Yew air layer question.

[Javaman4373]

In a previous thread I described making an air layer from a large yew in our landscape. After two growing seasons I separated the air layer, screwed a board to the stump to help stabilize it and put it in a pot with sphagnum moss. I secured the ball of moss with some burlap fabric trying to not damage any roots and packed around that with additional moss. I over wintered the tree in a basement with temps of 50-55 F under some lights. In the past month, the branches produced abundant flowers, which have now fallen off. Perhaps the stress of the air layering pushed the plant to flower, just a guess. There seems to be some buds on the branches and the color of the foliage is a healthy looking green. In fact it looks better than the parent plant that was outside for the winter. See: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/h...from-a-yew-questions.44866/page-3#post-869671

I plan to put the tree outside as soon as the danger of freezing temperatures is past. My question is: would it be better to carefully remove some of the moss and add bonsai soil all around the outside of the whatever roots that are developing? My concern is that overly damp moss might lead to root rot.

 

[Javaman4373]

Not reading any advice here from the more experienced with yew air layering, I followed my instinct, and removed some of the sphagnum moss. There were some fragile white roots underneath, and I replaced that upper moss with some bonsai soil. My thoughts were a good draining and airy soil may help prevent root rot from too much moisture. Seeing those new roots is encouraging.

 

[Javaman4373]

The heavy amount of flowering on this tree is over and new buds are starting to grow. I have started to carve the stumps. Otherwise, I think I need to leave the foliage alone for now so that it can push root growth as the weather warms and the tree gets more sun. Here are two views, front and back. I suspect the back side might become the front when the foliage can be worked better to expose the trunk. For now, it needs to just grow and make roots.

 

[LittleTreeFellah]

Hello...

I've caught your thread a bit late, but I think I'm maybe in a similar position so I have appreciated your updates on it.

I'm in the UK. I've got a self-seeded yew growing all tangled in a confined space between a fence and a big copper beech. I had a go at seeing if I could dig it out but our soil, the beech and the access meant I abandoned it. So I figured I'd have a go layering it off... its been 4-5months now. I was wondering about planning ahead and when to chop it off. Basically balancing it having time to root versus the airlayer getting cold over winter, and which is least bad...

What would anyone think? I know very little about anything, so keen for more learned opinion!

Thanks
Andy

 

[Javaman4373]

My experience with air layering a yew, as noted above is that it took 2 years to get roots. That was in our 5b climate zone with quite cold winters. I wrapped the moss at the air layer with clear plastic and on top of that a layer of black plastic. I peeked at the end of the first growing season and didn't see any roots, just some callous forming. Hence I went a second growing season and that fall new roots were visible, so I separated it then. Since then it has gone from its first pot to a grow box and finally this year to a bonsai pot. I had some die back of the top, which I converted to dead wood. It seems quite healthy now and put out a lot of new growth this season. I did have one set back, I moved the tree from the basement to the outside in late April and that spring we had an unusual cold snap on May 18th where the temp went into the 20s and a lot of the new growth on the tree got frost damaged. It recovered but I lost some foliage and small branches that are now dead wood. Last winter it was in the grow box and I put it outside in a sheltered spot with some loose hay mulch around it and it did fine. We had temps as low as 0 degrees F. Here is what it looks like now.

 

[LittleTreeFellah]

Wow, looking great!

Thank you for the update and advice. I shall leave it merrily ticking over for the winter and wrap it up as best I can.

 

[Javaman4373]

If your winter is very cold, wrap it on the outside with bubble wrap for some insulation.