Big Yew chopped

[ChrisV]

This is an other project I like to share with you guys.
I bought this yew as practice for my Demo, because it looked quite similar.
When it arrived it was huge. Over a meter tall. (over 40 inch).
When I first styled it I used the whole tree. However the lack of taper was the problem.
It had foliage close to the base and in the top.
With making deadwood it wasn't easy getting taper in it so I decided to chop it down.

Now only the lower foliage is used from the two bigger branches.
Life veins are created, however the biggest living part feeding the branches is at the back of the tree. So there is virtually no risk in making shari in the front.
I started carving the deadwood roughly.
This winter and next season the weather can do the rest. Also no lime sulfur is applied because it helps the aging process go faster.

Next fall the deadwood will be more refined as I hope the tree will be more filled out by that time so it can go on exhibit in 2016.
it is now 17inch high (45cm) and the trunk is about 6.5inch (16cm) thick at the base.

Im sorry for the bad light in the picture it get's dark very early here.
I will post better ones later.

 

[DhD47]

That's nice looking. I just picked up a yew at the garden center. It was half price so I couldn't pass it up. The yew also had a nice start on a single trunk so I liked that.
D

 

[Paulpash]

You've done a lot with very little - well done.

A few questions if you don't mind:

You say the live veins are at the back that feed most of the foliage. How do you know?

Thank you for a great blog

 

[ChrisV]

Thanks,

With a lot of conifers like yews and Junipers it is easy to see which branch get's fed with with part of the root system by following it down to the base.
The life parts that contains the sap flow are usually a lot thicker especially with older trees.
You can clearly see them.

 

[Giga]

i like it, very nice

 

[Paradox]

Nice job.


15 char

 

[Vin]

Im sorry for the bad light in the picture it get's dark very early here.

Don't yews bud on wood even without bark? Well, the real reason for the comment is I spent seven years in England. I remember it getting dark there around 3:30 in the afternoon this time of year. It was quite difficult to get much done after work.

 

[ChrisV]

Hey Vin,

I've never seen them Bud on wood without bark. But with bark they can get buds everywhere.
That is one of the great things about Yews as bonsai.

And Yess the darkness... Pfff can't wait till spring kicks in again.
It is no fun going to work in the dark and getting back home when it's dark again.

Imagine how things are in te cold north with almost no sunlight in the winter.

 

[Vin]

I'm not sure how or even if Podocarpus macrophylla and Yews are linked but there is a gentlemen in my club who has one that is budding all over a branch that was stripped of its bark. I'll have to research this one.

 

[Bunjeh]

!!!

I am extremely impressed.