The Garden Continuum demonstrates how to prune a yew through selective pruning. For more How to videos checkout our blog: www.thegardencontinuum.com/blog/
This is good news. All my life I've looked at these shrubs in various settings and have seldom seen them look right. Yews are naturally beautiful and should be treated as such. Anyone interested in gardening or landscaping can learn from this! One suggestion, when you show the end result, please pan the camera back so we can see how the lower half of the yews look when they've all been pruned as a hedge. Thanks so much for posting!
Any time Cathy. Hope you'll subscribe to our blog for more gardening how-tos. www.thegardencontinuum.com/blog What's your biggest garden frustration? Let us know and we'll get an answer into the rotation!
Before I did any research, I unfortunately sheared two of the Japanese yews and a boxwood shrub I inherited from a previous owner. It’s currently spring. All were encroaching in walkways and were too close to the house so I sheared the walkway sides, foundation sides, and cut back the new growth. They’re all Woody inside. If I make selective cuts in the top, can they be saved?
We have an upright yew which is approximately 8 feet tall - we love it and are wondering if we can prune it to make it look more like a tree. Prune some of the central leaders? I have seen some beautiful yews which look like trees - they are probably more than 50 years old.
Our yew grew wildly. I have watch your video. I looked inside the Yew but there were no small branches to remove they were all 1 inch in thickness. Do you hire out? I would love to have someone prune it so I can watch and do it on my own after that. Thank you very very much.
Hello. I have a yew shrub that is about 6'-7' tall. I want to cut it down to about 4'. I know I end up with sticks on the top. My question is that would it grow new leaves on the top or is it going to stay bald on the top. Thanks.
I went from watching a Car review of the Nissan GTR to watching a take off of a 787 to watching a video on how to prune a yew... Thats enough UA-cam for the night.
We bought the property 16yrs ago. The yew shrubs 16 yrs later are no taller, but much wider. They are about 5ft wide and 2ft tall now. They look like a very big green hockey puck! Any advice! I want them smaller. Ron from Minnesota
This was a very helpful video. I wish I'd understood years ago how to properly prune the yews on my property. I was mauling them year after year...several look like they're too far gone to come back now that I've been giving them a rest and haven't pruned them for 10mos.+
Maybe give them the spring. Make sure they are well watered going into winter - hydration is key. Then maybe you'll be surprised to see budding along what you thought were bare stems.
GardenContinuumINC will do. one for sure will have to come out but I have a replacement yew for it already. The others are bearing fruit for first time in forever since I stopped murdering them lol
Hello...I'm hoping you can help. I planted a hedge of yews last fall (they were about 3 feet at the time of planting), protected them under burlap over the winter, and since the spring they've been dropping brown needles from the centre of the trees. The outer branches have shown new growth. Given how dry it is has been this summer, I believe it may be to draught so I will attempt to water them more and see if that helps. Does that sound like a good idea? As for the pruning, should I go into the centre of the trees and remove the branches with the brown needles? Thank you.
Hey Cathy, First and foremost, needle drop from the center of the plant is okay. The yews will naturally shed old needles - 3rd year or older - from the interior. If this is happening evenly, then this is a natural aging response. And yes, drought and dehydration will increase this drop, because the plant is conserving resources to keep the outer needles and buds hydrated. So your plan to water is spot on. Do check the soil weekly - dig little test holes between the plants in the hedge to determine if the soil is truly absorbing the water. Be sure the water isn't just running off at the base, but soaking in. Now, if there are dead branches interior to tip, you may have something more going on, but it doesn't sound like it by your description. You can prune out a fully dead branch if gone, but you may also grab hold and strip it of the dead needles and then wait through a few months of hydration and see what happens. Down low you may see new buds forming on the wood which may still be live. Never be too quick to prune. Yews are amazing plants that will regenerate growth on old wood if given the time, water and light to do so. Hope this helps. Best of luck with your hedge! Monique
Your instructions are great! My problem is a received a yew tree in a container which was shaped into 3 balls. We have had extreme heat recently, an thought I am watering the tree, the tops turned brown and have died and it has thinned out! I have never had a yew tree so I would like to know how to save it? Can you help me and tell me what to do!
My first concern is that the tree went into shock when planting. Second is that the plant was/is pot bound and not uptaking water effectively. Did you plant it in the ground or in a planter? If in a planter, move it to a shadier location for a spell. If you didn’t scratch up and open the root structure, you may need to do that. Then while the hole is open - flood it with water. Let the yew soak for 24 hours. Then hopefully the hole drains properly and you can replant. Yews are resilient, so it may recover fully.
Hello! I inherited some very overgrown Yews that are located in the front of a home I bought. I'd REALLY like to take a hedger to it and cut it back and also raise the canopy of it (some have grown quite close to the ground!) but it appears that the previous owner attempted to cut one of the bushes back and what's left are twigs! Lot's and lots of twigs that will not (have not) regrown green Yew foliage! I notice that if I part the Yew's, the foliage is only a few inches into the plant and then naked limbs are attached. So to me, that give me the indication that I'm stuck with overgrown bushes or twigs should I decide to cut it back (and a few have grown slightly into the walkway which grazes people as they walk towards the front door! Not good!) So, am I doomed? Can these bushes not be cut back without leaving leafless limbs/twigs? And as for raising the canopy of the hedge, is that even possible? I can't even SEE the limb structure!
As mentioned in response to some of the other questions like your's, the thing about Yews (the genus Taxus) is that while they take to restoration and downsizing in increment over time and in the sun with good hydration and health soils....that's just it...they need all those things. So if the plant is in poor shape, in the shade, competing with other plants (trees) and not well hydrated, then renovation is hard to impossible. In order for the old wood to sprout new growth, it needs all of the above resources at its disposal to consume while restoring life to old limbs. Given what you've mentioned here - your yews may be doomed in the spaces where they are so big that they encroach on the walkway.
Your video was helpful but today our lawn service pruned our 2 yews. They look awful and like two big pods. They did a great job on the hedges but I hate the 2 trees and didn't know what my options are now?? Can I forward you a pic?
Yews are super tough and can be cut back anytime to any point where there is green growth. Most of next years growth, though, will be vertical so don’t go overboard on the side branches. The plant might take a long time to fill out again. I just removed mine as no amount of trimming could make it look good.
i wish more ppl knew more about the services they pay for. Ppl pay cheap contractors to ruin their landscape, then expensive ones to fix it. i love a good yew
Hey James - not with great success no. At 15 feet tall this plant is mostly wood on the inside - to bring it to 7.5 feet will leave you with clubbed ends and an unattractive plant. You can start pruning now and remove about 2 feet (if possible) and then let it grow for a year. Open "holes" in the top to let light inside. Water faithfully, and if you are lucky and the plant is healthy, you will get growth in the inside of the plant. Nurture that and maybe in two years or so you can take another two feet. This is why pruning is so important to start early in the plant's life, so it doesn't out grow the space you want it to live in.
What do I do if the insides have no needles? Mine look great on the outside, but the green is only on the outer few inches. Currently large ball shape.
If you're looking to renovate a previously sheered yew, you'll have to "poke holes" in the tight canopy to allow light into the inner branching. The great thing about this plant is it will sprout new growth on old wood. It needs sunlight and adequate watering and soil fertility to do so. The pruning of these "holes" to allow light in gets the sun part handled. You can give additional water, and add compost to the soil for the rest.
The white coating on the underside is actually a mildew. A yew with mildew needs to be pruned for air circulation. The way to get a healthy plant is to prune for air circulation. Cut some windows into the core of the plant.
We have a yew that is tall and the branches are falling out from the center. Like petals of a blooming flower. It is looking very disheveled! What the heck do I do with that? I have secured them together with a strap, but if I take it off they will just flop open. It is super healthy but just looks unruly! Sad thing is it is on our walk way so I really need to do something with it! Help!
@@HergyBear78 Just kept the strap on it. It’s the only thing that keeps it together. Funny thing is I was just thinking I need to trim it up and was going to watch this video again!
I'm in the process of buying a house. The yews are sheared and look like meatballs about four feet high. I want them to look like these in your video. How do I start ?
OK - I'll start with a disclaimer - if these are old plants that have been sheered forever - a grow-out might not be possible. A rip out will make more sense. If they are still relatively young and have good light to grow in...here's the plan. Give them a year - let them grow out. They'll start to look goofy - all pokey but you need to go through this stage. Like growing out a bad haircut. Then once those pokies are all sticking up - you have something to work with. And when I mean let them grow - I mean that. Like NO TOUCH for 12 to 18 months. When ready to prune - make some "holes" - yes holes - in that tight canopy to let the light in. Shape - to ensure that the base is wider than the top. leave some of that new height in play to start to open up the shape. Then...water...maybe compost and or fertilize and water... Then give it another year to grow. REPEAT yearly for 3 years maybe more. You will start to see a big change in year three. Then, prune properly from here on out and you'll have nice loosely growing yews that are actually beautiful plants. It is a huge commitment - so be sure you have the patience, the light, the willingness to water through tough drought months. Yews are tough and can amaze you in how they rebound when given the time and space.
Hmmm, I think this wouldn't work well. While they may still live, it would be YEARS before they looked like anything. My advice - pull them and be done. Get what you really want in this space and with your new found pruning awareness, keep them in good shape and at the right size!
+urchickie ok looks like I have two choices. Not sure which I'll do, but I put "holes" in the yews at the house I'm renting now! Thanks for helping me😀
Hey Robert, The rule of thumb is that you can take off a quarter of the plant - assuming you have some greenery to leave behind. If the plant is very woody inside and doesn't have abundant sun and water, you may want to prune less. If the plant is really lushly overgrown (not sheered to death) you may be able to take it down as much as a third...that's about it.
I bought a Taxus x media Densiformis and have been wondering where to plant it...learned after that it is female with poisonous fruit. This information is not on the tag. I have 2 dogs so now I wish I never bought it. I could plant it far away from the house where the dogs don't go or give it away.
I don’t completely agree or disagree. I have yews on my property that are reaching 10 feet tall. The gorgeous bark is visible now and the plant commands a huge area. But… Taxus media is very easily hedged when clipped and shaped meticulously by hand. Sort of the same notion as a very good haircut. Now thoughtless shearing… that’s sacrilege. Garden on my friend!
I have trouble benefitting from this video. I think you made several cuts showing what not to do, and one cut showing what to do. But then it looks like you selectively did what you said not to do. ???? Don't take just the feather at the top? Cut down further? Then I see you just taking the feathers at the top? Are the people thinking they understand this not paying close attention? Show me once what I'm not supposed to do. Show me 5 times what I'm supposed to do.
Good question. The answer is that it’s the black seed inside the red fruit that can be toxic. I believe it is the origin of the chemical constituent found in the chemo drug Tamoxifen. But you won’t get harmed from pruning the plan. And you’d have to eat and crunch many of those seeds to do any damage. Still, I’d be careful to wash your hands after all gardening before eating.
This is good news. All my life I've looked at these shrubs in various settings and have seldom seen them look right. Yews are naturally beautiful and should be treated as such. Anyone interested in gardening or landscaping can learn from this! One suggestion, when you show the end result, please pan the camera back so we can see how the lower half of the yews look when they've all been pruned as a hedge. Thanks so much for posting!
thanks - great tip!
Thank you for the thorough answer! I appreciate the guidance and feedback.
Any time Cathy. Hope you'll subscribe to our blog for more gardening how-tos.
www.thegardencontinuum.com/blog
What's your biggest garden frustration?
Let us know and we'll get an answer into the rotation!
Before I did any research, I unfortunately sheared two of the Japanese yews and a boxwood shrub I inherited from a previous owner. It’s currently spring. All were encroaching in walkways and were too close to the house so I sheared the walkway sides, foundation sides, and cut back the new growth. They’re all Woody inside. If I make selective cuts in the top, can they be saved?
We have an upright yew which is approximately 8 feet tall - we love it and are wondering if we can prune it to make it look more like a tree. Prune some of the central leaders? I have seen some beautiful yews which look like trees - they are probably more than 50 years old.
Our yew grew wildly. I have watch your video. I looked inside the Yew but there were no small branches to remove they were all 1 inch in thickness. Do you hire out? I would love to have someone prune it so I can watch and do it on my own after that. Thank you very very much.
Hello. I have a yew shrub that is about 6'-7' tall. I want to cut it down to about 4'. I know I end up with sticks on the top. My question is that would it grow new leaves on the top or is it going to stay bald on the top. Thanks.
Thank you for showing the selective method. I see so many yew hedges cut vigorously, so that they turn brown during summer.
I went from watching a Car review of the Nissan GTR to watching a take off of a 787 to watching a video on how to prune a yew... Thats enough UA-cam for the night.
+Matt Jones Hahaha! Yes but if anyone ever asks you 'Hey do you know how to prune a yew? you'll be like 'Well...it just so happens!
Matt Jones I love UA-cam!
You plainly live your life on the edge!
YewTube: life on the hedge.
@shadoweaglebear agreed! thanks for watching!
We bought the property 16yrs ago. The yew shrubs 16 yrs later are no taller, but much wider. They are about 5ft wide and 2ft tall now. They look like a very big green hockey puck! Any advice! I want them smaller. Ron from Minnesota
This was a very helpful video. I wish I'd understood years ago how to properly prune the yews on my property. I was mauling them year after year...several look like they're too far gone to come back now that I've been giving them a rest and haven't pruned them for 10mos.+
Maybe give them the spring. Make sure they are well watered going into winter - hydration is key. Then maybe you'll be surprised to see budding along what you thought were bare stems.
GardenContinuumINC will do. one for sure will have to come out but I have a replacement yew for it already. The others are bearing fruit for first time in forever since I stopped murdering them lol
Hello...I'm hoping you can help. I planted a hedge of yews last fall (they were about 3 feet at the time of planting), protected them under burlap over the winter, and since the spring they've been dropping brown needles from the centre of the trees. The outer branches have shown new growth. Given how dry it is has been this summer, I believe it may be to draught so I will attempt to water them more and see if that helps. Does that sound like a good idea? As for the pruning, should I go into the centre of the trees and remove the branches with the brown needles? Thank you.
Hey Cathy, First and foremost, needle drop from the center of the plant is okay. The yews will naturally shed old needles - 3rd year or older - from the interior. If this is happening evenly, then this is a natural aging response.
And yes, drought and dehydration will increase this drop, because the plant is conserving resources to keep the outer needles and buds hydrated. So your plan to water is spot on. Do check the soil weekly - dig little test holes between the plants in the hedge to determine if the soil is truly absorbing the water. Be sure the water isn't just running off at the base, but soaking in.
Now, if there are dead branches interior to tip, you may have something more going on, but it doesn't sound like it by your description. You can prune out a fully dead branch if gone, but you may also grab hold and strip it of the dead needles and then wait through a few months of hydration and see what happens. Down low you may see new buds forming on the wood which may still be live. Never be too quick to prune. Yews are amazing plants that will regenerate growth on old wood if given the time, water and light to do so.
Hope this helps. Best of luck with your hedge!
Monique
Your instructions are great! My problem is a received a yew tree in a container which was shaped into 3 balls. We have had extreme heat recently, an thought I am watering the tree, the tops turned brown and have died and it has thinned out! I have never had a yew tree so I would like to know how to save it? Can you help me and tell me what to do!
My first concern is that the tree went into shock when planting. Second is that the plant was/is pot bound and not uptaking water effectively.
Did you plant it in the ground or in a planter?
If in a planter, move it to a shadier location for a spell.
If you didn’t scratch up and open the root structure, you may need to do that.
Then while the hole is open - flood it with water. Let the yew soak for 24 hours. Then hopefully the hole drains properly and you can replant.
Yews are resilient, so it may recover fully.
Hello! I inherited some very overgrown Yews that are located in the front of a home I bought. I'd REALLY like to take a hedger to it and cut it back and also raise the canopy of it (some have grown quite close to the ground!) but it appears that the previous owner attempted to cut one of the bushes back and what's left are twigs! Lot's and lots of twigs that will not (have not) regrown green Yew foliage! I notice that if I part the Yew's, the foliage is only a few inches into the plant and then naked limbs are attached. So to me, that give me the indication that I'm stuck with overgrown bushes or twigs should I decide to cut it back (and a few have grown slightly into the walkway which grazes people as they walk towards the front door! Not good!) So, am I doomed? Can these bushes not be cut back without leaving leafless limbs/twigs? And as for raising the canopy of the hedge, is that even possible? I can't even SEE the limb structure!
As mentioned in response to some of the other questions like your's, the thing about Yews (the genus Taxus) is that while they take to restoration and downsizing in increment over time and in the sun with good hydration and health soils....that's just it...they need all those things. So if the plant is in poor shape, in the shade, competing with other plants (trees) and not well hydrated, then renovation is hard to impossible. In order for the old wood to sprout new growth, it needs all of the above resources at its disposal to consume while restoring life to old limbs. Given what you've mentioned here - your yews may be doomed in the spaces where they are so big that they encroach on the walkway.
Your video was helpful but today our lawn service pruned our 2 yews. They look awful and like two big pods. They did a great job on the hedges but I hate the 2 trees and didn't know what my options are now?? Can I forward you a pic?
Hi everyone What type of yew is this?
I have a very overgrown sheared yew. How far can i cut it back and at what time of year. Im in Toronto so similar climate as MA
Yews are super tough and can be cut back anytime to any point where there is green growth. Most of next years growth, though, will be vertical so don’t go overboard on the side branches. The plant might take a long time to fill out again. I just removed mine as no amount of trimming could make it look good.
i wish more ppl knew more about the services they pay for. Ppl pay cheap contractors to ruin their landscape, then expensive ones to fix it. i love a good yew
I have a Yew tree that has never been trimmed.... its about 15 feet tall. Can I trim it back to half of that?
Hey James - not with great success no. At 15 feet tall this plant is mostly wood on the inside - to bring it to 7.5 feet will leave you with clubbed ends and an unattractive plant. You can start pruning now and remove about 2 feet (if possible) and then let it grow for a year. Open "holes" in the top to let light inside. Water faithfully, and if you are lucky and the plant is healthy, you will get growth in the inside of the plant. Nurture that and maybe in two years or so you can take another two feet. This is why pruning is so important to start early in the plant's life, so it doesn't out grow the space you want it to live in.
Actually its almost double that in height .... and there about 8" thick, sorry about the last info.
What do I do if the insides have no needles? Mine look great on the outside, but the green is only on the outer few inches. Currently large ball shape.
If you're looking to renovate a previously sheered yew, you'll have to "poke holes" in the tight canopy to allow light into the inner branching. The great thing about this plant is it will sprout new growth on old wood. It needs sunlight and adequate watering and soil fertility to do so. The pruning of these "holes" to allow light in gets the sun part handled. You can give additional water, and add compost to the soil for the rest.
The white coating on the underside is actually a mildew. A yew with mildew needs to be pruned for air circulation. The way to get a healthy plant is to prune for air circulation. Cut some windows into the core of the plant.
What type of yew is that?It's a beautiful shade of green.
Taxus media 'Hatfield' or 'Hetsii' not sure which cultivar this was, but definitely the upright species.
Just discovered these plants! I want to buy one, but I’ve read that they can grow up to 7 feet wide?! Is this true?
Only if your base is big and you let it grow out of control. But yes they are very bushy plants in the end
We have a yew that is tall and the branches are falling out from the center. Like petals of a blooming flower. It is looking very disheveled! What the heck do I do with that? I have secured them together with a strap, but if I take it off they will just flop open. It is super healthy but just looks unruly! Sad thing is it is on our walk way so I really need to do something with it! Help!
I recommend beating it to death with an axe. That’s what I did with mine. A chainsaw or sawzall works too. Let’s face it. It’s an ugly plant.
@@willaerley7140 hahahaha!
Mines doing the same thing, did you figure it out?
@@HergyBear78 Just kept the strap on it. It’s the only thing that keeps it together. Funny thing is I was just thinking I need to trim it up and was going to watch this video again!
I'm in the process of buying a house. The yews are sheared and look like meatballs about four feet high. I want them to look like these in your video. How do I start ?
OK - I'll start with a disclaimer - if these are old plants that have been sheered forever - a grow-out might not be possible. A rip out will make more sense.
If they are still relatively young and have good light to grow in...here's the plan.
Give them a year - let them grow out. They'll start to look goofy - all pokey but you need to go through this stage. Like growing out a bad haircut. Then once those pokies are all sticking up - you have something to work with. And when I mean let them grow - I mean that. Like NO TOUCH for 12 to 18 months.
When ready to prune - make some "holes" - yes holes - in that tight canopy to let the light in. Shape - to ensure that the base is wider than the top. leave some of that new height in play to start to open up the shape.
Then...water...maybe compost and or fertilize and water...
Then give it another year to grow. REPEAT yearly for 3 years maybe more. You will start to see a big change in year three. Then, prune properly from here on out and you'll have nice loosely growing yews that are actually beautiful plants. It is a huge commitment - so be sure you have the patience, the light, the willingness to water through tough drought months. Yews are tough and can amaze you in how they rebound when given the time and space.
+GardenContinuumINC I'm pretty sure there older. What if I cut them down a lot, like a foot above the ground. Would that kill it?
Hmmm, I think this wouldn't work well. While they may still live, it would be YEARS before they looked like anything. My advice - pull them and be done. Get what you really want in this space and with your new found pruning awareness, keep them in good shape and at the right size!
+urchickie ok looks like I have two choices. Not sure which I'll do, but I put "holes" in the yews at the house I'm renting now! Thanks for helping me😀
How low can you trim down overgrown neglected yews?
Hey Robert, The rule of thumb is that you can take off a quarter of the plant - assuming you have some greenery to leave behind. If the plant is very woody inside and doesn't have abundant sun and water, you may want to prune less. If the plant is really lushly overgrown (not sheered to death) you may be able to take it down as much as a third...that's about it.
I have to say if you look at rich people's estates there is a lot of very formal pruning.
Can you show how to do a topiary with yews
Hey Jimkor, I actually can't show you how to do topiary pruning. Not something I have skills in. Sorry!
yum
Hello, is that a Hicks Yew?
Patti McQ Hicks or Hatfield. I don’t remember which this was. Growth characteristics are the same.
I bought a Taxus x media Densiformis and have been wondering where to plant it...learned after that it is female with poisonous fruit. This information is not on the tag. I have 2 dogs so now I wish I never bought it. I could plant it far away from the house where the dogs don't go or give it away.
Oh come on...you mean you didn't lift up the lawn mower and whack the tops off....?? ha ha NICE JOB.
making hedge out of yew is sacrilege. Yews are too beautifull and their trunk is masterpiece, it should be exposed always
I don’t completely agree or disagree. I have yews on my property that are reaching 10 feet tall. The gorgeous bark is visible now and the plant commands a huge area. But… Taxus media is very easily hedged when clipped and shaped meticulously by hand. Sort of the same notion as a very good haircut. Now thoughtless shearing… that’s sacrilege. Garden on my friend!
err...i love prunes lolol
awsome man, toss those shears
That's WAYYY too much time pruning, I'll take a hedge trimmer approach :)
Nicholas Spinicelli great for you..not so great for yew
@@merricc6911 HAAAAH! nice
I only watched this to see that guy’s arms.
😂😂😂😂
Nice but looks better as a hedge. Sorry. lol
I have trouble benefitting from this video. I think you made several cuts showing what not to do, and one cut showing what to do. But then it looks like you selectively did what you said not to do. ???? Don't take just the feather at the top? Cut down further? Then I see you just taking the feathers at the top? Are the people thinking they understand this not paying close attention? Show me once what I'm not supposed to do. Show me 5 times what I'm supposed to do.
Don't you need to wear gloves while pruning yew? They are very toxic to humans.
Good question. The answer is that it’s the black seed inside the red fruit that can be toxic.
I believe it is the origin of the chemical constituent found in the chemo drug Tamoxifen. But you won’t get harmed from pruning the plan. And you’d have to eat and crunch many of those seeds to do any damage. Still, I’d be careful to wash your hands after all gardening before eating.