Holly tree turning into a skeleton!

Floozie

Can anyone help with my holly tree which is not a happy tree at the moment.  Whole branches seem to be losing the leaves and all the branches look as if they have large wet patches on them.  I initially thought maybe the tree was lacking water and have been watering it in the dry weather but the branches which dropped their leaves don't seem to be recovering.  Do I continue watering or should I try and cut out the affected branches which might make the tree look very lopsided.
Any suggestions on what is happening to my tree would be appreciated as I don't want to wield a chainsaw and cut it down if the problem is not serious. 

MovingForwards

@Floozie can you post a photo?

Farway

Is it planted in the open ground or in a pot?

Justagardener

Although hollies appear quite tough they are quite susceptible  to disease. It's quite likely the problem started back in the winter. Is there plenty of drainage? 

twopenny

Do the leaves discolour before they fall?

If they do what sort of colour or pattern?

Are the branches that loose the leaves dead? To test make a small scrape through the bark. If green it's allive, if it's light brown and brittle it's dead.

Floozie

twopenny said:

Do the leaves discolour before they fall?

If they do what sort of colour or pattern?

Are the branches that loose the leaves dead? To test make a small scrape through the bark. If green it's allive, if it's light brown and brittle it's dead.

Yes the leaves seem to go a yellow colour before they drop.  Looking at the tree today there are berries on the branches where the leaves have not dropped so I presume the tree cannot be competely "past it!" I might have to prune the affected branches and accept the tree will look lopsided and see if this stops the problem or bite the bullet and take down the tree which would be a shame as it looks as if it has been there since the house was built in the 1960's.

sheramber

Can you cut off the infected branches and even it up on the  other side 

Floozie

MovingForwards said:

@Floozie can you post a photo?

I'm sorry my technology knowledge with mobile phones is lousy.  I have tried to take photos with my mobile phone but whichever angle I take them from, the photos do not show up the affected branches which are towards the top of the tree.  I don't also have a USB cable which I gather is what you need to transfer the photos from the phone to the computer.  I am relying on having to try and describe the problem
I think a good pruning session might have to be the answer and hope for the best!

MovingForwards

@Floozie you can upload phone photos to MSE by pressing the button that looks like a mountain and sun in the sky, above the comment box where you reply.

Floozie

We have just  had a visit from a tree surgeon/arboriculturist to  look at a fir tree which has become too big and I mentioned to him about the holly tree problems we were having. He looked at the tree and said don't  do anything yet with it as the weather we have been experiencing over the last three years has being causing havoc with trees and it might not have any disease.  I am taking his advice and holding off hacking off branches presently.. The droughty weather has stopped and we have been having lots of rain which will not do any harm to anything growing in the garden and give the holly tree a good drink of water which hopefully will help stop the leaf drop/skeleton branch syndrome.
Thanks to everyone that offered suggestions to my problem.