A collected Yew

Evrine

Seedling
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The bonsai group that I'm a part of organized a collection trip to a semi-abandoned nursery this weekend. I got myself a yew. Not sure if it is a Taxus cuspidata or Taxus brevifolia, but they were the two planted there 40 years ago so it's one of those. I found this one overgrown with grass and weeds and missed it on way to look at some smaller ones that weren't as overgrown. Digging it up was easy as it was in heavy clay soil that had stunted it's growth and the roots were all shallow, but that also made it very heavy to get back to my car (even after removing some of the soil). I removed most of the soil when repotted since I knew that soil wasn't going to help it as it has been in it for 40 years and has very little roots to show for it. Only removed a few roots to get it in the container and that were stick out of the soil. I plan on letting it grow for at least a few years now before work on it. It needs roots the most. It has buds all over it and I'm sure it will get more as it gain some vigor in the new soil over the years. I have some idea of maybe what to do with it, but I sure the thickest part of it going up will need to be chopped back or removed as it is almost completely straight with no taper. Not sure what to do with that part at the moment. It is the part I'm struggling with the most, but I do know that the top of it may have to come off to get it in my car in the fall as it was leaned to the side to get it home. Just thought I'd share it and see what others might think.
 

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just.wing.it

Deadwood Head
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I'd cut back the branches further and put it in the shade this year to recover....it will need a couple years to recover.
 

Forsoothe!

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The need to keep it out of direct sun can't be overstated.
 

Potawatomi13

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Location location, location. Add location to profile please.
 

Evrine

Seedling
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Well I looked at it for a few days I decided to cut some more back. The top was cut back because I didn't like the largest branch/trunk, still not sure about it. Think it is to big. The smaller one next to it was shortened, but has a damage on the and is missing a larger section of bark. I totally removed two parallel branch that would have been pointing straight at the viewer as I didn't like there position. The rest I would cut back more perhaps, but I'm leaning toward a design where one or two of those tips could be jins going up above the future apex, so I want that option. One is already dead at the end.
 

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Forsoothe!

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It was a mistake to remove as much foliage as is missing.
 

Evrine

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I didn't remove any foliage. Just the one branch. This yew didn't have a ton of foliage as it had been planted 40 years ago in some heavy clay soil that it didn't like. There were many around it that had already died. This may still died, but would have died where it was most likely. What is alive looks much better then when I dug it up, so I think it has a good chance.
 

Forsoothe!

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Like drawing 3 cards to an inside straight...
 

Evrine

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Well here is my Yew a year later. It survived the winter with all the live foliage it had at the end of the summer. A lot of that foliage was already weak from where it yew had been growing since the 70's, very thick clay. Last year therr were only a few new light green buds, this year almost every live branch tip has a one as you maybe able to see in the picture I attached. I will leave this at least another year with no work other then may working on the deadwood. I want to use some of the deadwood in a future design, so I figure I can start some work on that if nothing else but a little practice as it can be removed if I don't like it. This yew looks much healthier then when I dug it up last year, and probably would have eventually ended up dead as others around it had ended up already.20200515_161431[1].jpg
 
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