Massive trunked Taxus “urbandori” adventure

[Rivka]

A couple of weeks ago, I pulled the heaviest, thickest “urbandori” I have ever (and who knows, may ever) get as future bonsai material. Someone needed a Taxus removed to install a fence, so while the timing was not the best, it was non-negotiable. While the price was “free,” in reality it cost me a 3-hour round-trip drive, 6 hours of hard labor, and 1 new chainsaw blade.



It was much larger a trunk than I could have hoped for. Clearly, it was way older than it looked at first glance, and had been cut down to just a few feet and regrown, maybe a few times.

I barely got into a container; it currently takes the full depth of this container with a 10” diameter root that I didn’t dare cut back further in this initial potting up. It will need a massive reduction, but in the future.





Wish I had a more suitable container for it, was honestly unprepared for how deep the massive underground portion was. Keep wondering with such an aggressive transplant if it should be placed in something even bigger or even the ground while it recovers over the next few years? Its definitely going on a heat mat and in the greenhouse for this winter.

 

[KateM]

Nice! I'll be following you progress.
I think you should be okay as it comes tosurvival and here is why I think so...
Last year in the fall I picked up 2 yew stumps somebody dumped on the site of the road.
They were cut down right before they were pulled out and pulled out by a strap and pull. I had noting to put them in, but cut down water barrel ends and mulch. Last winter was rather harsh for our parts and dry. They both made it and grew this summer.
With all the extra care you are planning for it, it shoul be just fine.

 

[Rivka]

It’s honestly unbelievable I ever got it out without machinery, the base is well over 18inches (45cm) across and even without soil it weighs over 100lbs (45kg)
Thankfully even will 6ft of growth it still has small backbuds all the way down in the core, some were totally white when I first exposed them and have sense greened up with only a week of sun exposure.
When I first looked at it, I innocently thought the medium thickness and spindly outer basal branches were the bulk of what I was getting, it wasn’t till I get deep into cleaning it out and cutting the top back that I found the intimidating center mass.
I am very excited to carve this, though I am going to need was better carving bits than I currently have!

 

[Rivka]

Question
Anyone want to chime in on the pros and cons of reducing some of these spindly branches that will not be that helpful in the design down the road?

thoughts on reducing unwanted smaller living branches now
that have little to no foliage currently​

PROS​	CONS​
directs energy to budding onto branches that will retained long term	Leaving all branches gives more opportunities for foliage, may rebuild energy faster?
Opens up interior to more sunlight,	opens up additional larger wounds
reduces weight	removes stored resources?
Makes it easier to work on the interior	limits future choices
??	??

 

[nuttiest]

I would say for now, try to focus on removal of large branches that come out of trunk badly, otherwise you will be left with stovepipes covered up with clouds and its not a good look.

 

[Rivka]

I would say for now, try to focus on removal of large branches that come out of trunk badly, otherwise you will be left with stovepipes covered up with clouds and it’s not a good look.

Would you be willing to doddle on one of my pictures to illustrate which types of branches you are referring to? Many of the largest will be getting carved and hollowed out as they were chopped long ago, though many have also continued to grow up and form new leaders.
Thankfully nothing on this will end up with a mushroom on top as my esthetic veers far away from the traditional Japanese mounding form.

 

[Rivka]

? What do you folks feel about carving the existing deadwood on this yew now? Part of me wanted to start some the big coring out of the old dead center now before it starts growing too much new small roots and I would have to worry about the potential damage from the vibration of power tools.

? Also what level of protection is recommended on fresh cuts? Would you use cut paste/putty on these? This wood is so flipin dense, but I also hear about dieback and can see it on some of the years old cuts it got while in the landscape.

 

[nuttiest]

Would you be willing to doddle on one of my pictures to illustrate which types of branches you are referring to? Many of the largest will be getting carved and hollowed out as they were chopped long ago, though many have also continued to grow up and form new leaders.
Thankfully nothing on this will end up with a mushroom on top as my esthetic veers far away from the traditional Japanese mounding form.

I think I am transferring thoughts of a podocarpus I have here, which I always wonder what if I had started differently, with the small branches. Looking at these photos again, it seems I would likely start at the bottom and get a clear trunk view of that beautiful trunk. Then stare at it for a year and it will come to you out of inspiration (or frustration): )
I would be scared to do anything this year but only you know how many fat roots you had to take off. Hopefully they tolerate transplant in the fall.

 

[Rivka]

I would be scared to do anything this year but only you know how many fat roots you had to take off. Hopefully they tolerate transplant in the fall.

Yeah no reduction of any of those lower outer branches this year for sure. They have the most foliage and she is going to need that to pull thru. I got decent but not great roots. Though once everything is healthy in a year or two, they likely go first.

 

[stubmle]

I'd wait to do any significant work on it. Way I see it, even if it's something like deadwood carving that shouldn't directly impact tree health, the effort will all be wasted if it just croaks anyway.

 

[Dav4]

The worst time to do ANY work would be right after collection. Roots are hopefully growing into the new media but are way too fragile and any new movement will potentially damage them and set back the already compromised root system further. I wouldn't be carving on this one until I've already decided on a front and reduced the existing living and dead trunks accordingly, which may be several years from now.

 

[BrianBay9]

I have collected similar sized Taxus that sprouted new growth for three years running before dying with no root growth. They can fool you with energy left in the trunk. Hopefully you will be luckier than me.

 

[Mike Westervelt]

Don't do anything now, leave all foliage to hopefully drive some new root growth before it starts cooling down, and watch your watering carefully.
Good luck!

 

[leatherback]

leave everything. Do not work it at all. Leave it alone for at least next year. Yews are tricky after pulling out of the ground and really need good growing to establish again.
Be carefull watering. Soaking the rootball is not a recipe for success!

 

[rockm]

I’ve heard this more than once about this species. Good advice to let it alone for a couple of years AT LEAST. Five would be better. Can be unpredictable with recovery. The First flush of new foliage is NOT an indicator the plant has surviveD

FWIW deadwood carving has a TREMENDOUS impact on roots. Vibrations break roots. Hard carving pressure can shift the root mass etc. all of that can break and damage and kill new roots

 

[Rivka]

Yep thanks folks for driving home what i knew but wanted to ignore. This will go on a heatmat, in a sunny protected corner and be left alone. Its too good to loose.
I hope i have it in the right soil and pot, I am going to melt out a bunch more drain holes to make sure nothing stays to wet as it rains here for the next 6 months. It needed such a big pot, i ran out of pumice and used a bit more native soil than i wanted to, also had no idea you could bareroot these guys. So there is a small central portion that will need to get washed out in maybe 2-3 years from now.

I’m also going to go look for some yew logs to practice carving hollowed trunks into. Im usually more of a painstaking striping with pliers type person, but i do have a good flexshaft and for this already dead compact wood, clearly tools will be warranted.

 

[Wood]

It needed such a big pot, i ran out of pumice and used a bit more native soil than i wanted to,

Could you mix perlite and pumice to make up the volume?

 

[Rivka]

Could you mix perlite and pumice to make up the volume?

I hate the perlites, evil little floaty bit-is <said in my best smeegel voice>

So thankfully got more pumice and spent a long while today adding massively more drainage holes with a soldering iron and flooding copious water thru to rinse out nearly 3-4 liters of silty soil and top the pot back up with the fresh rinsed pumice.

It drains a TON better now and should be good for a few years.