Dwarf holly care

[align=left]Hello.* I know to some this will appear to be a very elementary question, but I'm undertaking my first planting projects, and I know almost nothing![/align]
[align=left]I need a hedge that will grow 4' to 5' tall, and it will receive what I'm told is full sun (4 to 5 hours in the afternoon).* I am considering the Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria nana), but I've read that it is a fairly rapid vertical grower.* Thus, the question:* how often will I need to trim these bushes to keep them in shape?* Is trimming too frequently bad for the plant?* I don't want to damage the plants, but I also don't want something that will appear sloppy most of the year.[/align]
[align=left]I am in zone 7, just north of Atlanta, GA.* Thanks for any and all replys![/align]
[align=left]-sj[/align]

[Newt]

Hi SJ,

It's not an elemenatary question at all, but some really good advance thinking on your part.*

Full sun is 6 hours or more
Part sun is 4 to 6 hours
Part shade is 2 t 4 hours
Shade is 2 hours or less.

Afternoon sun is hotter and more intense then morning sun and the hottest* and most intenst sun is from 2 pm to 4 pm.* So I'd say you have part to full sun depending on the timing.

From what I'm reading dwarf yaupon holly is a slow to moderate grower, but grows wider then high.* This site has lots of good info.* These shrubs look better when allowed to have a mound shape.
http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/ILEVOMB.PDF

If you want a formal hedge that has a squared off look I'd recommend a dwarf boxwood.* You can find different varieties of these.
http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/BUXMICA.PDF
http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/BUXSEMA.PDF

Hold on to this site as it has loads of good info about shrubs and some vines.* There aren't pretty pics but you can search for those on google.
http://hort.ufl.edu/shrubs/

Since you say you know almost nothing, I would suggest you add at least 3" of compost to the planting bed and mix it in before you plant.* The compost will improve drainage, improve the texture of the soil, add organic minerals and lots of good microbes to your soil.* If you feed the soil you will be feeding your plants.* Don't forget to mulch after you've planted.* You should find these mulch and compost calculators helpful as well as how to plant trees and shrubs, mulch and water too.
http://www.cedar-grove.com/calculator.asp
http://www.atstecks.com/mulch.htm
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/plantsci/trees/f1147w.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohor...26-701.html#L5
http://www.watersaver.org/pdfs/shrub...mendations.pdf

Oops, almost forgot about your pruning questions.* You probably will only need to prune once or twice a year.* That shouldn't stress out any shrub.* Here's how to prune shrubs and hedges.
http://ag.udel.edu/extension/horticu...hyg/hyg-73.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/victorygarden/bestbets/hedges/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basic...nehedges.shtml
http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho59/ho59.htm
http://www.bestgardening.com/bgc/howto/carehedges01.htm

Newt

[align=left]Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply.* You've given me a ton of good information.* The University of Florida site, imparticular, seems like it will be a great resource and, despite the fact that I'm a University of Georgia grad, I will probably use it quite a bit.* :)[/align]
[align=left]After doing more reading, I'm still leaning toward the Dwarf Yaupon, especially since it appears to be more of a horizontal grower as you said.* Hopefully this means it would quickly fill in the gaps and create the hedge I'm looking for.* The Boxwood sounds promising, and I'm going to continue researching it...but it sounds like it's a very slow grower, and I wonder how long it would take to create a complete hedge.[/align]
[align=left]Anyway, encouraged by your response, I'll ask one more question.* Is there a standard distance a) from the house, and b) from each other when planting hedges, or can I assume it depends on which shrub one chooses?* Sounds like 2 feet away from the house and about 3 feet apart would be appropriate for the Dwarf Yaupon Holly, but I'm wondering if there's a generic rule of thumb out there...[/align]
[align=left]Thanks again.[/align]
[align=left]-sj[/align]

[Newt]

You are so very welcome!

"The Boxwood sounds promising, and I'm going to continue researching it...but it sounds like it's a very slow grower, and I wonder how long it would take to create a complete hedge."

It would take 2 to 4 years to fill in depending on how close you plant them and what the growing conditions are.* The better prepared your soil, good watering practices and the more sun, the faster they will grow.

"I'm still leaning toward the Dwarf Yaupon, especially since it appears to be more of a horizontal grower as you said.* Hopefully this means it would quickly fill in the gaps and create the hedge I'm looking for."

The same conditions apply.* I would say that the dwarf Yaupon holly will grow more horizontally and probably fill in the gaps a little quicker, but you will need to space them accordingly as well.

"Is there a standard distance a) from the house, and b) from each other when planting hedges, or can I assume it depends on which shrub one chooses?* Sounds like 2 feet away from the house and about 3 feet apart would be appropriate for the Dwarf Yaupon Holly, but I'm wondering if there's a generic rule of thumb out there..."

Planting 2 feet from the house for the Yaupon is kinda close as this tends to grow wide and you'll be doing alot of trimming to keep it away from the foundation.* You really should space them so they are at least 12" from the foundation at maturity.* The closer you space them to the house, the more you will have to prune.* They want to mature at 7' to 10' wide or even wider.* If you space them 5' from the house you won't have to prune them for a long time.* When given mature size by a grower or a nursery, the generally accepted length of time is at years of age.* So figure that whatever you plant it will be the suggested size in 10 years.*

A good example is the dwarf Alberta Spruce.* Most sites you will search will say they mature at 5' to 7' tall over a long period of time.* I've seen ones that are 30 years old and they are 20' tall and more.* It's really a matter of that 10 year maturity and knowing the plant material.* Many trees and shrubs are labeled 'dwarf' or 'nana' but they still get taller then what you are told, they just grow slower and/or have a smaller habit such as leaves or stature.
http://www.monrovia.com/monroviaweb.nsf/8c104835579b67e18825685f006acdf8/1eaeafb1ba7d7a6288256d9c000357bc!OpenDocument

As far as planting close to each other, it would probably to search for the particular plant as a hedge to find recommendations for spacing.* Here's what I just did to find this site. The first pic is an informally pruned hedge and the last is a formally trimmed hedge. I went to http://www.google.com and put in the search box:
Ilex vomitoria 'nana' + hedge
http://orb.ifas.ufl.edu/LandscapeSel...vomitoria_nana

You could also search with:
Ilex vomitoria 'nana' + hedge + space
Ilex vomitoria 'nana' + hedge + spacing

If I haven't answered all your questions just lmk.
Newt