Small Taxus Bacatta First Repot

just.wing.it

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I picked up this yew last summer. Only thinned it out and pulled a couple branches outward with wire...
This was one of the 2 small yews that I left out in the bench all winter, no protection at all.
I decided to go hard on the roots for a few reasons...I want to see what I can get away with, the roots were a mess, and I'm not trying to waste time with partial repotting on my landscape nursery stuff....it's straight into good substrate or die!!!
This root reduction is the most sever that I've done to a yew so far...
 

just.wing.it

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Not sure what direction I'm gonna be taking this one yet, just experimenting....seeing how tough these things are.
 

_#1_

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Wow leaving it with almost no roots! Brave move man. Was it really healthy before today's surgery?
 

just.wing.it

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Wow leaving it with almost no roots! Brave move man. Was it really healthy before today's surgery?
Yeah, it's got a bunch of buds ready to open soon. We'll see how it does, I'll keep it updated here!
Grew well last year, and braved the winter on the bench, so I think so.
 
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cbroad

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Hahaha holy shit, you're brave!!! Think you should put a clear bag over it to keep the humidity up?
 

just.wing.it

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Hahaha holy shit, you're brave!!! Think you should put a clear bag over it to keep the humidity up?
Not a bad idea... maybe I'll try to rig something up..
I basically treated it like I treat my deciduous trees on the first go 'round....
Hope it hangs in there...
If it does, I'll have a good, small, stable rootball to move forward with...I'm going to let it run this year, and do a spring trim this time next year, and let it run agian.
At this point with my Taxus experience, I'm safely saying that 2 years is the minimum time for recovery from the first bare rooting job (on a nursery plant, that is...and my colected hedge row yew showed strong growth on year 2 after collection).

Fingers crossed!
 

just.wing.it

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I have 2 larger ones that I bare rooted last year and put in big ceramic flower pots last year...
They hung in there and grew well last year, so this year I'm expecting aggressive growth from them, and depending on how it looks, I can wire this summer or fall.... probably best case would be to wait to wire till this time next year.

I've found that spring wiring of last year's growth will set by winter, but if do wiring in fall or winter, it needs to stay for the whole next growing season.

Edit:
Also, wiring the new growth later in spring will set by winter too.
 

just.wing.it

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Hahaha holy shit, you're brave!!! Think you should put a clear bag over it to keep the humidity up?
KIMG0394.JPG
Been raining since I butchered the roots. Finally I got some time to rig a bag on it. I think I'll wrap a thin wire around the pot so the bag won't blow away...
 

cbroad

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Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!

I have zero experience with taxus bonsai (I actually barely have any conifers) but I just thought with such a hard root prune that the humidity tent would help alleviate some transpiration stress.

I'm sure you know to keep it out of direct sun with the bag on, or at least sheltered from afternoon sun. If it was me, I'd throw that bad bitch under a bench or a bush for a couple weeks.

Awesome stuff!
 

just.wing.it

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Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!

I have zero experience with taxus bonsai (I actually barely have any conifers) but I just thought with such a hard root prune that the humidity tent would help alleviate some transpiration stress.

I'm sure you know to keep it out of direct sun with the bag on, or at least sheltered from afternoon sun. If it was me, I'd throw that bad bitch under a bench or a bush for a couple weeks.

Awesome stuff!
Thanks!
I might just do that... In it's current spot, it gets some morning light through tree branches, shade from noon on.
And I think you're right, a little extra humidity can't hurt after that surgery.
 

A. Gorilla

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That's some nice back budding. I have a freshly dug yew, and I'd be thrilled to see half of that next year.
 

_#1_

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NIIIIIICE!!! Great job with the aftercare @just.wing.it ! Is the mix lava, pumice, sphagnum? Equal parts?

So yews can take drastic root work after all!

This is exciting :D
 

just.wing.it

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Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!

I have zero experience with taxus bonsai (I actually barely have any conifers) but I just thought with such a hard root prune that the humidity tent would help alleviate some transpiration stress.

I'm sure you know to keep it out of direct sun with the bag on, or at least sheltered from afternoon sun. If it was me, I'd throw that bad bitch under a bench or a bush for a couple weeks.

Awesome stuff!
In your experience, how long would you leave a small plant tented for?

Today makes 33 days, I think, and buds are opening...
I removed the bag this morning, since it's overcast and damp out, and gave it a little fish fert....

I'll snap a picture or 2 in a few minutes...
 

just.wing.it

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In your experience, how long would you leave a small plant tented for?

Today makes 33 days, I think, and buds are opening...
I removed the bag this morning, since it's overcast and damp out, and gave it a little fish fert....

I'll snap a picture or 2 in a few minutes...
KIMG0776.JPGKIMG0775.JPGKIMG0773.JPG
 

cbroad

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In your experience, how long would you leave a small plant tented for?
I don't have much experience with taxus, but I would say at least 30 days. I guess it depends on how it's doing... Looks to be putting out some decent growth, but if it was me I might leave it for another month.
 

cbroad

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Maybe start giving it more light now but keep it tented. I don't really know, maybe it would be fine to keep the tent off
 
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