How to Grow Yew? Detailed Guide to Cultivation Methods and Precautions
The yew bears fruit that is red on the outside and bright within, just like the red bean of southern longing, and so it got the name "red bean yew" (hongdou yew). It is hailed by people as the health tree, also called the purple yew tree, and is an evergreen tree belonging to the genus Taxus. It is a shallow-rooted plant, with an inconspicuous main root and well-developed lateral roots, and is recognized worldwide as an endangered natural rare anti-cancer plant, a national treasure-level plant that grows slowly and is rarely found in the wild. It has strong ornamental value, and its greatest feature is that it offers different ornamental qualities in different seasons. In spring and summer it is a green plant, with a tall trunk and fine stems, and the newly sprouted twigs and buds of the yew are green and tender green. The branches of mature yew are more brownish, and depending on the species there are yellow, red, and gray varieties. In autumn, its leaves turn greenish-yellow, giving excellent ornamental value. When it sprouts in winter, the leaves are slender and knife-like.
The yew is native to the Yangtze River basin and areas to the south, and by nature likes warmth and moisture. It is a strongly shade-tolerant, slow-growing tree species, suited to acidic soil rich in humus that is loose and fertile. Its suitable growing temperature is 20-30°C, and it can tolerate short-term low temperatures of -5 to -10°C. In the south, the yew grows in mixed woodland in humid mountainous areas, mostly beneath tall deciduous trees, and does not tolerate strong sunlight; seedlings need a shade shed. Below is a detailed introduction to how to grow yew:
1. Soil selection for growing yew
The yew is best planted in early spring, in mid to late February. Seedlings should be dug up with a soil ball, and can be planted in a shaded spot in the garden, often interplanted with trees. For potting soil, use loose, fertile acidic soil with high organic matter content; it can be made from garden soil, peat, and sand in a 2:1:1 ratio, with 1% decomposed organic fertilizer added.
2. Fertilization methods for growing yew
For potted plants, apply decomposed cake fertilizer water, and during the growing season apply alum fertilizer water at a concentration of 1:10-15 once a month. Repot every other year, and add solid decomposed organic fertilizer at the bottom of the pot.
In autumn, September to October, a base fertilizer can be applied, 50-100 kg of decomposed livestock manure per plant; in early spring a compound fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can be applied, 100-200 g per plant, or 500 g of superphosphate.
3. Watering methods for growing yew
The northeast yew likes moisture and fears waterlogging. Water during the budding period; on slopes where the groundwater level is low, water thoroughly 2-3 times a month. When there is a lot of rain in summer, do a good job of drainage to prevent waterlogging. In autumn, water less, so that the soil is neither dry nor wet. Before winter begins, after the leaves turn purple-green, water once more.
For potted plants, water once every 2-3 days in spring; in summer water once in the morning, and if the potting soil is still too dry, spray again in the evening with a fine-nozzle watering can. This both rinses the leaves, increases the ambient air humidity, and lets the remaining water moisten the potting soil again, which helps the plant absorb it. In autumn, water once every 3-4 days; if there is continuous autumn rain, you can also water once a week, as long as the potting soil is moist. In winter, water less; for pots placed in the open garden, simply rinse the leaves with clean water every 15-20 days and let the remaining water moisten the potting soil.
The southern yew likes moisture by nature but fears waterlogging. No matter where it is cultivated, water must be replenished at any time. Judging from the actual situation of cultivation in various places, there is little rain in spring, and it is exactly the period when the plant is budding, so irrigation should be carried out, especially on slopes or where the groundwater level is low, irrigating thoroughly 2-3 times a month to keep the soil moist. At the same time, combine this with fertilization and irrigate thoroughly, so that the soil remains fertile and moist for a long time. In summer there is a lot of rain; for plants cultivated in low-lying areas, dig ditches early and do a good job of drainage and waterlogging prevention. If there is a summer drought, irrigation should also be done to ensure fruit development. In autumn, water less, so that the soil is neither dry nor wet. Before winter begins, after the leaves turn purple-green, irrigate thoroughly once more, and after that no more watering is needed. If the winter climate is particularly dry, you can irrigate in advance in early spring to help it revive and grow earlier.
4. Temperature requirements for growing yew
The northeast yew can tolerate partial shade, resists severe cold, and has strong adaptability; it can generally tolerate low temperatures of -25 to -15°C. It develops a growth habit of not fearing cold. After growers know its habits, they should satisfy its temperature needs. For yew cultivated in northeast China, April to October is its vigorous growth period; during this period in these areas the temperature is 18-32°C during the day and 10-25°C at night, and for the other half of the year the plant is in a dormant or semi-dormant state.
The southern yew likes warmth by nature; its most suitable growing period is March to November, and its most suitable growing temperature is 20-30°C. Under such temperature conditions, the plant's vegetative growth and reproductive growth proceed simultaneously. If water and fertilizer management are suitable and the sunlight is soft, the plant will not only have luxuriant branches and leaves, but also many flowers and fruits, with extremely high ornamental value. The southern yew has good cold resistance; for plants growing in Guizhou, Sichuan, and southern Shaanxi, where winter temperatures in some mountainous areas get as low as -10 to -5°C, the plant can still resist it. Therefore, in the vast areas of the Yangtze River basin and to its south, there is no overwintering problem when introducing and cultivating it.
5. Light requirements for growing yew
The northeast yew originally grew in mountainous areas with warm, cool summers, abundant rainfall, humid air, and cold winters, where the temperature difference across the four seasons is large and the sunshine duration is long. The yew's growth habits and all its organs have adapted to this ecological environment. So, to cultivate this plant elsewhere, one should strive to create a natural ecological environment close to its place of origin; only in this way can it be grown well.
The southern yew is a strongly shade-tolerant, slow-growing tree species, and therefore likes a humid and warm ecological environment and does not tolerate strong sunlight. For seedlings grown from seed, in areas with strong light, a shed must be built for shade. When cultivating in plain areas, it can be interplanted with tall trees; when growing it in front of or behind a house, it must also be in a shaded place, because the original growing places of the southern yew are all mixed woodland in humid mountainous areas, mostly growing beneath tall deciduous trees. In summer with strong sunlight, it is shaded by the branches and leaves of the large trees; in autumn and winter the large trees shed their leaves and there is ample light, which is exactly suitable for the growth of the evergreen yew. After growers know this growth habit, when introducing and cultivating it, they should best choose a suitable growing environment to satisfy the plant's light requirements.
6. Precautions for growing yew
(1) The yew is best planted before budding in late winter and early spring, and large seedlings need a soil ball. In daily care and management, often loosen the soil, remove weeds, fertilize, and irrigate, and spread fallen leaves and dead branches around the root area to help maintain the acidity of the soil. It tolerates pruning; in late autumn and early winter, shaping and pruning can be carried out to maintain a good tree form; at the same time, cut off dead branches, diseased branches, broken branches, and crossing branches.
(2) When watering potted yew, be sure to pay attention to water quality. For watering flower pots, natural rainwater is best, followed by clean flowing river and lake water. If well water must be used, be sure to pay attention to water quality; well water in northern areas in particular is often too alkaline, which is not conducive to the growth of yew. Next is water temperature: the temperature of the water used to water potted flowers should be basically close to the air temperature; too low or too high is harmful to its growth. Especially when watering with tap water in summer, be sure to store the water in a vat, pool, or other container for 24-48 hours before use, otherwise it will cause physiological wilting of the plant; at the same time, this kind of physiological disorder is often difficult to remedy.
7. Propagation methods for growing yew
(1) Seed propagation: Because the seed coat of yew has low permeability, which hinders the passage of air and water, the dormancy period is very long. Therefore, before sowing, the seeds should undergo cold stratification, or be stored mixed with sand in the open air for 15 months. Wait until storage and sprouting have brought more than 80% of the seeds to break open and show white, then sow. During the seedling stage, appropriate shading is needed; growth is slow, and they need to remain in the seedbed for 2 years before transplanting, and a soil ball is needed when transplanting. One-year-old seedlings are only 8-10 cm tall. The method for storing yew seeds mixed with sand in the open air is as follows: choose a leeward, shady, flat place that does not accumulate water, and dig a pit 80 cm deep, with length and width depending on the amount of seed.
Mix disinfected yew seeds evenly with river sand in a ratio of 1 part seeds to 3 parts river sand; the humidity of the river sand should be such that it forms a ball when squeezed in the hand without water coming out, and crumbles when released and touched. After digging the pit, first spread a layer of stones about 12 cm thick on the bottom, then spread 6 cm of moist fine sand, insert a perforated bamboo tube every 50 cm in the pit, then spread the sand-mixed seeds flat in the pit at a thickness of 30 cm, cover with wet sand, then cover with 8 cm of soil piled into a roof shape. During storage, cover the pit with a bamboo curtain for shade, dig drainage ditches around the pit to prevent water accumulation in the pit from causing the seeds to mold and rot, and note to turn them once a month.
(2) Cutting propagation: Yew can be propagated by softwood cuttings or hardwood cuttings; softwood cuttings have a higher rooting rate than hardwood cuttings. Soaking the cuttings in a 100 mg/L naphthaleneacetic acid solution for 3 hours is beneficial for rooting.
Tips:
1. Give less sun, water less, and fertilize less.
2. Please do not place the bonsai at an air conditioner vent or too close to a heater.
3. Every half month, you can move the bonsai outdoors or to a balcony for two days of care (preferably choosing cloudy or rainy days), which is more conducive to its natural growth.
4. Never pour tea water into the pot or throw trash in it.
5. In northern winters with underfloor heating, the bonsai should be placed on a suitable stand.
6. When new buds emerge in spring, some metabolism (leaf change, leaf drop) will occur.