Root Ball English Holly
(Ilex aquifolium)

Root Ball English Holly plants are only available and ready to plant in November - March, but can be pre-ordered at any time outside of the pre-order season.

English Holly is also effectively pollution-resistant and a windbreaker, making it the ideal hedge for many situations!̴Ì?

Being an evergreen, Ilex aquifolium will bring year-round colour with its welcomed shades of green and red during the much colder months- some small, white flowers may even appear in the Spring!̴Ì?

Native birds see the plant as a fantastic source of shelter during the winter, too, and the red berries are ideal for them to feed on. This means you can even encourage some wildlife interest to your garden with English Holly!̴Ì?

As it is quite slow-growing, Ilex aquifolium will only grow about 10-15cm per year. However, once developed, it will become a stunning, dense, thick hedge- and this will be more likely if planted in full/partial shade, and in moist soil.

• Growth rate: Slow (10-20cm per year)
• Ideal height: 2.5m+ Tall
• Soil type: Normal, moist
• Exposure: Coastal, exposed, inland
• Aspect: Full shade, full sun
• Evergreen foliage? Yes

When you receive your English Holly Root Ball, it will need to be planted within a couple of weeks or so and must be well-watered during this time. Do not allow the soil to dry out- this will more than likely damage the roots altogether.̴Ì?

In terms of pruning English Holly, it will need very little, if any- except from removing dead/damaged/diseased/crossing shoots. The best time to do any pruning will be at the end of Winter or beginning of Spring, when the plant is still dormant.̴Ì?

It should only need a little annual pruning, but English Holly can also tolerate extreme pruning when it gets overgrown/out of hand. If this is the case, only prune during the dormant period (Winter).

1. If you're not ready to plant straight away, your root balls will need to be kept moist and in a cool, dark room (i.e., garage or shed). Ideally, they should be planted straight away, but can last up to 3 days or so.
2. Dig a hole that is several inches wider than the root ball, but about the same depth. Soak the hole with water, and sprinkle a thin layer of RootGrow at the bottom, if using.
3. Ensure the root ball has been given plenty of water, then put the damp root ball into the soil, and begin backfilling with soil. Check the base of the stem is level with the surface of the soil, or just under.
4. Firm the soil down lightly, then give the plant a good watering.
5. Like all plants, it will need to be kept free of weeds and given plenty of water- it's first year after planting is vital, as the plant needs enough resources to be able to settle down, recover, and establish.