Can a yew be kept in the bedroom?

The yew is a precious plant, an ancient tree species left over from the Quaternary glaciation, long known as the "plant panda" and "plant gold." China has listed it as a national first-class rare and endangered protected plant. It can be grown in both the north and the south, and it is shade-loving, drought-tolerant and cold-resistant. Now let us take a look at whether a yew can be placed in the bedroom!

Can a yew be placed in the bedroom?

A yew can be placed in the bedroom. The yew absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen 24 hours a day, and at the same time it can release a kind of negative oxygen gas. It not only purifies the air, reduces inflammation and kills bacteria, but when inhaled by the human body it can also boost resistance and prevent illness, which is good for human health. At the same time, it has the ability to repel mosquitoes and insects, releasing citronellal, a scent molecule, into the air; the higher the temperature, the more scent molecules it releases, and the better the mosquito-repelling effect.

Is the yew tree poisonous?

The yew tree is poisonous. The yew has very high medicinal value; its roots, stems, leaves and bark can all be used as medicine, and it has the effect of invigorating blood and unblocking collaterals and improving immunity. But because the yew is poisonous, the clinical dosage is always very small, generally 6 to 8 grams, with a maximum of no more than 10 grams, otherwise poisoning easily occurs, with symptoms such as dizziness, dilated pupils, nausea, vomiting and muscle weakness, and in severe cases it can even lead to death.

How to grow a yew tree

1. Soil: For growing a yew, a loose soil rich in humus that retains water and fertilizer and is well aerated should be used. A mixed medium made from peat soil, perlite and so on combined with loam can be chosen. Because clay soil is not aerated and sandy soil retains fertilizer and water poorly, neither is suitable.

2. Light: The yew likes a cool, shady growing environment, so during cultivation it should be shaded appropriately and should not be placed where there is direct sunlight, as that will make the yew lose water quickly, causing the branches and leaves to dehydrate and the leaves to dry up. In midsummer, during the day the yew can be placed in the living room, on the balcony, in a corner and other places, and in the evening it can be put on the windowsill to get some air. At the same time, no light at all will also affect the growth of the yew, so in weather when the sunlight is not strong, it should be given appropriate exposure to sunlight.

3. Fertilizing: When growing a yew, the soil should be fertilized in good time. Each time, applying 0.2 jin of organic fertilizer and 0.02 jin of compound fertilizer per plant is best, and farmyard manure, cake fertilizer (such as cottonseed cake, peanut cake, sesame cake) and so on can also be added. When fertilizing, it should be spread as much as possible along the wall of the pot and must not be close to the yew's roots. Generally, a newly bought yew bonsai pot already contains its own nutrient soil, so no fertilizing is needed for the first 3 months, and it can be applied after 2 to 3 months.

4. Watering: When the yew's leaves appear limp, it should be watered; if the leaves droop, that indicates severe water shortage. In addition, you can judge whether watering is needed by tapping the pot and listening to the sound; if the sound is very hollow when you tap the pot, that means the soil is already dry and it is time to water. Insert a finger 2 to 3 cm into the soil; if you feel the soil is dry, that also means it is time to water. Generally, a yew placed outdoors is watered once every 15 to 20 days, and one kept indoors once every 20 to 25 days. It is best to keep the soil's moisture content at around 40%.

5. Pruning: When the lower branches of a yew bonsai grow too densely and dry, yellow leaves begin to fall, part of the overly dense lower branches can be pruned away, and it can be trimmed into umbrella, pagoda, round and other shapes. When repotting a yew, if the root system temporarily cannot keep up with supplying nutrients to the roots, branches and leaves, causing the leaves to curl and dry up, pruning can reduce the consumption of nutrients by the branches and leaves and quickly restore root growth.

6. Repotting: After about a year of growing a yew, the sapling will gradually grow larger and its root system will develop along with it, so it needs to be transplanted into a new pot. When repotting, the old pot can be broken apart, but the original soil ball must not be damaged. After moving it into the new pot, water it promptly to settle the roots, so that the yew's root system and the soil are closely combined.

7. Pests and diseases: Under normal circumstances, yews very rarely suffer from insect pests. If a yew is found to have turned yellow or to have pests or diseases, thiophanate-methyl and potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be used to water or spray it. Relatively speaking, yews will suffer root rot, stem rot and rotten roots during the rainy season, especially young trees; at this time, fenaminosulf can be used for spraying and care. In hot and dry seasons, yews are prone to leaf blight and red blight, which can be prevented and controlled by spraying Bordeaux mixture.

8. Notes: The yew does not have great demands on its growing environment; the main things are that it must not be exposed to direct sunlight, must not be blown on by an air conditioner in summer, must not be close to a heater in winter, and moreover cigarette butts, tea leaves and other debris must not be casually thrown into the growing pot, as this will have a bad effect on the yew's growth. The flowerpot used for growing a yew should be somewhat large, and several more holes can be made in the lower part of the pot to enhance the pot's water permeability and aeration.