Advice please - Yew reduction

[warren]

Have been asked to reduce this yew in the local churchyard. Its been covered in ivy previously (now cleared) which has left the tree 'lion tailed'. In my limited experience of yews, i have only cut back to shoots, and never left the tree completely devoid of foliage, (which is what would happen on a reduction which is what they ultimately want to achieve here).

 

Brown & Kirkham's Pruning book says any major surgery (on Yew) should be done in late spring - fine.

 

It also suggests that (major) cutting should be done over a period of 3-4 years.

 

Given that if you prune the top of a tree - it responds by sprouting sideways and visa-versa.

 

So, the questions:

1. Do i reduce it all in one go, cutting into old wood - hoping that it will respond all over - or will removing all of the green kill it?

 

2. Cut it over a period of years - if so - what first - my thoughts are top first to encourage the laterals to sprout along their length, which would give me something to prune back to later on.

 

3. Or what?

 

The last thing i want to to is ruin this tree - mainly cos i drive past it every day and the mother in law is buried under it (legally!).

 

Thanks.

[Paul Melarange]

What is the reason for the reduction?

[Steve Bullman]

i've hit Yews pretty hard in the past, they have always come back fine.

 

As above though, whats the reason for the reduction, just because it looks lion tailed?

[Mark Bolam]

Someone on the church committee who used to do a bit of gardening has spotted that it 'needs the top taking out of it'.

[farmer rod]

Or the mother in law scenario if it were windthrown?

 

(sorry if that was in poor taste)

[warren]

Thanks for the replies...The recent snow and wind has ripped out 1 other tree (although that has co-domenent(?) stems (4)) and someone suggested the long exposed branches on this one - with the weight just on the ends could fail if laden with snow.. There are a few densely growing branches out of picture that are likely to fail in such a scenario, which will be thinned out. But i'm increasing asking myself about the validity of the request to reduce it as requested and as asked above.

 

the pics show how 'open' the tree is, and the dense branches that are the real 'snow' threat.

Edited January 20, 2017 by warren

[Jake Andrews]

Have been asked to reduce this yew in the local churchyard. Its been covered in ivy previously (now cleared) which has left the tree 'lion tailed'. In my limited experience of yews, i have only cut back to shoots, and never left the tree completely devoid of foliage, (which is what would happen on a reduction which is what they ultimately want to achieve here).

 

Brown & Kirkham's Pruning book says any major surgery (on Yew) should be done in late spring - fine.

 

It also suggests that (major) cutting should be done over a period of 3-4 years.

 

Given that if you prune the top of a tree - it responds by sprouting sideways and visa-versa.

 

So, the questions:

1. Do i reduce it all in one go, cutting into old wood - hoping that it will respond all over - or will removing all of the green kill it?

 

2. Cut it over a period of years - if so - what first - my thoughts are top first to encourage the laterals to sprout along their length, which would give me something to prune back to later on.

 

3. Or what?

 

The last thing i want to to is ruin this tree - mainly cos i drive past it every day and the mother in law is buried under it (legally!).

 

Thanks.

 

Q1- I doubt you'd kill it however I can't say the tree will "like" it.

Q2- removing it in stages is fine but I doubt you'd encourage lower growth. You'd get a thick load of epic or mic growth from the pruning points and shade out lower new growth over time.

 

Just because the costumer wants a hard reduction doesn't mean you have to do it. A gentle chat with them educating them with the pros and cons of a hard reduction may persuade them with an alternative option (like a smaller reduction). On the other hand some people want what they want and aren't happy until they get it (rightly so as their the paying customer) so you do as they say.

Jake

 

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[Mark Bolam]

Give it a spanking.

It will be dead within a few thousand years anyway.

 

 

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[dan494]

We once turned a row of yew trees into a hedge by cutting them down to 4 foot stumps. Came back fine

 

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[Duncansimpson]

Hit it hard and do it in one go. If you do little bits at a time it will look awful for years and the churchgoers (potential clients) will notice it. Don't wait until the spring, now will be fine.