How do you prune the branches and leaves of a bonsai yew (Taxus) and propagate it by cuttings?

Along with the booming popularity of yew on the bonsai market, potted yew has gradually come into everyone's view, and many households also cultivate it. Under normal conditions, yew grows slowly and is difficult to regenerate, so daily care is especially important. So, under household conditions, how should a bonsai yew be pruned of its branches and leaves? And how should yew be propagated by cuttings?

How to prune the branches and leaves of a bonsai yew

1. Bud removal

After yew is transplanted and established, it will grow many new buds. Some sprouts should be removed appropriately to avoid excessive nutrient consumption, while also promoting better growth of the bonsai yew.

2. Pinching

In order to balance branch vigor, the method of removing the growing points of branches should be used to regulate unbalanced branch growth in the bonsai yew, such as double leaders and multiple leaders.

3. Heading back

A portion of one-year-old branches is cut off. Heading back includes light heading, medium heading, heavy heading and very heavy heading. Generally, a plant may use all four of these methods, but the choice should also be made according to different situations.

4. Thinning out branches

Thinning out branches means cutting off all of a branch or branch group from its base. It can be a one-year-old branch or a branch group of many years. Thinning out branches helps the retained branches grow better, improves the ventilation and light transmission conditions of the crown, and is beneficial for forming flower buds, flowering and fruiting.

5. Branch bending

In the process of pruning a bonsai yew, we often find that because the angle of the main branch is too small, pruning methods alone cannot achieve the purpose of opening the angle. At this time, the branch bending method should be used. Pull the branches of the bonsai yew outward in all directions, with the best angle of the main branch being 70 degrees. This can effectively reduce the space occupied by the crown and slow the growth rate of the tree.

6. Notching

At a certain place on a branch or trunk of a bonsai yew, use a knife or scissors to remove part of the bark or xylem, so that nutrients accumulate in the lower part of the wound, which stimulates the growth of the buds and branches below the wound.

How to propagate yew by cuttings

1. Choose between May and June of the year to carry out cutting propagation of yew.

2. First choose a 1-4 year old yew, cut a section of woody seedling-grown branch about ten centimeters long, remove about two-thirds of the leaves at the lower end, and soak the cut end of the branch in a solution prepared with rooting powder for about three to twelve hours.

3. The soil for cultivating yew should be coarse soil such as sand and perlite as the cutting soil. Plant the treated yew cuttings into the cutting soil, then cover with plastic sheeting or similar, being careful not to expose them to strong light, and spray water two to three times a day. After one month, this can be reduced to watering once a day. The soil temperature is best kept at 20-30°C. Under normal circumstances, roots will form in thirty to forty days.

4. At this time, a little fertilizer can be applied to promote the growth of yew seedlings. After the seedlings have rooted, they can be transplanted into ordinary soil for planting.

What are the propagation methods of yew

1. Yew can be propagated by sowing, but this propagation method is relatively slow, and the growth cycle of yew will become very long.

2. Therefore, when propagating yew, in order to cultivate a yew relatively quickly, we often choose the cutting method to propagate yew.

Pest and disease control of yew

1. Under normal circumstances, there are very few insect pests in yew cultivation.

2. If yew is found to turn yellow or show pests and diseases, thiophanate-methyl and monopotassium phosphate can be used for watering or spraying.

It can thus be seen that yew has relatively high requirements for its growing environment. It should be pruned in time and repotted regularly to ensure that the yew can obtain sufficient nutrients and have a relatively good form. Yew grows slowly and is difficult to regenerate, so daily care must be careful and patient in order to grow a good-looking pot of yew.