Everything you need to know about Yew

Рет қаралды 24,964

11 ай бұрын

This video is all about yew or Taxus baccata. From how to grow it, how to care for it and it’s history, yew has a place in every type of garden.

Пікірлер: 75

@Edu_Kate 11 ай бұрын

You've swayed me. I wanted to grow an arborvitae and sheer it into a sort of chess piece to honor my late brother-in-law. A friend asked why not a yew. Hearing the significance to cemeteries this makes perfect sense. Your garden is glorious!

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

So pleased to hear that, I think yew will be easier to keep in your desired chess piece shape. Hope it turns out well Thanks for watching Jenny

@bohemiangardensandgourdfar8812 11 ай бұрын

The beautiful and unique sculptures cut from this plant in British gardens are truly magical... the plant itself a marvel. 😎✌️💚 USA

@cathyhutchins1890 11 ай бұрын

You and your husband are dedicated gardeners. Love watching your videos. Your garden is amazing.

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Thank you so much Jenny

@liveacousticsound 2 ай бұрын

Hello Jenny! I live in San Diego, California. As you know, the weather here is very arid, but coastal. Many years ago, my mother knew a man whose father propagated Irish Yews up in Oregon state. One year, he loaded up his truck with a bunch of yews and brought them back to San Diego. My mother kept most of them in pots for many years, so they didn’t really grow very tall, and she did plant two in her yard. She had given me a couple at first, then a couple more, which I love, and I planted them in my yard. I even transplanted two from her garden to mine. I was unsure how well they would do here in southern California, but they seem to be thriving quite well. I have a total of nine plants in my yard, and they are very precious to me. The biggest yew is now about 4 meters tall, wow! The ones with drip irrigation are doing the best. Thank-you for sharing your garden and yews, I sometimes wish I lived where things are greener, but I do love sunny, warmer weather. By the way: I have never seen any other Irish Yews here in San Diego. Most people have no idea what they are! Cheers!

@MurphysGarden 2 ай бұрын

Wow, what a fantastic story and amazing they are doing well there. Perhaps you should start a new business propagating and selling Irish Yews to the Californians!! 🤣Thank you for sharing and amazing to think how far that little sapling’s babies in County Fermangh have travelled!!!

@sandeehess472 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing your beautiful garden with us, also a lot of knowledge! It helps to actually see things done as you are explaining, also what has and has not worked for you. Happy gardening!

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Thank you and happy gardening to you too

@Encephalitisify 18 күн бұрын

Each year you cut it, you take shears and snip off the vertical growth as you were describing. That prevents those long vertical woody branches from forming.

@MurphysGarden 18 күн бұрын

Thank you. It’s really worked and ours is looking so much better this year with much more forward facing growth and no ugly verticals

@oakleyjack7600 11 ай бұрын

I’m in my fourth year of growing a perimeter hedge of Hicksii yew. I bought them around 18” tall for about $15 each, and here in the 4th year they finally put out about a foot of growth. Patience is key but when they start responding it’s worth it and you can expect their yearly growth to multiply each year to maturity.

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Yes, we have found that with most trees or hedging, the saying ‘sleep (year 1, nothing happens)creep (year 2, a little bit of growth is seen) leap (by year 3 it’s away!)’ definitely applies. It can’t be rushed and perhaps it teaches us that patience has its rewards! Thanks for watching Jemny

@Thebeekeeper568 3 ай бұрын

Native Americans use to use these yew trees for medicine purposes and it was introduced to European which they took credit and now they're using the ingredients of the bark for modern medicine.

@jcking6785 11 ай бұрын

Stunning gardens! Great info on yews.

@manxman5825 8 ай бұрын

Very interesting to see other people's experiences with yew hedges. It's one of my favourite plants. Personally I would leave the soft growth trimmings on the ground around the hedge (after pruning each year)to act as a mulch. Saves money and time 🙂

@MurphysGarden 8 ай бұрын

I’ve heard of the ‘chop and drop’ technique and I think that would work well in the less formal parts of the garden but it would look unsightly in the formal parts and I’m not sure how quickly yew would rot down. Guess if it’s a deciduous hedge such as beech it breaks down quickly but we’ve done it with laurel and it doesn’t really break down much at all. Also if you cut only a little off it would work well but if cutting a foot or more off it would be too slow. Thanks for your comments, it’s an interesting topic

@manxman5825 8 ай бұрын

@@MurphysGarden Yes I only do it with trimmings of this year's growth. I find it works well.

@pamelacorsi 11 ай бұрын

I learned so much about yews! Thank you!

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for watching Jenny

@sharronbiccum9720 Ай бұрын

You are an absolute darling. Loved your vid. I live in Canada. Have never had a yew. Didn’t know anything about them. You have given megreat ideas. Will be buying one yew today. I live in the Kootenays in British Columbia Not sure where to plant this yew Thanks again for all the info❤️

@a760541 4 ай бұрын

PS If you're thinking of planning any real hedge lengths of yew. Buy from out of the field. DON'T go via a garden centre, it will cost you a fortune. Source s grower and ask them for a price for 100 plus. We did this with 250 40cm trees, just organised a day and they were waiting to trailer away in root balls - good to go. Don't forget to pre dig the planting trenches beforehand. That way they are out of the field and into their new home within a day.

@MurphysGarden 4 ай бұрын

Yes, absolutely agree, so much cheaper that way

@risalangdon9883 11 ай бұрын

Very helpful & informative! Also, the volume seemed much better on this video. 😉

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Oh great, got my son to sort it out for me, thank you for the feedback. I’m always terrified that it blasts out too much!

@jomassey4207 11 ай бұрын

The yew has such a neat yet wispy appearance as a hedging shrub. Love the dark colour too. Although too many would make for a grisly and depressing garden. The other buxus and cone shaped topiary lift the garden due to its golden or blueish hue. Didn't know the history of where the mother tree came from....interesting that the horticulturists have made such different growth styles from one mother plant. You'd never think that someone could make an upright yew from such a wide and twisted trunked, tree. Very fascinating talk. And your new secateurs, I'm still not 100% on how they work. You press once and they will keep cutting until the whole branch is cut. You just wait, no more pressing or forcing. Correct? Ive seen ones that are electronic but very dangerous for children to have in their disposal. I think I'd go for your special cutters anytime. I wonder if they export to the Pacific. Our summer last yr was terrible, no sun...rain and a cyclone as well, in Napier NZ. I'm praying for no further rain and consecutive sunny days. Seems we can't rely on our weather patterns anymore. Bye for now, Joanna😊

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Hi Joanna The secateurs are ratchet garden pruners with a mechanism that performs the cutting action in stages. This is what the website says- ‘Ratchet style hand secateurs offer more leverage for smaller or weaker hands. If you will be doing a great deal of pruning, ratchet pruners might save your hand and wrist some strain and fatigue. This is a real ally which will transform your work and passion. Perfect curved blade for maximum cutting efficiency up to 20 mm diameter. Non-stick coated Teflon blade’. I will contact the company to see if they export Thanks for your lovely comments Jenny

@jomassey4207 11 ай бұрын

Thanks Jenny. I do alot of trimming and using this ratchet style secateur would really reduce any R.S.I Jo

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Yes, it definitely would help. I contacted the company last night to see if they ship to US and perhaps if they have a discount code, it’s worth asking! However, I think other companies do a ratchet system too if you can’t wait!

@a760541 4 ай бұрын

We have approx a total of 120 mtrs in yew hedge (All baccata) planted 20 yrs ago and now various heights from 1 mtr to 4 mtrs in height. Cutting on the non cosmetic side we do evey other year by hand with secateurs. The cosmetic sides with hedge clippers in late May - Mid June. When we do when we need to reduce height we do it in stages. Cut the middle down by about a foot each season. This way you keep the green on the outsides and top edge of the hedge. The inside will start to grow from this new lower height. The next season lower the outsides. That way you don't have a eyesore. The secret is don't if you can let them get out of control..... With our waste cutting in general we finely chop them with a garden tractor and them mix them into the compost bins.

@MurphysGarden 4 ай бұрын

Thank you for that great advice Jenny

@a760541 4 ай бұрын

It's the product of past eyesores

@ginamansfield4376 11 ай бұрын

Your Yews are Lovely! I appreciate the education of how to maintain Yews, how to trim out branches that are gnarly, as well as the equipment used to do so. I’ve often wondered how the well manicured Yews are trimmed so perfectly & what is used to accomplish such perfection. I have very old Yews. I’m wondering if removing dead sections out of a Yew that is 60 years old would rejuvenate that particular area. May give it a go after seeing your video. Also, that is an Interesting tidbit about the Irish Yew. And, I loved seeing the growth on your Sweet Olive/Tea Olive in your Bottomless Lead-look Pots! Well done pot! And, the Erigeron ‘Profusion’ is so pretty! I couldn’t find ‘Profusion’ seeds in the States but managed to order seeds called ‘Santa Barbara Daisies (Erigeron kavrvinskianus).’I’m hoping they look the same as ‘Profusion.’ They are finally blooming and appear to be the same if not close to it. Thanks for sharing Murphy & Mr. Toad with us too! Blessings!

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Hi Gina Yes, just cut out the old dead bits and I’m sure they will come back. My mum and dad have an old yew tree which was dead all on one side where a conifer had grown up against it. They removed the conifer and cut out the dead part and it is slowly recovering. The Erigeron you’ve got is the same, mine is called Erigeron karvinskianus 'Profusion', It’s done brilliantly and I’m sure yours will too, let’s hope it survives the winter. The sweet olive is doing great too and I’m so pleased with how the pots turned out. Thanks for watching Jenny

@ginamansfield4376 10 ай бұрын

Hi Jenny - Thanks for telling me about your Mum & Dad’s Yew. Glad to hear their old Yew survived & is regrowing where trimmed. I’m hoping to trim mine this weekend with the same results. Also, so glad to hear my Daisies are the same as yours! YAY! Mine are really beginning to burst forth in Profusion! Thanks again! Gina 😊

@liammullan2197 3 ай бұрын

Love this video, thank you. One thing I don't get about yew is that regular yew hedges seem quite kind of "coarse". I saw a hedge in a front garden in wimbledon that was about 6 feet tall and very shallow front to back - say 1 foot max - and very closely clipped like topiary. I can't imagine using regular yew for this, somehow? I have seen there are other types of yew - e.g. japanses yew and english/japanese yew hybrids - that are reckoned to be denser. Perhaps those are better for hedges with small footprints for urban settings?

@g-man7938 17 күн бұрын

I have some yews that seem to be dying back, would like to have heard what the recommendations are on feeding the plants i.e. fertilizers and such.

@MurphysGarden 16 күн бұрын

Yew is quite a tough plant and can cope with drought quite well once established. One of the most common reason for yew to fail is water logging of the soil. Although it needs water, especially when newly planted, it hates sitting in soggy soil. Add grit to soil if you are on heavy soil such as clay. If the soil is ok, then cut out the dead branches and feed with a liquid seaweed fertiliser and hopefully it will rebound. Good luck 🤞 and hope that helps

@ajmalrandhawa2968 8 ай бұрын

I really love your garden and your videos. I would like to plant about 6 Irish yew fastigiata. either Aurea or Robusta. Please would you let me know which ones you have, where you purchased and what size and when you planted. Thanks

@MurphysGarden 8 ай бұрын

I’ve just found the plant label and they just say ‘Taxus baccata ’Fastigiata’, I bought them in 2018 from the Dingle/Derwen Nursery in Welshpool and they were 140-150cm tall. They have just recently got really tall, I forgot they were so little! Hope that helps and thanks for watching Jenny

@zarkadiusz123 4 ай бұрын

😍

@annas866 7 ай бұрын

Thank you very much for the video! 12:20 Could you tell me please the name for the tool (grey) which you use for grabbing branches?🙂

@MurphysGarden 7 ай бұрын

Yes , of course. It is called Spear and Jackson scissor action leaf grabber, they are brilliant and definitely saves a lot of back ache! Thanks for watching Jenny

@matthewjandecka9362 6 ай бұрын

My Lords creation. On a warm summer evening after a thunderstorm... On an evening rich with ozone and mist... A Yew can produce a sweet fragrance one of which is unlike any other and that which you will never forget.

@ikaratepe28 4 ай бұрын

Great video🎉 how can I distinguish between two different yew types that you started to explain at 6:31. Are their names the same? How should I search online? thanks a lot

@MurphysGarden 4 ай бұрын

The two different types can be distinguished by their names, so if you want hedging, a large shape or a ball then get ‘Taxus baccata’ or English yew but if you want a narrower, more upright column then get ‘Taxus baccata fastigata’ or Irish yew. Hope that’s clear and helps Thanks for watching Jenny

@ikaratepe28 4 ай бұрын

@@MurphysGarden Got it! Thanks for the helpful tips🏡

@1woestekikker 6 ай бұрын

Can you PLEASE give an update about your osmanthus burkwoodii? I have a hedge of 12 plants but are not very bushy ... Greetings 😊

@MurphysGarden 6 ай бұрын

My Osmanthus burkwoodii are doing great. You can see what they look like now on my last video at 15:39. They are quite slow growing so may take a few years to really bush up Hope that helps Jenny

@thefullerlife5838 2 ай бұрын

Can you keep it small? Like 2x2 ft hedge?

@MurphysGarden 2 ай бұрын

I’ve seen yew used as a box replacement and this one, Taxus baccata ‘Repandens’ is less vigorous and would stay at your desirable size. It is tolerant of both sun and shade but because it is less vigorous it takes a few years to fully ‘fill out’ but will only require one clip a year to maintain a tight appearance, this cultivar Taxus baccata ‘Repandensis’ tends to grow more prostrate, and takes to close clipping on a small scale beautifully well. They have used it at RHS Wisley in their box alternative trials and found it to be very good. Not sure how hard/easy it is to get hold of. From experience, the standard Taxus baccata would be hard to hold back I think, hope that helps. Jenny

@thefullerlife5838 2 ай бұрын

@MurphysGarden very helpful! Thanks so much for your reply!

@X737_ 5 ай бұрын

Sorry to split hairs but yew berries aren’t toxic, their seeds are a bit in particular to horses and ponies but the berry fruits themselves with the seed removed are safe to eat.

@MurphysGarden 5 ай бұрын

Yes, my husband has demonstrated this fact and it makes me a bit nervous!

@X737_ 5 ай бұрын

@@MurphysGarden that’s understandable. It’s weird that it hurts horses much more than us due to different digestive systems (if seeds aren’t removed). Kinda like laurel, we’d get the runs but much worse for horses and ponies. Get one, take the seed out clean the inside with running water to add extra confidence and eat half of one. I bet you think it’s the best native foraging fruit you can find 👍

@user-sy7lj7ds9f 11 ай бұрын

Yew hardiness in North America is zones 3-8 not 7-10.

@Edu_Kate 11 ай бұрын

Phew! I worried it wouldn't work in my zone 4b Minnesota garden.

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Apologies, different websites seem to say different things. Here in the UK we don’t use that system, so I’m sure you know better than me!

@sandeehess472 11 ай бұрын

Irish yew is hardy to 6 at most, common yew in us is hicksii yew which is quite a bit hardier, Irish yew is also going to be a more expensive purchase if you find it. It is a beauty though.

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Thank you, I didn’t know that Irish yew isn’t as hardy, I keep learning!

@thetreehunter 4 ай бұрын

Powis Castle is yew-tiful!

@MurphysGarden 4 ай бұрын

Completely agree with yew 🤣

@josephbohme7917 3 ай бұрын

WHEN SO MUCH PRESSURE OF WORLD DRAMA AND UNREST EVEN WAR. Hard to imagine the mental luxury for am owner to devote the space and effort. Sure if rich, but a common person, what an endeavor. Who gets to sit in it - do you have a tea or coffe party weekly? Will they let you rent your tard for weeings. Many cities even counties deny the use. America has many rules

@Ohhellno376 2 ай бұрын

My daughter died from yew. There are many other substitutions that can be used for landscaping.

@MurphysGarden 2 ай бұрын

Oh I’m so sorry to hear that

@BigDemocracyEnergy 11 ай бұрын

The problem is so do the deer.

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

Oh deer! 🤣 it’s not poisonous to them then!

@BigDemocracyEnergy 11 ай бұрын

@@MurphysGarden not that I know of but I wish it was because they eat huge holes in my bushes and I can’t get them to stop and I have destroyed my role of hedging.

@MurphysGarden 11 ай бұрын

That is a big problem, it’s very demoralising. Could you fence your garden to stop them getting in or is that not practical?

@dispmonk 10 ай бұрын

Geez, I watch 3/4 of the video and you come up and ask if anyone knows if you’re actually doing it right…. I was watching because I thought you knew what you were doing. 🤦‍♂️

@MurphysGarden 10 ай бұрын

Fair point! Rest assured it is the correct thing to do, the hedge has responded very well and we are getting lots of good forward facing growth. I spoke to a head gardener of a large National Trust Property nearby with very mature hedges and was advised that this is the best course of action in young hedges. Apologies for expressing doubt (a British trait!) but I do like hearing other people’s experiences too. Thanks for watching 3/4 of the video!!! Jenny

@Loomr 2 ай бұрын

No one likes yews these days

@Trident750UK Ай бұрын

The flesh of the red berries can be eaten….

@MurphysGarden Ай бұрын

Yes, so my husband has demonstrated to me but it’s a bit terrifying and risky, thought to avoid any misinterpretations better to just say the berry is poisonous!