Can you help with my Holly tree?
I have a holly tree that is located about 7 or 8 feet from the southeast corner of my house - it's about 15 feet tall and was there when we moved in 15 years ago ....in the last year (maybe a little longer) it started to lose leaves at the top - and it's getting worse now ....i noticed that berries and lots of leaves were still on the tree on it's bottom half this spring and bees were happily pollinating it, but it looks like it's in trouble up above ....there is a concord grape vine growing about 5 feet from the tree's base....could the grape be inhibiting the roots? ....also, a beech tree has started to grow next to the holly and i have cut the beech at its base but i notice that it has grown in again for two years in a row now ......could that be exacerbating the problem also? Any advice is extremely appreciated
Answer
Dig the roots of the beech and the grape out so they are not competing with the holly. You will need to get advice from a certified arborist to determine the cause and cure for the top of the tree.