The holly , its shiny - cherry berries a preferent symbol of winter , is one of the most pop landscape trees . It makes an excellent sieve , barrier , foundation planting or accent flora , and wildlife use it for food and cover . Overall , Buddy Holly are very hardy plants that will live a recollective time to brighten your garden . Some disease can affect your hollies , but most can be avoid by giving the flora adequate distance , water , pruning and drainage , plus fungicide if needed .

Tar Spot

pitch spot is a fungal disease because of Phacidium curtisii . If your holly is infect , yellow spots will appear on the leaves of American and English hollies in May . These plough reddish - brown and lastly inglorious by fall . In eld of heavy rainfall , berry as well as leaves are blemish .

Remove and destruct ( do not compost ) all to a great extent spotty or fallen leaves . snip your holly to meliorate air circulation .

Witches' Broom

The Sphaeropsis tumefaciens fungus , often called Sphaeropsis insolence or the less formal witches ' Scots heather , starts at the holly ’s lowest part . pathologic stems and branches become self-conceited and enlarged , and an exuberant number of shoot will sprout vertically from the infected areas . Leaves will drop off and branches may die back . This fungus can kill a holly .

Remove diseased branches and limbs , pruning at least 12 inches into non - infected wood . It is vital to clean your tools between cuts to keep from spreading the disease . Dip your cutting tool in a 10 percent whitener solvent . Fungicides can not manipulate this fungus .

Black Root Rot

The fungus Thielaviopsis basicola causes fateful base rot . While most of the impairment occurs hole-and-corner , seeable symptoms can include stunt growth , shortened internodes ( the area between fore ) and yellowing of the leaves ( though the veins remain green ) . An septic holly will have dark brown to black roots ; the fungus bring its mode back from the tips . If your Buddy Holly has wide damage , ironic periods will do it to decline and die .

Black ascendent rot can remain abeyant in the soil for many class . Planting your holly in well - drained raised beds and absent infected plants will serve curb the disease . Formosan holly ( Ilex cornuta ) is immune to the fungus ; Japanese holly ( Ilex crenata ) is very susceptible .

Cercospora Blight

Cercospora blight or leafspot is a fungus that do circular gray or brown spots with dark-skinned margins on holly leaves . from time to time , spots may leave ragged maw . Cercospora will cause the foliage to turn brown and drop off prematurely . It seldom is fateful . Remove infected foliage , but do not compost them . Use a fungicide recommend for hollies if the eruption becomes dangerous .

Coniothyrium

Coniothyrium is a fungus that causes rotund or on an irregular basis shaped , brown or grizzly musca volitans with a dark margin on holly leaves . one-time lesions will have inglorious specs inside . Coniothyrium seldom causes serious equipment casualty , but the holly ’s leaves will turn yellow and send packing early . Give your holly the upright growing conditions potential , and avoid watering the foliage by using drip irrigation .

References

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