How to grow a yew? A detailed guide to yew cultivation methods
The yew, also known as the 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 an endangered natural rare anti-cancer plant, 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 regeneration capacity, for a long time no large-scale yew raw material forest base has 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 or so, generally before 10 a.m., or around 4 p.m. After spraying three to four times in a row, gradually reduce to spraying about once a month.
2. Light requirements: The yew is a shade-loving plant and is suitable for placing indoors, but note that it needs appropriate shading in summer and should not be placed in a room with western exposure.
3. Soil selection: The soil for growing yews should be loose, rich in humus, fertile and slightly acidic (PH=5 to 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 the newly purchased yew bonsai already uses a prepared nutrient soil, no fertilization is needed for 3 months; afterward, fertilize once every 2 to 3 months, with cake fertilizer being the best choice. When fertilizing, take care to work along the edge of the pot and avoid touching the bonsai roots. Flower pot selection: choose a somewhat larger flower 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 purchase, as the sapling gradually grows and its root system develops, to ensure its normal growth it is recommended that users transplant and repot it. When repotting, it is best to break the old pot rather than damage the original soil ball, slowly move it into the new pot, and water it to settle the roots and ensure survival.
7. Bonsai trimming: 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 a few of the overly dense lower branches. Pruning allows any shape, so it can be trimmed into various forms such as umbrella-shaped, pagoda-shaped and round. For newly purchased yew bonsai of Taxus No. 3 and above, because transplanting from the growing base into the flower pot damages part of the root system, the nutrient supply between the roots and the branches and leaves becomes imbalanced. If the leaves still curl and dry out while the potting soil remains moist, it is best to prune the bonsai's branches and leaves appropriately 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 climate in the north is dry with little rain, water whenever the soil surface is dry, and note that it should be watered thoroughly in one go, especially in summer. The air in the north is dry, and the leaf surface is prone to drooping from lack of water. When the leaves do not look plump, use a small spray bottle to spray water on 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 placing indoors, but it should not be placed at the air outlet of an air conditioner or next to a heater, otherwise the water evaporation from the yew's leaves will increase, easily causing the yew's branches and leaves to dehydrate quickly and resulting in curled, dry 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.