , Cotoneaster , Deutzia , Forsythia , Magnolia x soulangeana / stellata , Philadelphus , Rhododendron sp . , Ribes , Spirea x arguta / prunifolia / thunbergii , Syringa , Weigela . Suckering : KerriaHow - to : Planting ShrubsDig a maw twice the size of it of the ascendant ballock and thick enough to plant at the same level the shrub was in the container . If soil is poor , dig hole even wide and fill with a mixture half original dirt and one-half compost or soil amendment .
Carefully remove shrub from container and mildly freestanding roots . Position in centre of hollow , best side facing forward . meet in with original soil or an amended mixture if require as name above . For larger shrubs , ramp up a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If the plant is ball - and - burlapped , bump off fastener and fold up back the top of innate burlap , tucking it down into hole , after you ’ve positioned shrub . Make trusted that all gunny is buried so that it wo n’t wick pee off from rootball during hot , dry periods . If synthetical gunny , remove if possible . If not possible , cut away or make slits to allow for roots to develop into the new soil . For larger shrub , build a water well . Finish by mulching and watering well .
If shrub is simple - root , reckon for a discoloration somewhere near the base ; this mark is potential where the filth line was . If soil is too sandy or too clayey , impart organic matter . This will help with both drain and water holding capacity . Fill grunge , firming just enough to support bush . Finish by mulching and watering well . How - to : Pruning Flowering HedgesCareful selection , planting and initial pruning is critical for a uniform schematic or informal hedging . The safest sentence to prune most flowering hedges is instantly after flowering . This way you do not prune away newly form buds if you wait until after in the year . ab initio , cut back leaders and laterals by one third to one half on planting . In 2nd season , once efflorescence is complete , cut back again by about one - third .
A hedge can provide secrecy and shelter from wind . Hedges should be sloped at a gentle angle , wider at the base , to deflect flatus and avoid snowfall harm . adulterate a line between two bet for a level top . Cut a template from big cardboard for a consistent shape and move it along the hedging as you bring down . Shears or an galvanizing trimmer should be held parallel to the line of the hedge . How - to : take in a HedgeHedges can be trained to be informal with only periodic shaping or to have a more courtly cast with judicious pruning .
fleece off the peak 2 to 6 inches several time during the first two season . Shearing of the tops and sides will elevate branching . A common error people make is to cut the sides at a 90 level slant . In this font the top ontogenesis shades the bottom resulting in a leggy overt canopy . It is best to cut the side at an slant so that they blaze up out at the bottom . This will ensure healthy and compact maturation all the way down to the bottom of the shrub .
Problems
Rhizoctoniais a fungus that is found in most filth and enters the works through the theme or the root at soil storey . Prevention and Control : First of all , do not overwater and if you suspect Rhizoctonia may be your trouble , minify tearing . If a plant is too far gone ( all the leave-taking from the bottom up are droop ) , remove it . If your flora is in a container , discard the soil too . dampen the peck with a 1 part bleach to 9 part water solution . Fungicides can be used , according to recording label directions . confabulate a professional for a legal recommendation of what fungicide to use . Pest : MealybugsSmall , wingless , dull - white , soft - incarnate insects that bring about a waxy powdery covering . They have piercing / sucking mouth parts that draw the sap out of plant tissue paper . Mealybugsoften face like belittled pieces of cotton and they tend to congregate where leaf and stems branch . They set on a encompassing range of plants . The young tend to move around until they find a worthy feeding smirch , then they hang out in colonies and feed . mealybug can weaken a works leading to yellow foliation and folio fall . They also produce a perfumed message called honeydew ( covet by pismire ) which can lead to an untempting disgraceful surface fungal increase call sooty mold .
Prevention and Control : Isolate infested plant life from those that are not . Consult your local garden center professional or the Cooperative Extension office in your county for a sound insecticide / chemical recommendation . promote instinctive foeman such as lady beetles in the garden to facilitate abridge population levels of mealy bugs . kingdom Fungi : Powdery MildewPowdery Mildewis usually regain on plants that do not have enough air circulation or adequate light . trouble are worse where nights are cool and days are warm and humid . The powdery blanched or gray fungus is usually found on the upper control surface of leaves or fruit . Leaves will often bend yellow or dark-brown , curl up , and throw away off . raw foliage emerges crinkled and distorted . Fruit will be dwarf and often drop early .
Prevention and Control : Plant resistant varieties and space plants properly so they find adequate visible light and air circulation . Always water from below , keeping water off the foliation . This is paramount for rose . Go easy on the nitrogen fertiliser . Apply antifungal agent accord to label directions before trouble becomes severe and follow directions exactly , not neglect any required treatments . Sanitation is a must - scavenge up and remove all leaves , flowers , or debris in the fall and put down . disease : Pythium and Phytophtora Root RotRot Rot , PythiumorPhytophthoraoccurs when territory moisture levels are excessively in high spirits and fungal spores present in the grease , issue forth in tangency with the susceptible plant . The base of stem discolor and shrink , and leaves further up the husk wilt and conk out . Leaves near base are affected first . The roots will turn black and waste or unwrap . This fungus can be introduced by using unsterilised soil commixture or contaminated water .
Prevention and ControlRemove affected plants and their roots , and discard palisade land . Replace with plants that are not susceptible , and only use wise , sterilized land mix . Hold back on fertilizing too . Try not to over water plants and verify that soil is well drained prior to planting . This fungus is not treatable by chemicals .
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot symptoms look similar to Pythium Root Rot , but the Rhizoctonia fungus seems to thrive in well drained soils . Fungi : Leaf SpotsLeaf spots are have by fungi or bacteria . dark-brown or black place and patches may be either ragged or orbitual , with a water souse or yellow - edged appearance . Insects , pelting , dingy garden tools , or even people can aid its spread .
Prevention and Control : Remove taint leafage when the plant life is wry . Leaves that collect around the base of the plant should be raked up and throw out of . fend off overhead irrigation if possible ; water should be directed at soil level . For fungous leaf muscae volitantes , use a recommended fungicide allot to label directions .
Fungi : Black SpotA have a go at it rose disease , Black Spotappears on youthful leaf as unorthodox sinister circles , often having a lily-livered halo . Circles or spore colonies may produce to 1/2 column inch in diameter . parting will ferment lily-livered and dismiss off , only to produce more leaves that will follow the same form . Roses may not make it through the wintertime if black spot is grave . The fungus will also feign the sizing and calibre of flowers .
Prevention and Control : embed repellent varieties for your region . Always urine from the ground , never overhead . practise good sanitation - fair up and demolish debris , especially around plant that have had a problem . When trim rosebush , even deadheading , magnetic dip pruners in a blanching agent / pee solution after each cut . If a plant seems to have continuing black-market speckle , remove it . A 2 - 3 inch thick stratum of mulch at the base of plant reduce splash . Do not look until disgraceful spot is a huge problem to ensure ! jump betimes . Spray with a fungicide labeled for dim stain on rose . Pest : Leaf MinersLeaf Mineris in reality a full term that apply to various larva ( of moth , beetles , and fly ) that burrow between upper and depleted leaf surfaces , leave a typical , squiggly convention . A female adult can lay several hundred eggs inside the foliage which hatch and give boost to miners . Leaf miner flack ornamental and veggie .
Prevention and Control : Keep weeds down and pathfinder individual plants for tell - tale curlicue . find fault and destroy these leaves and take reward of natural foe such as parasitical wasps . Know the Growing Degree Days ( GDD ) * for your region to place insecticide sprays when most good for see the specific leaf miner . look for a professional testimonial and succeed all recording label procedures to a teeing ground . * GDD figure should be usable from your local Cooperative Extension authority . Pest : Scale InsectsScales are dirt ball , related to mealy bugs , that can be a problem on a full variety of plant - indoor and outside . Young scales crawl until they notice a good alimentation site . The adult female then fall back their legs and remain on a daub protected by its hard shell layer . They appear as bumps , often on the lower side of leaves . They have piercing mouth piece that suck the sap out of plant tissue paper . Scales can weaken a plant leading to jaundiced foliage and leaf drop . They also produce a sweet-smelling substance called honeydew ( coveted by ants ) which can go to an unattractive black surface fungal outgrowth called pitchy stamp .
Prevention and Control : Once establish they are hard to control . Isolate infest plant by from those that are not infested . confer your local garden mall professional or Cooperative Extension office staff in your county for a effectual recommendation regarding their control . advance natural enemies such as epenthetic wasps in the garden . Diseases : Southern BlightPlants with Southern blight have lesions on the bow at , or near , the soil contrast . These lesions spring up quickly , girdling the theme and resulting in a sudden and permanent wilt of the plant . High temperature ( above 85 degrees F , 29 degrees C ) privilege the disease . The fungus attack a wide ambit of plants and survives for long full point in grime . To moderate , treat with a recommended antifungal agent according to recording label directions . kingdom Fungi : Sooty MoldSooty mold is a fungus that is found on the aerofoil of leaves . It course on honeydew excreted from aphids , mealy germ , scale , or emmet . Though not serious , it is untempting when it covers / nigrify the folio and halt of the plant . The good style to control sooty mold is to hold the insect that make the honeydew melon . Sooty mold can ordinarily be wipe from leave-taking with a damp material or moisten away with a hose - end sprayer . Diseases : BlightBlights are cause by fungi or bacterium that toss off plant tissue paper . Symptoms often show up as the speedy detection or wilting of foliage . There are many different blights , specific to various plants , each requiring a varied method of control . Fungi : Downy MildewDowny Mildew , a fluffy white fungal maturation that develops on the bottom of leaves , is most uncouth during cool , humid conditions . Foliage often discolors and is stunted .
Prevention and Control : Use disease free plants and space far enough asunder so that air circulation is near . Remove and discard infected leaves or even intact plants . habituate a recommended antimycotic agent and always follow the directions on the label .
Miscellaneous
You will often learn loam referred to as a arenaceous loam ( having more sand , yet still plenty of organic matter ) or a clay loam ( heavier on the clay , yet workable with secure drain . ) The addition of organic thing to either sand or clay will result in a loamy soil . Still not sure if your grime is a sand , clay , or loam ? prove this simple test . Squeeze a handfull of slimly moist , not wet , dirt in your hired man . If it forms a tight ball and does not fall aside when gently tapped with a finger’s breadth , your soil is more than probable corpse . If soil does not form a orb or crumbles before it is tapped , it is backbone to very arenaceous loam . If stain forms a egg , then crumbles pronto when lightly tapped , it ’s a loam . Several quick , light lights-out could have in mind a the Great Compromiser loam . gloss : TopiaryAtopiaryis a industrial plant that has been pruned and trail to have an artificial shape . Popular since Roman times , topiary was a elbow room of introduce architectural and animal form to the garden . Simple , geometric shapes make up the classic topiary form . This time- consuming unconscious process can be downplay by condition vine to grow around or in a wire or moss class .
To protect your topiary from cloggy Charles Percy Snow , netting commit over plant will supply surplus support . To furbish up break up branches , selectivly prune away damage and tie an existing arm into position to satiate col . If this is not possible , forbearance is your next wager . To restore unkempt topiary , severly prune to rejuvenate original form the first spring , then follow up with several seasons of judicious clip . gloss : Drought TolerantVery few plants , except for those naturally witness in desert situations , can support waterless soils , but there are plants that seem to be moredrought tolerantthan others . plant life that are drought tolerant still require wet , so do n’t think that they can go for elongated time period without any body of water . Drought tolerant plants are often deep rooted , have waxy or thick leaves that conserve H2O , or folio bodily structure that near to minimize transpiration . All plant life in droughty situation do good from an occasional cryptical lachrymation and a 2 - 3 inch boneheaded stratum of mulch . Drought resistant plant are the backbone of xeriphytic landscape gardening . Glossary : PruningNow is the preferred time to cut back this works .
