How to grow a yew (Taxus) bonsai? A detailed guide to cultivation methods

The yew can be grown in both northern and southern parts of China. It is shade-loving, drought-tolerant and cold-resistant, and requires soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. The yew is an ancient tree species with a history of a hundred years and has a long history of cultivation in our country, and it is deeply loved by people. Today, the editor will share with you the cultivation methods and care precautions for yew bonsai.

Cultivation methods for yew bonsai

As for the question of how to grow a yew bonsai, you should start with the entire management details such as light, water, fertilisation and pest and disease control, so that you can achieve careful maintenance.

1. Light requirements

The yew is a shade-loving and drought-tolerant plant, so it should be placed indoors, with appropriate shading in summer. It should not be placed in a room with western sun exposure, nor at the air outlet of an air conditioner or next to a radiator, as this will increase the evaporation of water from the yew's leaves, causing the branches and leaves to dehydrate and finally the leaves to curl and dry up. Under strong light exposure in July-August each year, the chlorophyll in the leaves is damaged, and this needs to be avoided. In summer, the light duration should be as short as possible, while in autumn and spring it can be longer. However, the absence of light will also affect the growth of the yew.

2. Flower pot selection

Use a slightly larger flower pot, and make several more holes in the lower part of the pot to enhance the pot's water permeability and air permeability.

3. Soil selection

It is advisable to use loose, humus-rich, fertile soil that retains water and fertiliser and is well aerated, with the soil being slightly acidic (pH 5-6.5), and loam is best. Clay soil is not breathable, and sandy soil has poor fertiliser and water retention, so it is not suitable for use. In addition, peat soil, perlite, etc. can also be mixed with loam to form a mixed cultivation substrate.

4. Water requirements

When a little yellow-white appears on the surface of the potting soil and the leaves are slightly curled, there is no need to water; simply spray the leaf surfaces. 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 15-20 days; for indoor placement, water once every 20-25 days. Keep the soil moisture content at around 40%.

Note that too much and too frequent watering will cause root rot in the yew. In summer when the rain is heavy, if placed outdoors, excess rainwater should be drained promptly to prevent the yew from being soaked in water for a long time. Of course, long-term drought and lack of water are also not conducive to the growth of the yew.

5. Soil fertility

Apply 0.2 jin of organic fertiliser and 0.02 jin of compound fertiliser per plant. Farmyard manure and cake fertiliser (such as cottonseed cake, peanut cake, and hemp cake) can also be added. Fertiliser should be applied along the pot wall as much as possible, and must not be close to the yew's roots. Generally, newly purchased yew bonsai contain nutrient soil, so no fertilisation is needed within 3 months, and afterwards once every 2-3 months.

6. Transplanting and repotting

After about a year, the yew sapling gradually grows larger and its root system becomes developed, and at this time transplanting and repotting are needed. Break the old pot without damaging 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 to ensure survival. If conditions permit, the yew sapling can be transplanted into open fields, and it will grow faster.

7. Bonsai shaping

If the branches and trunks in the lower part of the bonsai grow too densely, dry and yellow leaves will appear and fall off, so part of the overly dense lower branches and trunks can be pruned away. During pruning, it can be shaped freely, such as umbrella-shaped, tower-shaped, round-shaped, etc.

For newly purchased yew bonsai of Taxus No. 3 or above, when they are transplanted from the planting base into flower pots, part of the root system will be damaged, thus causing an imbalance in the nutrient supply between the roots and the branches and leaves. Even when the potting soil remains moist, the leaves still curl and dry up; this can be remedied by pruning to reduce the consumption of nutrients by the branches and leaves and restore root growth. In order to maintain a graceful crown width of the yew, the terminal buds and some lateral buds can be moderately removed.

8. Pest and disease control

Yew stem rot is one of the most serious diseases affecting yew cuttings during the growth period. About 2 months after yew cuttings are taken, stem rot occurs successively at the base of the stem of the cuttings (where the underground and aboveground parts of the cutting meet), starting from individual diseased plants and then spreading to affect the entire cluster, causing the leaves of the cuttings to lose green colour, die and fall off. Because this disease mainly occurs in the high-temperature seasons of summer and autumn, the damage to the cuttings from high soil temperature provides conditions for the invasion of pathogens. The occurrence and prevalence of the disease mainly depend on the temperature in July-August. If the disease occurs earlier, the seedlings have weak heat resistance, and the incidence is more severe.

① That is, reduce the surface soil temperature of the seedbed during summer and autumn to prevent scorching the base of the seedling stems, so as to avoid creating wounds that allow pathogens to invade.

② Increase fertiliser application to promote the growth of the cuttings and enhance their disease resistance.

③ Use quintozene powder + fenaminosulf powder mixed at a concentration of 5g/kg and diluted with water for irrigation; the control effect is best at 89%. Or use carbendazim + thiophanate-methyl wettable powder mixed at a concentration of 4g/kg and diluted with water for irrigation; the control effect reaches 83%.

④ For large-scale control of this disease, alternating the above 2 methods can basically control the occurrence of stem rot in cuttings.

Precautions for yew bonsai care

1. The yew likes a loose cultivation environment with good drainage, so a purple clay pot is the yew's best “partner”.

2. In the sapling stage, the yew likes shade and is not suited to strong light; it is suitable for growth and development under indoor scattered light conditions. If it is under direct strong light in summer, it will cause scorching of some young branches and young leaves, yellowing and withering of branches and leaves, and stunted growth, and in severe cases the whole plant will die. However, it should not be placed in a place that is too dark and without light. It is best to have an appropriate amount of light every day, and a spot indoors near a window is more suitable.

3. It is advisable to place it in a place with good ventilation. An indoor closed and poorly ventilated environment will cause the yew's leaves to curl and fall off. It also must not be placed in a draught, otherwise the increased water evaporation will cause the plant's leaves to curl and dry up.

4. Watering the yew should follow the principle of “do not water if not dry, and water thoroughly when watering”. Too much watering easily causes root rot. Whether watering is needed can be judged according to the degree of moisture of the potting soil. The most direct way to judge is to insert a wooden stick 2 to 3 cm into the soil; when the soil feels dry and hard, watering is needed. You can also tap the pot with your hand, and judge the dryness and wetness of the potting soil from the sound. When the pot gives a hollow sound, it means the soil is dry; when it gives a dull sound, it means the soil is still wet. Water until water flows out from the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. When watering, note that the yew likes a slightly acidic medium environment. For areas where the water quality is alkaline, ferrous sulfate can be added to the water to adjust it. Also note that the difference between the water temperature and the soil temperature should not be too large. In summer when the temperature is high, watering should be done in the morning and evening, and not under the midday sun; in winter when it is cold, watering should not be neglected either, and watering should be done at noon on a clear day.

5. Spray water on the leaves to keep them moist. Household yew care in northern regions often has humidity that “does not meet the standard”, so it is necessary to spray water on the leaf surfaces to increase humidity. When spraying, note that because the yew's leaf surface has a layer of waxy substance, water should be sprayed from the underside of the leaves from bottom to top.

6. A foliar fertiliser (potassium dihydrogen phosphate) can be sprayed once about every month.