Holly Shrubs

[Bernie]

I have siwn 2 Holly shrubs, it must be at least 6 years ago. I have the King and the Queen. Neither have grown an inch in all that time. I have them sown about 2 metres apart. I've put tomato food on them but no luck. Any clues. They are still only about 14 inches high.
Any suggestions, I would be very grateful

[Chipchopper]

Keep the soil undisturbed around the roots and add a good layer of tree mulch around the roots.

[johnk]

Did you take them out of the container before planting?

[Bernie]

Yes, I did. Should I have left them in container??.

[bhg481]

No, you certainly don't leave them in the pot, unless it's one of the new biodegradable ones specially designed for the purpose.
We, also, bought a variegated holly that's at least as old as yours and that hasn't grown either. Perhaps holly is just very slow growing.

[Tilly2]

We have a holly tree that was planted by a bird. It's about 12 years old and is enormous. :-)

[Bernie]

Chipchopper. When you say tree mulch what does that mean. It is probably a stupid question but I don't unfortunately have green fingers. Many thanks

[Chipchopper]

They do tend to suffer from the shock of transplanting and can take a while to settle in, before they get going especially if they are of the variegated variety.
Hopefully this will be their year.

[Chipchopper]

Bernie, A mulch is a material which is put on the surface of the soil. it sopresses weeds but more importantly keeps the soil evenly moisture retaining. Bark chip is a good one, best about 4" deep. think of it mimicking a woodland floor.

[Bernie]

Thank you all so much for your help. Will get to work on that as well as a bit of TLC. Have a safe and good day