Are Sky Pencil holly easy to grow?

How wide do Sky Pencil Holly get?

2 to 3 ft. wide
Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’
Botanical Pronunciation EYE-leks kre-NAY-tuh
Lore ‘Sky Pencil’ is an all-female cultivar which needs a male variety nearby as a pollenizer, in order to produce berries.
Average Size at Maturity Moderate growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and 2 to 3 ft. wide.
Bloom Time Inconspicuous; prized for foliage.

Are Sky pencils hard to grow?

Sky Pencil hollies are rated for USDA plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. They adapt to full sun or partial shade. … of organic mulch over the root zone to help keep the soil moist and water often until the plant is established and growing. Your new holly won’t need fertilizer until the first spring after planting.

How close can you plant sky pencil holly?

Sky Pencil Holly Spacing

Space 3 to 4 feet apart. For a formal hedge, plant 2 ½ to 3 feet apart, measure from the center of each plant.

Do sky pencil holly have invasive roots?

Finally, when planting the Japanese holly, you should know that it does not have an invasive root structure, therefore it can be planted in containers with no problems springing up. Also, whenever you plant them, you must ensure that they are planted at least five feet away from any home structure.

How often should you water sky pencil holly?

Water well regularly, in the form of 1” of rainfall or irrigation per week (equivalent to a 5-gallon bucket full), often more frequently in extremely warm areas or if in a pot. Established plants need watering only during dry spells. If desired, fertilize in spring.

Do sky pencils need sun?

Just be sure to pick a planting spot in full sun for the best appearance vigorous growth. Sky Pencil Holly will be drought tolerant faster if you prep your planting hole right. Dig it twice as deep and twice as wide as the root ball. Be sure to really make the ground soil loose.

Can you plant Sky Pencil holly Near foundation?

A durable holly with a unique look, ‘Sky Pencil’ stands out with a tall stature and pencil-thin habit. Its dark evergreen foliage and unusual shape creates an attractive vertical accent in the landscape, adding height to borders and foundation plantings.

What kills Sky pencils?

Rhizoctonia aerial blight, or web blight, attacks “Sky Pencil” holly when prolonged rainfall, high humidity and warm summer temperatures combine. This fungal disease spreads quickly, attacking the plant’s lower leaves first then spreading upwards.

How close to a house can you plant a holly tree?

Holly bushes are best planted at a minimum of two feet from a house.

Can Sky Pencil holly grow in full shade?

Sky Pencil Holly is easy to transplant and urban tolerant. Plant in the full sun to partial shade in acidic well-drained soil though it tolerates a wide range of soil types, from moist to dry, and actually prefers clay. It tolerates shade and air pollution.

How do you shape a holly sky pencil?

How do I protect my sky pencil holly in the winter?

Winter Care

If you’re keeping your sky pencil holly tree outdoors in the winter, you will need to protect it slightly from the frost. By tying up the branches in the winter, you can prevent frost burn and breakage. Using a twine, wrap the tree from top to bottom to keep the branches tight against the tree.

Is Sky Pencil holly poisonous to dogs?

Holly: Varieties include American holly, English holly, Japanese holly, and Christmas holly. Although some are less toxic than others, it is best to keep your dog away from any variety. Eating the leaves can result in vomiting, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal injury due to the plant’s spiny leaves.

Why does my sky pencil holly have yellow leaves?

Yellow leaves on holly trees is a fairly common problem for gardeners. On a holly, yellow leaves typically indicates an iron deficiency, also known as iron chlorosis. When a holly plant does not get enough iron, the plant cannot produce chlorophyll and you get yellow leaves on your holly bush.

When should you plant sky pencil holly?

And it sports small, white, four-petaled flowers in the late spring that tend to attract bees and other pollinators. The flowers give way to small, black, rounded fruits. Japanese holly has a slow growth rate and can be planted in the fall or spring.

Does Sky Pencil holly stay green all year?

The Sky Pencil is an evergreen shrub that has small, glossy, dark green leaves year-round. New growth emerges light green but darkens up with age. This Holly Tree can get up to 10 feet in height but stays very narrow at 2-3 feet wide at maturity.

Can Sky Pencil holly survive winter?

Some shrubs, such as Sky Pencil Japanese holly or arborvitaes can be splayed open by heavy snow. Perennial plants might suffer in a winter when the ground alternately freezes and thaws, pushing their roots out of the ground.

How do I make my sky pencil landscape?

What can I plant next to holly bushes?

A few common holly companions for planting next to the shrubs include boxwood, viburnum, clematis, hydrangea, and rhododendrons.

What is killing my sky pencil holly?

ANSWER: Sky Pencil is a cultivar of Japanese holly, Ilex crenata. This species of holly is poorly adapted to south Louisiana and commonly succumbs to root rots in the heat of mid- to late summer. Excessive irrigation can encourage this as well as abundant rainfall — which we certainly have had this summer.

How do I revive my holly sky pencil?

The disease can cause leaf drop and shoot dieback. Treat the disease by pruning infected growth or by spraying the shrub with a fungicide containing thiophanate-methyl. Spray the shrub with an even coat of 12 to 16 ounces per 100 gallons of water every 10 to 14 days, starting when the new foliage emerges.

What is similar to Sky Pencil holly?

Sky Pencil Holly

Louis County. If you live farther away from the city, a great alternative would be Graham Blandy Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’). This evergreen is extremely columnar at 2 feet wide and reaches 8 to 10 feet tall.

Are Sky pencils poisonous?

The leaves and berries of the Japanese Sky Pencil are mildly poisonous and will cause vomiting and diarrhea if ingested.