Holly trees meet many landscape needs from a bold accent, a natural fence, or as a habitat for songbirds.  Many of the evergreen species have showy foliage, fruit and form.

Hollies are dioecious (separate male and female plants). In most cases, a male is needed in the vicinity of the female for sexual fertilization and subsequent fruit set. Some female hollies do not require a male for pollination to set fruit. These female hollies are parthenocarpic and even though they do not require a male to set fruit, they do have a heavier fruit set when a concurrently flowering male is in the area.

Hollies grown in full sun have the heaviest fruit production but they can grow in part shade. They have few insect and disease problems and most are drought tolerant once established.

Watkins Nursery offers a large selection of hollies. Some of our field-grown stock is featured below:

Nellie R Stevens Holly

Nellie R. Stevens Holly

• (large 2-4” pointed, rich green leaves)
• 15-35’x10-15’
• Rapid Growth Rate
• Red berries (parthenocarpic-no male needed)

Foster Holly

Foster Holly

• (2-3” long glossy, dark olive green leaves)
• 20-30’x10-15’
• Moderate Growth Rate
• Deep red berries that persist into winter (parthenocarpic-no male needed)

Dr. Kassab Holly

Dr. Kassab Holly

• (medium sized and medium green leaves of extraordinary uniformity)
• 15-20’x10-15’
• Medium –Fast growth rate
• Excellent red berries

Emily Brunner Holly

Emily Brunner Holly

• (larger leaves than Nellie and Foster hollies)
• 20-25’x12-15’
• Medium Growth rate
• Large red winter berries
• Showy yellow flowers that are striking for a holly.
• One of the best hollies for a privacy screen.

Mary Nell Holly

Mary Nell Holly

• (3-4” lustrous, dark olive green leaves with short spines along the margin)
• 10-20’x 15-25’
• Slow-medium growth rate
• An abundance of vivid red berries that seem to grow in a spiral around the stems.
• The showy berries persist on the plant for an extended time in the fall and winter.

Koehne Holly

Koehne Holly

• (2-3” lustrous, dark green, very consistent leaves that curve down and grow all the way into the tree)
• 20-30’x15’
• Large red berries in abundance.

The post Holly Identification appeared first on Watkins Nurseries.

1. Hollies have an alternate leaf arrangement. The leaves come from different points along the stem instead of the same point along the stem like a boxwood.
2. Boxwood leaves have an opposite leaf arrangement.  The leaves come off the stem directly across from each other.
3. Some boxwoods can have an offensive odor in the summer. This odor almost smells like a male cat has “marked” the plant.

American Boxwood

Japanese Holly

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It is difficult to put a specific time on the establishment period for trees and shrubs.

There are numerous factors to consider such as the type of soil (is the soil compact due to construction, or does the soil have a high or low water holding capacity), the type of plant (growth rate of the plant), the time of year the plant is installed, or the amount of moisture in the soil (is the site irrigated, does the soil drain properly).

Generally, the establishment period is the time it takes for a tree or shrub to regenerate enough roots to stay alive without supplemental water. During this time the roots are expanding out and the shoots and trunks grow more slowly than they did before transplanting.

When the growth rate becomes consistent from one year to the next, the tree or shrub is considered established. At that time, the plants should have healthy and widespread root systems. The plant should be able to grow with the moisture present in the ground.

If the plant dies during the establishment period blame is often placed on pests, diseases, the production of the plant, or the plant itself. In many cases the plant dies from too little or too much water during the establishment period.

One inch of water per week for the first season is a good rule of thumb. Studies have shown the carbohydrate levels necessary for root development are not lowered if the newly planted trees and shrubs are watered adequately.

Proper site selection, installation and care after planting should ensure successful plant establishment.

The post Plant Establishment appeared first on Watkins Nurseries.

We just wanted to take the time to send a big THANK YOU! to all of our customers. We are wishing you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous new year.

Our Holiday Hours

Watkins Nurseries will be closing from Dec. 21 to Jan. 1st to spend time with our families for the holiday season. We will reopen at 8am on January 2nd.

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When it comes to planting, many homeowners only think of spring. However, fall, (even late fall!) is an ideal time to plant perennials, deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. Here are the reasons why you should consider fall planting:

• The temperatures are cooler, but the soil is still warm thus encouraging root growth. If the weather is mild then roots may even continue to grow throughout the winter.
• The fall planted “established” plants will begin new growth and develop faster in the spring. Spring planted material will get a slower start as the soil is cool.
• The root system has a longer time to grow hence increasing their survival rate in Virginia’s traditionally hot and humid summers.
• Increased rainfall and cooler temperatures provide plants a good environment to develop.
• There are fewer insect and disease problems to interfere with plant growth.

The yellow twig dogwood, the Harbor Dwarf Nandina, and Sedum Angelinas are perfect for fall planting and look their best this season.

The post It’s not too late to plant! appeared first on Watkins Nurseries.

According to the U. S. Drought Monitor, currently two thirds of Virginia is abnormally dry or suffering from a moderate drought. Many of us have invested a lot of time and money into our landscapes and we would like to do all we can to keep the plants alive.

Here are a few tips to help protect our investments:

1. Check the drought tolerance of existing plant material.  Once established, here are some of the drought tolerant plants in our inventory:

2. Use a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler so water can be delivered directly to the plant.  Also there is less water loss due to evaporation with soaker hoses; therefore, your garden gets more water.
3. If sprinklers are used, water in the morning when the evaporation rate is lowest. Also check the target areas of the sprinklers, keeping the water off the driveway, sidewalks, streets, etc.
4. Apply a 2-3 inch layer of organic mulch. The mulch will retain the moisture and help control weeds which will compete with the landscape plants for water.
5. Loosening the soil with an aerator will allow the moisture to soak in rather than run off.
6. Install a rain gauge to monitor the amount of rain. Most established plants need 1” of water per week. Keep in mind too much water can be just as harmful to plant health as too little water.
7. Make the most of precipitation by installing a rain barrel or a downspout extender. The downspout extender can direct the water flow directly into the plant beds and they are inexpensive. A rain barrel will catch the runoff from the roof and the water can be used later.

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