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Replies

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  Graeme @ BGS February 17, 2011 at 4:35pm

  Yews should be indestructible however if the client is in Sussex I am guessing clay soil? May be poor drainage and thus drowning the yews?  Have you also tried giving a foliar feed?
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    julie andrews > Graeme @ BGS February 17, 2011 at 5:24pm

    dont think drowning is the prob, but foliar feed is def worth a try, thanks
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    julie andrews > Graeme @ BGS February 17, 2011 at 5:28pm

    clay, with lots of organic top dressing,  root balls, soaked before planting, Damm client tought he was getting a bargain, I tried our local nursery but he had already done a deal and bought them off a friend who had got too many, some friend
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      Rose Lennard > julie andrews February 18, 2011 at 5:11pm

      lots of good suggestions here... yews hate waterlogging and sometimes adding organic matter to a planting hole in clay can create a bit of a sump so that water drains into the planting hole/trench from the surroundings and can't get away.  Just a thought. I will be planting a lot of big yews next month so all these tips about how to help them establish are very welcome, may try antidessicant and thinking about some windbreak netting - anyone have any opinions on this?
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  Nick Steele February 17, 2011 at 5:19pm

  When were they planted?   From containers or root balled or bare root?    In what way did they look sick?
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    julie andrews > Nick Steele February 17, 2011 at 5:31pm

    they went in last spring, root balls.  Just very thin foliage and not glossy and strong, if I had seen them before he purchased them I would def had said no way. the runts of the litter
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  julie andrews February 17, 2011 at 5:34pm

  yep, that is a cunning plan, bit stuffed when he is chuffed to bits with his bargain from a mate....... just had to smile and do my best with them. Not all of them have gone to the bonfire........I feel I have to be wonder woman and make them the best damm yews in sussex...................
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  T & S Plants February 17, 2011 at 7:16pm

  Taxus pot grown or rootballed or bare root?

   

  Pot grown - never buy - Taxus hate being in pots

  Bare root - far too risky for an evergreen

  Root balled - the only way to buy Taxus

   

  In the case of pot grown - feed, in the case of bare root - hope, and in the case of rootballed go back to the supplier.

   

  Simples!!!

   

   

   
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    Dave Sewell > T & S Plants February 18, 2011 at 11:21am

    Our experience of Yews is limited but we have discovered the following over the years:

    clay soil can cause waterlogging and that will kill them.

    Rootballed plants where the balls  have been exposed to frost or allowed to dry out generally die.

    You can spray them with a watered down PVA/water mix in their first year. This blocks the leaf pores and prevents them transpiring too quickly. Important becasue if you rootball them you take away most the of the roots that are responsible for water gathering.

    Have to say I've never had a problem with Yews in pots.

    Finally we've noticed that the bigger the Yews are when they go in the more problems you seem to  get with them. They are certainly NOT indestructable when you're trying to get them established. They can be an expensive pain in the ass!
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      julie andrews > Dave Sewell February 18, 2011 at 4:52pm

      thanks, I think that the client had them for a week before contacting me to plant them, they went in after a dunking but it could be they had all ready dried out. Will try the pva  water mix when planting others.