Pruning a Yew

[Janine]

There is an out-of-control yew in my front yard which needs to be cut
back or removed. Besides being quite large, it's right in front of the
electric meter.

I've done some Googling and read a good bit of info on yews which says
that they can withstand a pretty severe pruning. So instead of just
removing it I thought I would first try pruning it quite harshly. If it
survives, all the better, and, if it doesn't I can still remove it
later.

My question is about the roots. I couldn't find anything about the
roots of a yew and I wonder if they are a threat to the foundation of
the house. Should I just remove the bush now?

Here are a couple of pics:
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/newsgroupie/yews.html

Thanks for any advice.

~Janine

[David J. Bockman]

That's a beautiful yew. Depending upon where you are in the world, early
spring is a great time to cut them back hard. You could cut it back by as
much as half and it should be fine. Please don't 'decapitate it' as I think
that's an abomination and looks horrid.

As an aside, I have routinely dug up large to very large landscape yews for
use as bonsai. See

http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/agora/view.php?bn=internetbonsaiclub_ibcga
llery&key=1017084728&first=1017964317&last=1017562486

for my latest dig. These guys were *monsters* and will someday make fabulous
'omono', or very large, bonsai.

--
David J. Bockman, Fairfax, VA (USDA Hardiness Zone 7)
Bunabayashi Bonsai On The World Wide Web: http://www.bunabayashi.com
email: d...@bunabayashi.com

"Janine" <newsg...@comcast.netINVALID> wrote in message
news:3CACE921...@comcast.netINVALID...

[Janine]

"David J. Bockman" wrote:

> That's a beautiful yew.

Well, it is healthy!

> Depending upon where you are in the world, early
> spring is a great time to cut them back hard.

Baltimore.

> You could cut it back by as
> much as half and it should be fine. Please don't 'decapitate it' as I think
> that's an abomination and looks horrid.

It'll either be a perfect ball or a Christmas tree shape.

> As an aside, I have routinely dug up large to very large landscape yews for
> use as bonsai. See
>
> http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/agora/view.php?bn=internetbonsaiclub_ibcga
> llery&key=1017084728&first=1017964317&last=1017562486
>
> for my latest dig. These guys were *monsters* and will someday make fabulous
> 'omono', or very large, bonsai.

Very cool! So, how big were the roots?

Thanks,

~Janine

[Janine]

"David J. Bockman" wrote:

> That's a beautiful yew.

It sure seems healthy.

> Depending upon where you are in the world, early
> spring is a great time to cut them back hard.

Zone 6/7

> You could cut it back by as
> much as half and it should be fine. Please don't 'decapitate it' as I think
> that's an abomination and looks horrid.

It'll be either a ball or a cone shape.

> As an aside, I have routinely dug up large to very large landscape yews for
> use as bonsai. See
>
> http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/agora/view.php?bn=internetbonsaiclub_ibcga
> llery&key=1017084728&first=1017964317&last=1017562486
>
> for my latest dig. These guys were *monsters* and will someday make fabulous
> 'omono', or very large, bonsai.

Very cool. So how big were the roots?

[janet_a]

this isn't a definitive answer i know, but my parents planted yews in
front of their house at a distance of about three feet. they have
been there for over thirty years, and there is no evidence whatsoever
that they're affecting the foundations of the house (full
basement--they'd have seen them if the roots were coming through. no
leaking or anything either).

as for pruning--well, my father whacked them with hedge clippers back
to the nubs several times a year for all that time, and it took a
couple winters of the deer eating them to kill them recently. :)

of course, based on that photo, if you buzz cut the bush, you're
likely going to be left with bare sticks for a while. i don't know
where you are; our yew is about to fruit; i'm going to trim it a bit,
but i'm waiting for it to finish fruiting. i cut it pretty severely,
and it always comes back. damn. if i could get it out without a
backhoe, i'd replace it with red rhododendrons...

good luck!

[Janine]

janet_a wrote:

> this isn't a definitive answer i know, but my parents planted yews in
> front of their house at a distance of about three feet. they have
> been there for over thirty years, and there is no evidence whatsoever
> that they're affecting the foundations of the house (full
> basement--they'd have seen them if the roots were coming through. no
> leaking or anything either).

That's good to know, although this one's much closer to the house.

> as for pruning--well, my father whacked them with hedge clippers back
> to the nubs several times a year for all that time, and it took a
> couple winters of the deer eating them to kill them recently. :)
>
> of course, based on that photo, if you buzz cut the bush, you're
> likely going to be left with bare sticks for a while.

I looked at it again. I don't even know how I'm going to cut it.
<laugh> Chain saw?

> i don't know
> where you are; our yew is about to fruit; i'm going to trim it a bit,
> but i'm waiting for it to finish fruiting. i cut it pretty severely,
> and it always comes back. damn. if i could get it out without a
> backhoe, i'd replace it with red rhododendrons...

Backhoe? That sounds like bigggg roots to me. :-(

> good luck!

Thanks! And thanks for the input.

~Janine