#STRONGBOX INKBERRY HOLLY WINDOWS#

If you do, it will stimulate more soft new growth which will likely be killed back in winter. When another flush of new growth occurs in fall and the weather is still relatively warm, don’t be tempted to prune your holly again. When you shear it that time of year, it will remain that size for most of the rest of the season. The best time to prune is soon after that new spring growth has finished emerging. As the new growth matures, it darkens in color and the stems stiffen. The mulch will help to retain soil moisture and protect the roots during winter.īroad-leaf evergreen shrubs like Gem Box holly flush out in spring with a set of beautiful, soft new foliage that covers the entire plant. Spread some mulch around the base of the plant, taking care to keep it from touching the plant’s stems. Lastly, water the plant again to help the soil settle. Press it down with your hand firmly to eliminate any big air pockets around the roots. Then backfill the hole with the soil you dug out. Set the plant in the hole, making sure that the top of the rootball is level with the top of the surrounding soil. This will encourage them to grow outward instead of continuing to grow in a circular pattern.

If the roots are densely circled around when you take the plant out of the pot, loosen them up a bit to break the “root memory”. When planting, dig the hole about twice as wide but just as deep as the container it is growing in. How would a pair of Gem Box hollies in large containers look flanking your front entry?

#STRONGBOX INKBERRY HOLLY WINDOWS#

Think about where you could use an evergreen hedge to define a border, line a pathway, or fill in under the windows at your home’s foundation. Gem Box holly will thrive in any amount of sunlight except deep shade, so choose a spot that sees at least four hours of direct sun per day. As such, it shares a love of moist, acidic soil.

Though it looks different than what you might traditionally think of as holly, Gem Box truly is a holly.

Strongbox inkberry holly