Re: Problem with Ilex Meservae 'blue prince and princess"

In a message dated 6/3/02 8:01:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
nsshlaes@ameritech.net writes:

<< often enough.  Do you think I should give them a shot of Miacid now, or
 might this make the problem worse? >>

Don't fertilize sick plants.

Here are couple of thoughts which are from New York and may not apply to you. 
 The leaves many have been in the tender stage when the freezes hit here in 
May.  The plants recover from this.  We have many shrubs touched by that 
freeze.  The half opened lilacs were mostly all destroyed.

On the Alpine list an explanation of trees and shrubs greening up and then 
dying after rodent damage or disease or borer damage is given.  Apparently 
enough energy is in the plant above the base of the plant to begin spring 
growth  and a later quick death occurs puzzling the gardener.  Look into the 
base of the plant, dig in at least five or six inches and see if the bark or 
cambium layer is damaged.

If there is a disease present, it may be active in the growth tips.  If there 
are healthy buds back a few feet, you could trim back to the healthy buds and 
wait to see what happens.  

While you probably know the annual leaf drop on some everygreen plants comes 
all at once and you probably know your plants better any one here, it could 
happen. When the white pines drop needles here in midsummer, it looks as 
though they are all dying.

If all else fails, cut a several large branches and take them to Cooperative 
Extension for diagnosis.  At least you will not replant hollies in an area 
with some unusual diesease if you are informed.

I am so happy that we have the hybrid blue series of hollies here that I have 
planted them all over the place.  I never thought a holly with a traditional 
shaped leaf would grow in my garden until the Meserve group appeared.  We had 
one outside the fence completely eaten by deer, just a little pile of sticks 
left.  We put a wire enclosure around it and it recovered and is fine now.  
They are very strong plants, once established.

I hope you will tell us what you find.

Claie Peplowski
NYS z4

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