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

Yew, also known as Chinese yew, is a plant of the genus Taxus. The yew is a shallow-rooted plant, with an inconspicuous main root and well-developed lateral roots. It is recognized worldwide as a rare natural anti-cancer plant on the verge of extinction, an ancient relict tree species left over from the Quaternary glaciation, with a history of 2.5 million years on Earth. Because the yew grows slowly under natural conditions and has poor regenerative capacity, for a long time no large-scale yew raw material forest base had been established anywhere in the world.

In 1994, the yew was designated by China as a first-class rare and endangered protected plant, and it is also called a “national treasure” by all 42 countries around the world that have yews. The United Nations has also explicitly banned its felling, making it a veritable “plant panda.”

1. Care of newly purchased bonsai: For a newly purchased yew bonsai, it is best to spray the leaves with a 800 to 1000 times diluted monopotassium phosphate solution every three or four days, generally before 10 a.m., or around 4 p.m. After three to four consecutive sprays, gradually reduce to spraying about once a month.

2. Light requirements: The yew is a shade-loving plant and is suitable for indoor placement, but note that it should be properly shaded in summer, and it should not be placed in a room with western exposure.

3. Soil selection: The soil for growing yew should be loose, rich in humus, fertile, and slightly acidic (PH=5~6.5).

4. Water requirements: When the surface of the potting soil turns slightly yellowish-white and the leaves curl slightly, there is no need to water the potting soil; simply mist the leaves. When the soil in the pot turns white, the potting soil should be watered. Note that when watering, water thoroughly in one go so that the potting soil fully absorbs enough water.

5. Soil fertility: The three essential elements for plant growth are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizer promotes the growth of flowers, grass, branches, and leaves; phosphorus fertilizer promotes the formation of flowers and fruits; and potassium fertilizer promotes the growth of stems and roots. Since a newly purchased yew bonsai already contains a prepared nutrient soil, no fertilization is needed for 3 months. After that, fertilize once every 2 to 3 months, preferably with cake fertilizer. When fertilizing, take care to apply it along the edge of the pot and avoid touching the bonsai roots. Pot selection: choose a somewhat larger pot, and make several more holes in the bottom of the pot, mainly to enhance the pot's water permeability and air permeability.

6. Requirements for transplanting and repotting: Half a year after purchasing the bonsai, the sapling gradually grows larger and its root system becomes well developed. To ensure its normal growth, users are advised to transplant and repot it. When repotting, it is best to break the old pot rather than damage the original root ball, slowly move it into the new pot, and water it to settle the roots, ensuring survival.

7. Bonsai pruning and shaping: If the lower part of the bonsai has severe shedding of dry, yellow leaves, it may be that the lower branches are growing too densely, and it is enough to prune away a few of the overly dense lower branches. Pruning can create any shape, trimming it into an umbrella shape, tower shape, round shape, and many other forms. For newly purchased yew bonsai of Taxus No. 3 or above, because transplanting from the growing base into a pot damages part of the root system, the nutrient supply between the roots and the branches and leaves becomes imbalanced. When the leaves still curl and dry out while the potting soil remains moist, it is best to properly prune the bonsai's branches and leaves to reduce excessive nutrient consumption by the branches and leaves and restore root growth.

8. Pest and disease control: In hot and dry seasons, individual young yew trees may develop leaf blight and red blight, which can be controlled by spraying 1% Bordeaux mixture.

9. Because the northern climate is dry with little rain, water whenever the soil surface is dry, and be sure to water thoroughly in one go, especially in summer. In the dry air of the north, the leaf surface easily loses water and droops. When the leaves look less plump, use a small spray bottle to spray the leaves from bottom to top (in summer, this can be done every day). The yew is a shade-loving plant and is suitable for indoor placement, but it should not be placed at an air conditioner outlet or next to a heater, otherwise the leaves of the yew will lose water more rapidly, easily causing the branches and leaves to dehydrate quickly and resulting in curled, dried leaves.

10. Yew bonsai should not be watered with tea water, especially since Beijing's water is relatively hard and high in alkalinity. The water must be left to stand for a day before being used for watering and spraying.