Cultivation methods and precautions of yew

1. Potting soil

Yew prefers slightly acidic soil, and alkaline soil will cause poor growth or even death. The soil texture should be moderately loose. It does not like it to be too loose. A mixture of ordinary garden soil and leaf mold will do. In order to improve drainage, river sand and perlite can be mixed in.

2. Light

The yew tree has special requirements for light. It is shade-tolerant during the one to three years of the seedling stage. After three years, its requirements for light will become higher and higher, and when it reaches adulthood, it needs full light.

3. Water

During the maintenance period, the yew plant requires the soil in the pot to remain slightly moist and not completely dry, but it is also afraid of waterlogging because it can easily cause root rot.

4. Pruning

Regular pruning is required during maintenance, mainly pinching the young shoots when they sprout, to encourage them to grow side branches and make the branches shorter and denser. If not pruned, the branches will grow very thin and then droop, blocking the lower leaves. The blocked leaves will die due to lack of sunlight, and over time the bottom branches will fall off.

5. Notes

There are relatively few diseases and insect pests on yew trees, so you don’t need to pay too much attention to this problem when caring for them at home.

If the yew tree blooms and sets seeds, its aril is edible, but the other parts are poisonous. It is not recommended to eat it or take it directly as medicine. The active ingredients in it need to be extracted and processed to be effective.