PRUNING YEWS - Knowledgebase Question

kalamazoo, MI
Avatar for dfgquilter
Question by dfgquilter
April 21, 2009
HI! I'M ANXIOUS TO GET GOING IN THE GARDEN.

MY YEWS ARE SPROUTING AND NEED A HAIRCUT.
CAN I TRIM THEM NOW? I'D LIKE TO TRIM OFF ABOUT 1/4 OF THE BUSH.
ALSO, SINCE MOST OF THE GROWTH IS ON THE TOPS OF THE BUSHES, DO I HAVE TO GO INSIDE THE BUSH AND TRIM SOME BRANCHES BACK THERE AS WELL?
DO I HAVE TO TRIM BACK TO A


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Answer from NGA
April 21, 2009
The best way to trim your yew so it fills out nicely is to use hedge trimmers and reduce the size all over the plant. It's true that the plant will become bare at the bottom if the top is wider than the bottom so try to prune it wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. I wouldn't trim off more than about one third of the shrub in any one pruning session so concentrate on narrowing the top so it is more equal with the bottom. You'll get new growth all over if you gently prune it back all over. It may take 2-3 years to completely renovate your yew but eventually you can get it into a nice, dense shrub. Enjoy your garden!

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