Yew (Taxus) is a slow-growing coniferous tree or shrub from the Yew family. The genus has eight plant species, three of which are found in Asia, four in the northern part of the American continent, and one in Africa and Europe. A feature of the yew tree is its high decorativeness, which is used by landscape designers for landscaping land plots and home gardens. Yew is very rare in its natural environment.
Yew tree description
The yew tree listed in the Red Book consists of a powerful trunk over 20 m high and about 4 m thick, covered with a scaly bark of a red-brown hue. The height of the shrub species of this culture reaches 10 m. The crown can be neat ovoid or cylindrical, but most often it consists of several peaks. On numerous shoots, there are flat needles of a dark green color, soft and pleasant to the touch, and on female plants there are also red fruits - berries.
The wood of this coniferous plant is considered very valuable, strong and of high quality due to its unusual hardness and content in its composition of a large number of phytoncides, which protect the home and its inhabitants from various infections. That is why the plant was used in the construction of houses and furniture, and the people called it "nogo-tree". Nowadays, the yew is under state protection. In garden culture, the coniferous long-liver is very popular and in demand, as it can become a real decoration of the garden and take its rightful place in any area. It is important to know that in shade-tolerant and unpretentious yew, absolutely all parts contain toxic substances.
Planting yew in open ground
When to plant yew
Planting time depends on the existing climatic conditions and the type of seedling purchased. The most favorable period is from August 20 to October 31. In regions with a cold climate, it is recommended to plant yew in a sunny area at the end of the summer season or in the first week of autumn. The same applies to seedlings with an open root system. For young plants with a closed root system and in warm climates, planting can be carried out in mid-September - October or during the entire growing season.
The planting site of a young tree should not be exposed to cold gusts of wind and drafts, especially in the first 2 years.
Yew can grow on fertile and poor soil, but for full development it is necessary to provide it with a light and well-drained soil mixture containing all useful components. An excellent soil will be a mixture consisting of leafy or soddy soil (3 parts), river coarse sand (2 parts), peat (2 parts). It is not recommended to choose an area with excessive moisture and high acidity levels.
Features of planting yew
When planting several plants (for example, for growing a hedge), a trench 60-70 cm deep is prepared.For one seedling, a planting pit is used with a depth of about 70 cm, and the width should be greater than the earthen coma (by about 15-20 cm). The interval in the hedge is 50-70 cm, with a normal planting - not less than 1.5-2 m between two seedlings.
At the bottom of the planting pit, a drainage layer about 20 cm thick must be present. You can use broken brick, crushed stone or coarse river sand. It is recommended to mix fertile soil from the pit with any mineral dressing (for example, Kemira-wagon or Nitroammofosk).
A seedling with a damp earthy clod is placed in a planting hole and covered with a nutritious soil mixture, after which the earth is slightly compacted. The root collar must remain at the level of the soil surface.
The first abundant watering is carried out immediately after planting. The soil in the near-trunk circle must be covered with a mulch layer, which will consist of peat or rotted compost.
Yew Garden Care
All caring for the yew tree does not present any difficulties and does not take up a lot of free time. Even a beginner in gardening can handle it.
Watering
Regular and abundant soil moisture in the near-trunk circles (once every thirty days) is necessary only for young trees and shrubs in the first three years after planting. Each crop will require about 1-2 buckets of water. Starting from the fourth year, the plants are considered adults and are able to cope with the lack of moisture on their own with the help of natural precipitation and their powerful root system, which goes deep into the ground. In dry and very hot periods, water procedures in the form of sprinkling the crown can make life easier for plants.
The soil
After moistening the soil, weeds are removed and deep loosening is carried out, approximately 10-15 cm in depth. In the first three years, these procedures are especially important for plants, since they need oxygen, which can only penetrate to the roots through light soil.
Weed control allows not only to remove harmful plants, but also fights against harmful insects that inhabit them. To save time, it is recommended to cover the ground in the trunk circle with a ten-centimeter layer of sawdust, pine needles or peat.
Top dressing and fertilizers
Complex mineral fertilizers are required for crops regularly once a year. For each square meter of garden area, it is recommended to add 100 g of Kemira-wagon or 70 g of Nitroammofoska.
Pruning
The first sanitary or formative pruning will only be needed from the third or fourth year after planting. Experienced gardeners advise cutting off no more than one third of the shoots to form a crown, but damaged or dead branches must be cut off completely. The best time for pruning is the first days of April.
Transfer
The process of transplanting and planting a seedling is identical. A favorable time for transplanting is the second half of spring, when the ground in the garden area warms up well. After the completion of the process, the plants are watered and mulched.
Yew in winter
The end of leaf fall is the beginning of autumn preventive measures. Spraying with a fungicide solution will protect the adult yew from the appearance of pests and diseases. Young crops, namely their near-stem circles, should be covered with a layer of dry foliage or peat about seven centimeters thick.
In regions with severe frosts and a small amount of snow, it is recommended to wrap the yew for the winter with lutrasil or other covering material. The covering material is applied to a pre-prepared metal frame located above the plants. Experienced gardeners do not advise using burlap, roofing felt and plastic wrap for these purposes.
Diseases and pests
As a preventive measure, it is recommended to annually treat the plant and the trunk circle with special disinfecting solutions (for example, Nitrafen or Karbofos). To combat pests that have already appeared (for example, gall midges, yew scutes, pine scoop, spruce leaf roll), it is necessary to use Rogor.Spraying with this solution should be carried out 2 times with an interval of 10-12 days.
Signs of the presence of harmful insects on the yew are the appearance of yellow needles and dry branches, as well as the falling of needles and shoots.
The causes of the appearance of such diseases as fusarium, phomosis, brown shute, necrosis are mechanical damage to the surface of the trunk and shoots, clay and wetlands for growing plants, lack of drainage. Control methods - treatment with biofungicides and spraying with solutions containing copper in spring and autumn.
Reproduction of yew
Seed propagation
This method is rather troublesome and laborious and is mainly used for breeding new varieties of plants. Seed material retains its qualities for four years. It is best to sow the seeds immediately after harvesting in the fall. To maintain high germination during spring planting, the seeds after harvesting must be kept for 6 months in cool conditions with a temperature of 3-5 degrees Celsius. In March, the seed is sown, covered with polyethylene and germinated for 50-60 days in greenhouse conditions. Without stratification of seedlings, you will have to wait two years.
Propagation by cuttings
Cuttings are cut from shoots at the age of 3-5 years. The average length is 15-20 cm. On the lower part of them, you need to remove the needles and lower the cutting into a solution with a growth stimulator. Planting is carried out in a sand-peat substrate in autumn or spring and left until its own root system appears (for about 3-4 months), after which it is transplanted to a permanent place (if the cutting was in a box or greenhouse). For the winter period, young crops will need shelter.
Types and varieties of yew
Yew Canadian - winter-hardy recumbent tree, varieties - Aurea, Pyramidalis.
Pointed yew - reaches 20 m in height, varieties - Nana, Minima, Farmen, Kapitata.
Short-leaved yew - grows up to 25 m in height.
Yew berry - its varieties Erekta, Nissens Corona.
Medium yew - resistant to frost and drought, varieties - Sabian, Ward, Grandifolia.
