Taxus Media

[MattB]

Got around to taking a few pictures of my Sam's club Yew last night after spraying my diseased elm. Not sure if I have posted this tree on here, so one picture is the original tree after it sat neglected for 2-3 years in its pot. Other two are from last night.

I really enjoy this tree. It is extremely hardy, back buds well, and seems to take any abuse I can give it. This yew has larger foliage than alot of English yews I see. Hopefully, this variety reduces a bit. If not, I still like the looks of it.

Looking for any advice that anyone has as to what to do next. I plan on doing a small bit more on reducing some of the branches that are out of place. I also need to figure out how to wire this, but that will be down the road a bit. The awkward looking jins are probably going to be reduced quite a bit or removed...they were mainly for me to learn how to jin.

 

[october]

Very nice material matt.. I have been working with a very similar looking taxus for the last 4 years.. I think the best thing for the tree, now that it was cut, is to let it grow out completely. Actually letting it get real strong and revert back to a bush. Then you can reduce and style. If it helps, here is the progression of my yew. The last pic is the tree from last season. It has grown quite a bit since last year. Also, notice the huge amount of growth in one season between pics 2 and 3.

Rob

 

[MattB]

Update

Spent the year letting this tree strengthen, nothing done but feed and water it. Next spring I may repot and select the primary branches.

 

[JudyB]

Taxus are always so boring to look at until they are worked. But then they can be so good. It must be like archeology finding the tree inside the bush. Yours has a nice trunk to start with already.
And it looks so healthy.

 

[fore]

Cool yew Rob!

Nice growth Matt, looks very happy. Look forward to watching your progress.
One thing you may want to play around with if you ever want to have a jin, but it's straight/boring. This will work with live branches only. You can strip it of bark, then apply wire and bend. Sometimes it leaves wire marks after it's set, but I just use sand paper. But in the end, I'll get a cool looking jin out of something that was otherwise unremarkable. Hope I'm not telling you something you already know

 

[MattB]

Here is an update on this tree. This spring we took it out of its huge pot and cut back its roots. I spent about 15-30minutes on it before realizing I was going nowhere. Decided to take the chance and saw it back to about a third of the rootball and start from there. Put it in its new pot and opened up the foliage a bit.

Looks like it's survived so far. As you can see it is still pretty cluttered, but I'm slowly learning to keep it alive and growing strongly.




Today:



Crappy Iphone 3 pictures

 

[october]

This looks great!

Rob

 

[MattB]

Rob,

I've still got some big decisions to do with the top of the tree, but the bottom branches are pretty much set. I'm curious, do you have any advice on pinching yews properly? As you can see, it is already getting pretty leggy this spring.

 

[Poink88]

Nice and wonderful initial styling. I really like it.

 

[october]

Rob,

I've still got some big decisions to do with the top of the tree, but the bottom branches are pretty much set. I'm curious, do you have any advice on pinching yews properly? As you can see, it is already getting pretty leggy this spring.

The situation now is actually planning the step after the next or 2 steps ahead. You have excellent branch placement and plenty of options. In my opinion, I would let the tree grow wild for maybe a half season or a whole season. Then, pic your final branches, at which point, the branches will have matured. After the main branches are picked, they should bud all over the branches, now, you can cut back to a bud or young foliage. Now, when that bud/buds extends, you will have nicely tapered mature branches.

As far as pinching, I would not really worry about it this season. After the main branches are in place and the tree has created young secondary branches. Then you can think about pinching. For this season and into next, it will be mostly waiting and cutting. When it is time to pinch, just let the new bud extend, maybe an inch or more. Just don't let it harden off. Then just hold the base and pull/twist off the tip. It will all fall into place when you do it.

With my yew, the tree actually guided me. The tree would grow well, every year it seemed like different and better options were presented. Better branch placement, creating a taller tree and just an overall better image. Your tree may look quite different in the next 4-5 years.

Your tree has great potential. Down the road with a little carving, I do see an exhibition quality shohin here.

Rob