Digging Some Monster Yews

thejimmyrigger

My dad's planning a redesign of his yard, and wants 4-6 MASSIVE yews out of there. All are 5-6 inches wide at the ground and three are multi-trunked (landscape trees planted in the seventies). He understands I want them for bonsai and isn't planning on moving them until next spring. He's a terrible gardner, but loves the idea of bonsai. He even offered me 2 rododendrons, some ragweed and a full grown sugar maple (1.5 foot trunk)!!!! Whew!! He'll amuse me forever!
My concern is their survival chances, none of these trees have lower branches. Most will lose every branch they have to give them a usefull height. I've read they backbud well, but do they backbud that well?? The soil around the house isn't clay, so it should be forgiving. I have a while before I dig them, is there any preparations I can make now? Or soil suggestions?
If anyone in the area wants to help me out next year, I'll gladly give them a couple trees. Knowing my mom, she'll offer meatloaf.
Thanks in advance,
jim

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bonsaial1

Ffirst the botanical name would be a big help here. If they are podocarpus thats different then the yews seen in all the books. If they are the tight foliage Japanese Yews, Yahoo!.

I would cut them back to the last branch. Leave the lowest branch on each of them. That will be a scrifice branch, and will keep the plant alive while it puts all of its new energy on building more foliage to support all those roots still under the ground. If its Japanese yew, it should back bud like crazy, and then you could lift it in the spring and cut the top down to the final height while retaing all the new branches to sustain the tree.

Thats what I would do though, based on what you have told us. A picture would help greatly here.

Bonsai-al

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TreeBay

If you really want "physical" help, you should click over to your USER CP and complete your location

Regards,

Matt

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rowan57

Jimmy, do you live in the USA?

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thejimmyrigger

Oh, sorry, I thought I filled that out, the trees are in Lynn, Ma, US. I believe its yew, small red fleshy berries, the needles are dark green on the top, light yellowish green underneith 1 inch long, flat and opposite (not spiraling), medium brown flaky bark. I'll need a disposable camera for some photo's, which could be a few days.
The japanese yew is tougher than the English, as I remember, and I've never seen die back on these bushes.
woops!
jim

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Jimmyrigging is much like jerryrigging, just go a bit lighter on the duct tape and wire coat hangers, and hit said broken item more. Remember: if it isn't broke don't kick it.

Adam_MA

Lynn, Lynn the city of sin.. Never come out the way you went in!!!


Adam

Ps. I LOVE meatloaf!!

thejimmyrigger

Hey if you want some good material and some meatloaf, the offer stands. I'll be developing the pictures over the weekend, I used a roll on 'em. So I should have a few quality pics. It looks like there are two varieties in the yard, but I may be wrong, we'll find out soon!!
jim

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Jimmyrigging is much like jerryrigging, just go a bit lighter on the duct tape and wire coat hangers, and hit said broken item more. Remember: if it isn't broke don't kick it.

vtbonsaichief

Hey, I'm down below you in CT, and those yew sound interesting. And yes they are yews, podocarps don't grow here. Only tough manly trees can grow this far north! Okay, the trees here aren't nearly as manly as vermont trees.( zone 4b!).
I'm intersted in some of those yews and I probably have a friend who is too.

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thejimmyrigger

Sounds good, those pic's should be ready soon!!

jim

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Jimmyrigging is much like jerryrigging, just go a bit lighter on the duct tape and wire coat hangers, and hit said broken item more. Remember: if it isn't broke don't kick it.