yew what ?

[donkey]

one of my gardening customers wants me to dig a yew tree out of her garden and wants it done before the end of january. This is a tree i have coveted for some time so i really want it to survive. what are the chances of its survival at this time of year and how best to increase chances of survival. I dont have to worry about the roots being frozen despite the weather due to the compost heap overspilling around it a couple of years ago. i have checked and despite the severe cold at the moment there is not a trace of frost around the tree thanks to fermentation. I have access to a poly tunnel would it help to put it in their after digging it up? or is this just a lost cause ? Also we usually get a short thaw around here between mid jan and mid feb

 

[Dav4]

If you can wait until late January instead of now to collect, I think that would be best. In either case, a frost free poly house would be ideal to house it until spring. Getting as much root as possible, then protecting the roots from freezing will be the key for you. Good luck,

Dave

 

[Bill S]

What Dav said, and it should be ok to do now, you could remove it from the ground and put it in a hole, and mulch it in well, then pot up in the spring, the poly cover should help, but don't let it get too warm.

 

[treebeard55]

One key to success will be disturb the roots as little as possible: better to take too big a root ball than too small. (You may need a helper to avoid a strained back -- seriously.) Wait until the buds start to swell before you do any root work, and I think it should be OK. Just baby it for the first year.

I did this recently with two large yews collected in October '09 from a hedge that was being removed. One rootball was so big it took 4 men to lift the yew into my car. But both trees have done fine this tear.

 

[Smoke]

You have a "GARDENING CUSTOMER" and your asking us???????

I'm probably not a worried as I would be if John Doe, Surgeon came here and asked which hemostat to use while doing a heart bypass.

 

[donkey]

You have a "GARDENING CUSTOMER" and your asking us???????

I'm probably not a worried as I would be if John Doe, Surgeon came here and asked which hemostat to use while doing a heart bypass.

Gardening is recently new to me as a proffesion though i'm confident with pruning, i'm sure there are many people on this forum who know more about tree transplants than I.