Holly out of control

[nblomgren]

We live in middle Tennessee, and have a good-sized holly growing about four feet from the house. It's roughly spherical, approx 8ft tall and

6ft across. I've just finished trimming it to keep its shape, but every year it gets bigger and bigger.

To me, it looks like an asteroid that barely missed the house.

I don't think we need to take it out entirely, though that's a possibility (we took another out about two years ago that was blocking the front window. We're still dealing with the roots.). Instead, can I prune it back dramatically to the trunk and a few major branches so it'll be smaller and have a more natural shape? How long does it usually take before leaves come in and it looks presentable?

Thanks!

--Nan

[bamboo]

Why not root prune it and then move it further from the house?

[Walter R.]

I have several holly shrubs, about 8 feet tall. They were getting massive and too close to the house. I pruned them really hard, leaving only a few leaves. They came back within 3 months, smaller and plusher than before.

Walter The Happy Iconoclast

[nblomgren]

It's too big to wrestle with. Just shaping it is a chore.

Would root pruning and replanting allow enough support to keep it standing?

--Nan

[nblomgren]

That may be the way to go with this one. It's so dense right now that the branches inside are bare, with the leaves on the outside like a skin.

It'll probably look stark for a while, but in the long run would be in scale with the house and have a more pleasing shape.

Is this the best time of year to do it?

Thanks!

--Nan