How to Grow Potted Yew? A Detailed Guide to the Latest Cultivation Methods

The yew is a tree species endemic to China, also known as purple yew, red bean tree, Guanyin yew, etc. It is an arbor plant of the genus Taxus in the family Taxaceae, a national first-class rare and protected tree species of China, and a shallow-rooted plant whose main root is not obvious while its lateral roots are well developed. It is recognized worldwide as an endangered natural rare anti-cancer plant. Now let us take a look at how to grow potted yew!

Growth Habits of the Yew

The yew has the characteristics of being shade-loving, drought-tolerant and cold-resistant, and requires a soil pH of 5.5 to 7.0. It is shade-tolerant in its habitat and can also grow under dense forest. It is mostly found in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests dominated by Korean pine, growing on rocky or barren soil on mountain tops, and mostly appears shrub-like. It is mostly scattered under moist, fertile coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests on shady or semi-shady slopes. It likes a cool and humid climate, can withstand low temperatures below minus 30 degrees C, and is strongly cold-resistant, with an optimum temperature of 20 to 25 degrees C. It likes moisture but fears waterlogging, and is suitable for planting in loose, moist, well-drained sandy loam.

Propagation Methods of the Yew

1. Sowing: The yew is generally sown in early spring. After the seeds have been stored for 1 year, when 30% of the seeds have split open and shown white, sieve out the seeds in time, place them in a 0.2% potassium permanganate solution to disinfect for 10 minutes, then rinse them clean with water. After drying off the surface water, sow them evenly in the furrows. After sowing, dig up yellow loam from under a pine forest that contains mycorrhizae and has been sieved, and cover the seeds with it, with a thickness such that the seeds are no longer visible. During the seedling stage, pay attention to shading, and build a shade shed during the seedling period. The seed emergence rate is above 70%.

2. Cuttage: During the tree's dormant and bud-sprouting period, choose a mixed substrate of sand, sawdust and perlite as the cutting soil. Select 1- to 4-year-old lignified seedling branches, cut the cuttings into small sections 10 cm, 15 cm or 30 cm long. When cutting, the incisions should be smooth, the lower incision should be horse-ear shaped, and the leaves below 2/3 should be removed. Choose agents such as ATP, ABT, NAA, IBAA, etc. to treat the cuttings, then insert them and cover with film. The cutting survival rate is generally above 85%.

How to Grow Potted Yew?

1. Light: The yew is a shade-loving, drought-tolerant plant and should be placed indoors. In summer, shade it appropriately, do not place it in a room with western exposure, and do not place it at the air outlet of an air conditioner or next to a heater, as that will increase the evaporation of water from the yew's leaves, causing the branches and leaves to dehydrate and eventually the leaves to curl and dry up. In summer, keep the light duration as short as possible; in autumn and spring it can be longer.

2. Potting soil: For the yew, choose a slightly larger flower pot and punch several more holes in the lower part of the pot to enhance the pot's water permeability and air permeability. The soil should be loose, rich in humus, fertile, water-retaining, fertilizer-retaining and breathable, with a slightly acidic soil, and loam is best. Clay soil is not breathable, and sandy soil has poor fertilizer and water retention, so neither is suitable. In addition, peat soil, perlite, etc. can also be mixed with loam to make a mixed cultivation substrate.

3. Water: When a little yellowish-white appears on the surface of the yew's potting soil and the leaves curl slightly, there is no need to water; just spray the leaves. When the soil turns white, it should be watered. Water thoroughly in one go so that the potting soil fully absorbs enough water. For outdoor placement, water once every 15 to 20 days; indoors, water once every 20 to 25 days. Keep the soil moisture content at around 40%. Note that watering too much or too frequently will cause root rot in the yew.

4. Fertilizing: For each potted yew, apply 0.2 jin of organic fertilizer and 0.02 jin of compound fertilizer. Farmyard manure and cake fertilizer (such as cottonseed cake, peanut cake, sesame cake) may also be added. Fertilize along the pot wall as much as possible, and do not get close to the yew's roots. Generally, newly bought yew bonsai contain nutrient soil, so no fertilizing is needed within 3 months; afterward, apply once every 2 to 3 months.

5. Repotting: After about one year, the potted yew sapling gradually grows larger and its root system becomes well developed, at which point it needs to be transplanted and repotted. Break the old pot, taking care not to damage the original soil ball, move it into a new pot, and water to settle the roots, ensuring that the root system and soil are tightly combined and survival is ensured. If conditions permit, the yew sapling can be transplanted into open fields, where it will grow faster.

6. Pruning: If the lower branches and trunk of the yew bonsai grow too densely, dry and yellow leaves may fall off. Part of the overly dense lower branches and trunk can be pruned away. During pruning, it can be shaped freely, such as umbrella-shaped, tower-shaped, round-shaped, etc. In order to keep the yew's crown beautiful, the terminal buds and some lateral buds can be moderately removed.

7. Pests and diseases: Under normal circumstances, the yew has very few insect pests. If the yew is found to turn yellow or suffer from pests and diseases, thiophanate-methyl and monopotassium phosphate can be used for drenching or spraying. The yew will suffer from root rot, stem rot and root rot during the rainy season, especially young trees; at this time, dexon can be used for spraying and care. In high-temperature and dry seasons, leaf blight and red blight are prone to occur, which can be prevented and controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture.

Precautions for the Yew

1. Please do not place the yew bonsai at the air outlet of an air conditioner or too close to a heater.

2. Every half month, the yew bonsai can be moved outdoors or to a balcony for two days of care (preferably choosing cloudy or rainy days), which is more conducive to its natural growth.

3. When the yew bonsai sprouts new buds in spring, some metabolism (leaf replacement and leaf drop) will occur.

4. In northern winters with underfloor heating, the yew bonsai should be placed on a suitable pot stand.

5. Never pour tea water into the yew pot or throw garbage into it.