Nursery yew..good tree, bad start

[october]

I bought this yew from a local garden center a few weeks back. Can't go wrong for around $40. It was a balled and burlap tree which I am not big on. Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of it before I started to work on it. Got it home and it was one issue after another. First, I noticed that about 1/3 of the tree was dead. Upon closer inspection I realized that this was probably from the now dead brown scale on the tree and the probably highly toxic pesticide they used to kill them. Much of the tree looked terrible. Branches all dried and shriveled, discolored etc.. I took the burlap off and half of the root ball's soil fell off. The soil was so bad it was like modeling clay. With a little movement, the rest of the soil fell away. Now, I had a bare rooted tree. If that wasn't bad enough, there were only about 5-6 pencil size roots sticking straight down. It looked as if the tree had not only been bare rooted, but it looks like they cut off all the roots. With the exception of these 5 or so pencil size root like stubs. I don't know when they did this, but I was amazed that the tree was even alive. I ended up cutting off all the dead portions and pruning a moderate amount off the top. It was then put in a grow pot with good soil.

It has been a few weeks and the tree is doing pretty well. It has new buds all over where the cuts were made and all along the branches. Time will tell.

As far as styling, there is really nothing workable on the tree. I will let the tree completely grow out. Then, I will cut back again. At which point, I will keep maybe 2-3 branches that are currently on there, one will be the leader and then develop a whole new tree from that.

Here are a few pics. The last pic is the trunk line that I will create in the next 2 years. By then, I am hoping that there will be much foliage attached to what is left.

Rob






The future proposed trunk line.

 

[Ris]

Always inspect a potential tree before buying, of coarse you can't with the roots but from nebari upwards.
Good luck.

 

[october]

Always do. Just didn't know the extent till I got into the interior. Also, the spray had coated everything and the scale were the same color as the bark, so they were not visible until everything was cut away. Even then, they looked like part of the bark. Honestly, the base was so good that it would have been crazy to pass up a 5 inch base tree for $40. Hopefully it will become a bonsai that is only about 16-18 inches tall with a 5 inch base.

Rob

 

[Dav4]

Why do I have a feeling this tree is gonna be just fine? Nice spread and lower trunk on this one...I foresee lots of power tool work in this one's future( or, at least, I hope so). I wish I could find more yews like that down here, B + B or not. Have fun with it!

 

[october]

Why do I have a feeling this tree is gonna be just fine? Nice spread and lower trunk on this one...I foresee lots of power tool work in this one's future( or, at least, I hope so). I wish I could find more yews like that down here, B + B or not. Have fun with it!

I think you are right. 3 weeks later and it is budding like crazy.

Rob

 

[edprocoat]

Looks like another nice one Rob, next year will probably see it look almost finished I bet. I love the base and the exposed roots, heck ya outta just send it to me .

ed

 

[coh]

Sounds like my experiences with B&B trees. You never know what you're going to find in that clay ball. The tree does have an interesting base...I'll be interested to see where you take this. It should do OK but may take a while to get growing strongly. I dug up a similarly sized yew from our foundation a few years ago. Expected to get a lot of feeder roots but came up pretty empty. It's gradually been getting stronger but it's been a slow process.

Chris

 

[october]

Sounds like my experiences with B&B trees. You never know what you're going to find in that clay ball. The tree does have an interesting base...I'll be interested to see where you take this. It should do OK but may take a while to get growing strongly. I dug up a similarly sized yew from our foundation a few years ago. Expected to get a lot of feeder roots but came up pretty empty. It's gradually been getting stronger but it's been a slow process.

Chris

Yup, I have been somewhat over looking balled and burlap trees at regular nurseries for the issues mentioned. This one had a nice base for a tree of it's size and for $40, I figured, why not.

Rob

 

[fourteener]

This one had a nice base for a tree of it's size and for $40, I figured, why not.

I always say; "buy(gather) a trunk, grow a top." That way you're already a third of the way there. Trunk, Branch Placement, Refinement. I'm not much for growing trunks, just the later two!!

 

[JudyB]

Yew have a really nice muscular base there. I don't know anything about yews, would you be able to shorten this even more than the virt shows, to take better advantage of that focal point?

 

[fore]

Very nice find Rob for only $40! Huge base is awesome. But why is it all B&B trees are in clay? So strange. Anyway, good growth for 3 wks. I now wish I had left just a bit more green on my yews as what's there, has the strongest growth so far. I think you did good leaving as much foliage as you did. Oh, and do I need to remind you to spray it? LOL

 

[Dav4]

Very nice find Rob for only $40! Huge base is awesome. But why is it all B&B trees are in clay? So strange. Anyway, good growth for 3 wks. I now wish I had left just a bit more green on my yews as what's there, has the strongest growth so far. I think you did good leaving as much foliage as you did. Oh, and do I need to remind you to spray it? LOL

Balled and burlapped trees are grown in clay so that the root ball holds together after being dug.

 

[fore]

Balled and burlapped trees are grown in clay so that the root ball holds together after being dug.

I never would've thought of that Dave, very interesting. Thanks!

 

[october]

Yew have a really nice muscular base there. I don't know anything about yews, would you be able to shorten this even more than the virt shows, to take better advantage of that focal point?

Hi Judy.. It might be able to be reduced beyong that point. However, it would take many years and still be a gamble. Actually, it would not be necessary to go beyond that point. There is a lot of budding going on right around the main scar in the front. In time, these buds will fill in and become pads in that area. Also, the upper trunk is budding as well and these buds will be the side branches that will be pulled down. Basically, I am growing a whole new upper 50% of the tree. Hopefully within 3-4 years, I can get an initial structure going and then refine it. Something like this virt. Same proportions without any shortening, just lots of well placed growth. I am planing on a very natural look for this tree, almost like you would see on a maple, except with some shari. However, the tree has to agree with this.

Rob

 

[october]

Very nice find Rob for only $40! Huge base is awesome. But why is it all B&B trees are in clay? So strange. Anyway, good growth for 3 wks. I now wish I had left just a bit more green on my yews as what's there, has the strongest growth so far. I think you did good leaving as much foliage as you did. Oh, and do I need to remind you to spray it? LOL

Hi fore. I think I may have removed about 50% of the total growth. About half of that was in bad shape. As for spraying, I will not be spraying it until i see signs of something. I know after all the probelms that this might sound crazy..lol... However, this tree has been through a lot and I think that the scale and whatever they initially sprayed on it was pretty toxic. I believe you can still see it on the tree. As parts are whitish, gray and dead. This tree will get a break for now.

Rob

 

[JudyB]

Hi Judy.. It might be able to be reduced beyong that point. However, it would take many years and still be a gamble. I am planing on a very natural look for this tree, almost like you would see on a maple. except with some shari. However, the tree has to agree with this.

Well like I said, I don't know the specie well at all, and your virt looks pretty darn good, hope you can attain that goal. I like the idea of some shari, but I hope you keep that one muscle root intact, it's a beaut!

 

[coh]

Hi fore. I think I may have removed about 50% of the total growth. About half of that was in bad shape. As for spraying, I will not be spraying it until i see signs of something. I know after all the probelms that this might sound crazy..lol... However, this tree has been through a lot and I think that the scale and whatever they initially sprayed on it was pretty toxic. I believe you can still see it on the tree. As parts are whitish, gray and dead. This tree will get a break for now.

Rob

Seems like a good policy. I have 2 yews and have not had any problems at all with fungus or insects, even though other trees all around them have mites, leafhoppers, tip blight, etc. I think they are pretty tough.

Chris

 

[october]

It lived! Not only that, it grew almost all the new growth on the middle part of the trunk. I figured this would happen. I removed some large branches in that area and yews send out a ton of buds to replace those branches. This presents some great options now. Depending on how well it grows next season, I might "hedge" the top so to speak.

Rob

Recent pic


Comparison from 2 1/2 months ago.

 

[fourteener]

I like the definition forming in the roots system. Looking healthy. I always get nursery trees out the crap they come in. I also like gathering trees in my world of clay as the root system is much more compact and an easy gather.

 

[Poink88]

I like the definition forming in the roots system.

Roots look exactly the same to me...just got cleaned, slight angle change, lighting, and contrast.