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Holly branches dieing at random


Question
I have at least 3 varieties of holly. China girl, Foster, and I don't know the other one. all scattered on about 1

Answer
Could be one of a couple of things.
Anthracnose
The common holly hosts of anthracnose include English, Chinese, American, inkberry, and winterberry holly. Anthracnose may occur on holly in production nurseries and the landscape. Like Cylindrocladium leaf spot, this disease is seen most often on holly across the Southeast.

Circular to irregular blotches usually tan to brown appear on the leaves.

Numerous pink-orange, pin-head sized spore masses of the causal fungus, that appear during humid weather inside the blotches, can easily be seen with the naked eye or a hand lens. A shoot dieback may also be seen on anthracnose-damaged 'Burford' holly.

Apply a recommended fungicide starting in late spring. Repeat sprays evey 7 to 14 days as needed. Recommended fungicides are Daconil 2787 4.17F at two tablespoons per gal of water  Begin sprays in late spring and repeat every 7 to 14 days as needed. Prune out diseased limbs.

Or it could be
Botryosphaeria Canker
Botryosphaeria or bot canker is a found on nearly all cultivated species of holly including 'Foster', dahoon, Japanese, Chinese, inkberry, American, and yaupon holly. Development of bot canker is often preceeded by exposure of holly to unusually high or low temperatures or in combination with severe drought conditions. Holly in good physical condition are rarely damaged by this disease.

The first noticeable symptoms of this disease are yellowing and premature leaf drop of the leaves on girdled limbs along with a twig dieback. Cankers, often centered on a dead twig, usually appear as slightly shrunken and cracked patches of discolored bark. Tissues below the canker face turn brown and this discoloration often extends several inches above and below the canker margin. Cankers may continue to expand until the diseased limb is girdled, thereby killing all parts of the plant above the canker.

Stress-related dieback diseases such as bot canker can largely be avoided by following proper establishment and maintenance practices. Preferably, new plantings of holly should be installed in the fall. Amend the soil prior to planting according to soil test recommendations to correct any mineral or pH deficiencies. Always set holly so that the root ball sits at or just slightly above the soil level, not below. On poorly drained soils or sites prone to flood, plant holly on raised beds. Mulch around hollies with well-rotted sawdust, pine straw, or an aged bark to hold moisture in the soil and to avoid mechanical injury to the limbs and trunk by mowers and weed trimmers. Water new and established plants according to need, especially during extended periods of hot, dry weather. Prune discolored or wilted branches back to green wood as they appear. No fungicides are recommended for the control of bot canker on holly.

In the landscape, provide effective protection from most leaf spot and blight diseases by

timely surface watering,
maintaining recommended soil fertility and pH,
choosing an adapted holly cultivar as well as proper plant maintenance and spacing.
To minimize the length of time the foliage remains wet, water hollies in both landscapes and nurseries with overhead sprinklers between 1 and 7 am or at midday. If a serious leaf spot and blight should occur, collect and destroy the fallen leaves. Fungicides are rarely needed to protect holly in landscape plantings from leaf spot and blight diseases

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