Life, death and Taxus.

[MrFancyPlants]

Sorry for the dramatic title, but I couldn’t let the pun lie. I just rescued a landscape yew and hoping for some general tips to increase the chances of survival. So far, I didn’t bare root, and I’ve removed about 25% of foliage just to make it mite manageable getting it in the cement mixing tray. I used pumice (might actually be calcined DME), and spaghnum for the repot, around what I preserved of the root ball.

take off more foliage? Go back in and bare root? Just leave it alone for a few years and see if it makes it?

It was burlapped by a neighbor, but not professionally. There were some dry roots on the edges. Soil was very thick and fine, but not clay. I sawed off a couple thick mangled roots.

 

[just.wing.it]

Hope it lives! Cool!

 

[Forsoothe!]

Keep it out of direct sun for at least a ~year. Bright shade works nicely.

 

[leatherback]

At this stage overwatering is a risk. Yews prefer to be slightly dry, but with humid foliage. I currently have 3 with a sheet over the substrate, and in a plastic foil, which get foliage watering daily

 

[sorce]

I think we get so overjoyed with the puns....
We don't realize these actually suck balls for bonsai!

Good one ...good one...!

Sorce

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Great advice everyone (except Sorce )
Thank you.

remove any more foliage? I wouldn’t think cut paste would be much help. Cut paste yey or ney?


“I’m a cement mixer baby, a churning urn of burning funk” - James Taylor

 

[leatherback]

I keep as much foliage as I can
I do not use cutpaste of these. In large cuts I might bring petroleum jelly.

We don't realize these actually suck balls for bonsai!

Yew not like?

 

[just.wing.it]

I think they have a long list of positive attributes for bonsai, but they are difficult to keep alive in a pot.....seemingly.

 

[leatherback]

seemingly

Yeah, for me, they are very easy. The main challenge is the initial collection. But after that..

 

[just.wing.it]

Yeah, for me, they are very easy. The main challenge is the initial collection. But after that..

Yes, indeed.....I'm still not sure what happened with all mine. 6 died in one year, my first year at my current house.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

There may be more to the “death and taxus,” pun than intended. I’ll throw a few more anchors on it for good measure, to make sure it is secure in the cement mixer, and I’ll be real careful with the watering.

 

[leatherback]

 

[CWTurner]

If it were me, I would cut off that curvy right side branch, and plant the rest of the bush in your garden,
Yews are pretty tough in the ground and can take severe cuts, but I haven't had a lot of luck getting them potted.
CW

 

[hinmo24t]

Death and taxes. The only guarantees in life

 

[MrFancyPlants]

This is hanging in there after a couple years of mostly benign neglect. It is healthy I think but not much budding down low. I know my picture is terrible, but there is growth about 20 cm up on the smaller curvy trunk. All of the growth on the bigger trunk is past the end of the perfectly straight section.
Any tricks for inducing back budding? I tried to let some light in there.
@BobbyLane do you have any advice or is this just bad material? You have some great success with yew, correct?
Worst case scenario this might go in as a landscape plant, but I’m not above hacking it back some more.

 

[BobbyLane]

No tricks, yews are notorious for back budding. check out tony tickle yew on youtube, loads of pruning advice.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

There is some growth closer to the base on the curvy trunk, but the straight one is not. I’ll keep chopping it back in stages to see what I can encourage. I think the straight trunk won’t be much use without growth way down low.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I gave this one away when I moved. It was subsequently styled at a NVBS meeting.. I think it turned out way better than I could have done with it, though it may eventually be a one trunk tree.