Quercus ilex | Pruning Holm Oak

Leestijd: 5 min.
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When and how should you prune holm oaks? A question frequently asked by both private individuals and professionals. Holm oaks (Quercus ilex) are evergreen and can be lightly thinned throughout the year—except just before or during frost periods. This type of pruning refers to interventions that aren’t too drastic for the tree.

Tom
3 October 2021

(Last update: 17 June 2025)

Pruning holm oaks: when?

Holm oaks respond well to pruning and if you get there in time, this also goes smoothly.

1/ June and July

This is the ideal moment for pruning most holm oaks.

Just after the shoots have grown, place the crown or screen back into shape. Depending on the size, you do this with hand pruning shears or motor pruning shears.

2/ End of March - April - May

Suitable for younger holm oak trees 1 year after successful planting.

On espalier trees: tie the branches and prune away the remaining branches.

3/ Late October - November

Suitable for older topiary trees: prune away the protruding branches. This can be done very short (0 to 1 cm). This makes the tree less susceptible to possible autumn storms.

For espalier trees: if you do not yet have a full screen, prune to 2 cm. With younger espaliers, you can tie back the branches where the screen is not yet full. You can read how to do this in this article: First maintenance of espalier trees.

4/ End of August - September

In this period you can also prune holm oaks, but beware.

If the autumn is warm and sunny, new shoots may form which can then freeze in hard frost. This can cause problems for trees that have been planted for less than 2 years.

Therefore, prune only the longest shoots now and wait until spring for more intense pruning.

Pruning Quercus ilex (Holm Oak): Guidelines and Considerations

Natural Form and Growth Habit Quercus ilex is an aesthetically valuable species, frequently exhibiting a multi-stemmed growth habit in its natural state. Its morphology is typically irregular, and it seldom produces a perfectly vertical central leader.

When planted in optimal conditions—with sufficient space for lateral and vertical development—crown pruning is often unnecessary. Only minor corrective measures, such as the removal of low-hanging or structurally weak branches, may be warranted.

Enhancing Canopy Structure Selective thinning can be applied to increase light penetration within the canopy. This technique promotes a dynamic interplay of light and shade in the surrounding landscape, enhancing visual appeal and ecological function.

In addition to maintenance pruning aimed at preserving the tree’s natural architecture, Quercus ilex also lends itself well to formal topiary pruning, akin to Fagus sylvatica or Carpinus betulus.

Juvenile Phase Management In young trees, intensive formative pruning during the initial years post-transplant is advised. Substantial foliage reduction contributes to improved structural stability—particularly relevant in urban or avenue planting contexts.

Ornamental and Structural Pruning Holm oaks in public or high-design landscapes may undergo architectural pruning to highlight branching structure and spatial rhythm. This stylistic approach prioritizes visual clarity and sculptural form. Consultation with arboricultural specialists is recommended for optimal implementation.

Pruning Quercus ilex Trained as Espalier

In small gardens, a minimal screen thickness is preferred to ensure sufficient light transmission and avoid the oppressive visual effect common with dense hedging.

For a denser screen, prune back to approximately 2 cm from the node—this will typically elicit two new shoots. When cutting closer to 1 cm, only one shoot is expected to regenerate.

Pruning Multi-Stemmed Quercus ilex

Basal shoots on individual stems may be retained or removed depending on aesthetic objectives. To emphasize the multi-stemmed structure, these epicormic growths should be pruned. This can be done at any time of year with no significant impact on the tree's vitality.

On the growth rate of the holm oak

Finally, let me correct this: the holm oak does not grow slowly at all. You often come across this statement on the internet, but it is wrong. The holm oak is a tree that gets off to a slow start the first two years, yes. From then it grows normally.

In our regions, the holm oak sometimes grows even better than in the south, because here the soil is richer and the climate more temperate. In the south there is much more contrast: the hot summer temperatures actually inhibit growth, as do the solid frost peaks in winter.

Here, the holm oak draws its first growth spurt during late spring. During summer, it also continues to grow, but no longer as vigorously. The longer summer days also contribute to this. Here, the holm oak can enjoy the daylight longer than in the south.

The second growth spurt that the holm oak makes in autumn is slightly less intense here than in the south. Just as well, because too many fresh young shoots can suffer frost damage in winter.

Holmoak and diseases

Leestijd: 7 min.

Sometimes we get questions about diseases on the holm oak (Quercus ilex). But let me reassure you right away: in almost all cases, the holm oak is not diseased. Like most valuable trees, the holm oak is a tree where several organisms feel at home. You can't call these inhabitants a disease, and besides, the oak doesn't suffer from them at all. Do the leaves of the holm oak turn brownish and/or fall off? If so, this may well indicate an underlying problem. In this article you can read about the most common causes and solutions for brown spots, brown leaves and leaf loss in the holm oak.

Update

How to prune parasol plane trees correctly

Leestijd: 4 min.

Roof plane trees are easy to prune. The most important thing here is not to be too late. Because when a plane tree is in good conditions and starts to grow, it can go fast. In many cases, the pruner is a little too late, resulting in a lot of pruning work. But if you are on time, the pruning work is orderly and also done quickly. So the focus when pruning a plane tree is mainly on timing. In this article, I won't go into so much detail but will give you an idea of the right pruning approach.

All you need to know about pruning fig trees

Leestijd: 2 min.

A fig tree in the garden is a true blessing. This biblical tree can regularly produce a good harvest even in our regions, allowing you to enjoy fresh figs, dried figs, or fig jam in late summer and early autumn. It’s important to plant the right varieties suited to our climate and to provide them with proper care. The pruning period of a fig tree spans across three seasons. Pruning correctly greatly influences the yield, shape, and health of the tree. In this article, you’ll learn how, when, and why to prune.

Planting depth of trees and espaliers

Leestijd: 2 min.

Trees are still planted too deep. For example, to accommodate height differences but also sometimes out of ignorance. When it comes to planting trees remember this: Better 10 centimetres too high than 2 cm too deep. Planting too deep is the most common cause of tree mortality after planting. Sometimes trees do not die but there is inhibited growth at best and delayed dying at worst. It happens that the planting depth or plant height is not respected to match a hedge or wall. In the case of umbrella trees to match the window height. Espaliers and its collaborating companies have the widest choice in trunk heights and sizes, planting too deep for these reasons cannot be an excuse. We prefer to take a project-based approach to avoid this. It also happens that planting is done correctly but a thick layer of soil cover (e.g. bark) is applied afterwards. In that case, make sure that in the nearby zone of 10 cm around the trunk the layer is very thin (max 1 cm)

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