Taxus baccata(common yew) has gained popularity for different garden styles, particularly for bonsai, topiary, and also for dense evergreen hedging nowadays. These slow-growing traditional garden trees grow 5-20 cm annually and can reach up to 20 meters when left unpruned. fellow gardeners, I am here to share my experience on how I grew and care for this evergreen coniferous.
how to grow taxus baccata
I have grown these hardy evergreen deep green foliage trees in both fully shade and sunny positions. To my surprise, they tend to tolerate both conditions well. The key thing to keep in mind is watering. Yew, however, as most of the garden plants do not prefer waterlogged or wet sites, because they tend to develop fungal infestations.
Taxus baccata is happy in well-drained soil and thrives well in all soil types, chalks, and clays that are acidic. Yew grown as topiary and bonsai needs a balanced composition of garden soil, compost, sand, and organic matter that offers free drainage.
For Yew, in bonsai containers, I prepared a growing mixture with garden soil, organic compost, and sand mixed at a 2:1:1 ratio, respectively. General rules to choose the ideal size of bonsai containers for yew trees are pot length should be 2/3 of the tree’s height, the breadth proportional to the trunk, depth equal to the diameter of the trunk.
How to care Taxus baccata
Yew are naturally hardy in nature in temperate areas. Move plants to areas free from frost or to a shed if the temperature drops below-5°C. For the yew hedges in the ground, insulation to their root system is a must; practice mulching with an organic compost layer of 5-7 cm.
The best time for planting Taxus baccata is early Spring or Autumn. Repotting of young yews should be every 2-3 years, and for older ones, every 3-4 years. They can grow in most soil types, including chalk and clay, and thrive in all but the most acidic of soils.
Regular thorough watering throughout the growing season, facilitated by good drainage, helps prevent root rot. Also, watering deeply before the ground reaches freezing temperature helps them survive the cold period, which should be done before mulching the root base.
Pruning should be in spring or autumn. Yew hedges can be trimmed once a year in August, although they are slow-growing. Cutting of the secondary shoots back to a tuft of needles and pinching of the growing tips of new shoots on Potted yews is carried out between spring and autumn.
In early spring, we can apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer for yews grown in pots. For the well-established yew hedges, feeding is not required. However, yew hedges that have been pruned heavily. Mulching with 2-3 inches of well-rotted organic manure or compost around the base of the plant is essential to replenish the soil and support new growth.
Yellowing of the leaves in spring can occur due to nitrogen deficiency. Apply a high-nitrogen content feed. Scale insects can attack old leaves, which can be controlled by spraying insecticidal soap and horticultural oil. Biological control can be carried out by preserving ladybird beetles, lacewings, which are their natural predators. For Aphids feeding on young leaves, water jetting and some systemic insecticides are helpful.