Me and my yew tree.

[Thatguy85]

Ok so I decided to make a thread about my collected yew tree (I posted this tree in the 'what did you do today' thread). The reason is that collecting yews can be quite tricky, as several members on this board have experienced. Hence I thought it would be interesting (and fun!) to see how this endeavour turns out. Also, I really like this tree.

So I dug this tree on february 22nd, not an ideal time. I also cut it down really hard and went quite brutal on the roots.



But today I noticed new growth and I really hope it's not gonna die on me in a year or so.

 

[Thatguy85]

I potted the tree in a mix of pumice, scoria and zeolite (mainly pumice), kept in semi shade and misted twice day. I wate daily as it's really dry here. Attached is a picture of the year rings of a branch, I think it's about 35 years old, the tree itself about 50? Maybe older.

 

[Cruiser]

I potted the tree in a mix of pumice, scoria and zeolite (mainly pumice), kept in semi shade and misted twice day. I wate daily as it's really dry here. Attached is a picture of the year rings of a branch, I think it's about 35 years old, the tree itself about 50? Maybe older.

Sanding the face would make it easier to count rings.

You’re probably aware that yews are slow growers. For trees in deep shade and in the wild, ring widths may not even be visible to the naked eye. I’d expect a yew of that diameter to be older than 35. Was it growing strongly in a yard?

I collected a 7 inch yew that has 117 rings. Another tree shows 50 rings just within a 1.4” branch.


If your yew’s foliage starts to yellow, put it in more shade. Yew needles have a low saturation point that makes them very well-adapted to low light conditions. That’s not to say they can’t grow in the open, but for a recent collection, you’d be better off with more shade.