- Yews are deep-rooters
- Dig up the root of the yew tree
- Remove roots by biological and chemical means
- Cover yew root with foil
Removing the root of a yew poses a real challenge for the garden owner. It is not so easy to clear the roots of this coniferous tree - at least not when the yew is older. How do you remove the root of a yew tree?
Only the roots of small yew trees can be removed by hand
Yews are deep-rooters
The yew forms a strong main root that extends deep. In addition, it gets a lot of small, delicate roots that hide, among other things, directly under the ground.
This root formation allows an older yew tree to take care of itself, even if it has been very dry for a long time or the soil does not contain that much nutrients.
However, the root system also prevents you from being able to remove a yew tree from the garden so easily. It's not just digging it up that's hard work - new shoots are constantly being formed from small root residues.
Dig up the root of the yew tree
If you want to transplant the yew, you have to get the roots out of the ground as completely as possible without kinking or breaking them. For this you will have to dig deep, depending on the age of the yew tree.
With larger trees you need heavy equipment for this because the roots are not only extensive but also very heavy.
Remove roots by biological and chemical means
If the yew tree has already been felled, you can try to remove the root using biological or chemical means.
To do this, drill small holes in the remaining root and fill with compost starter. There are also chemical agents that ensure rapid decomposition, but if possible avoid using them to avoid damaging the health of the soil.
It takes a long time for the rootstock of the yew tree to disappear in this way.
Cover yew root with foil
If you don't want to dig up yourself, saw off the root as far as possible at the top. Stretch a firm film over the root remains and fill the spot with soil.
The film prevents new shoots from shooting. However, in addition to the rootstock, other saplings usually grow, which you have to remove continuously by hand.
tips
It takes quite a while for the yew to blossom for the first time and for female trees to bear fruit later. It takes up to 20 years for yew trees to become fertile, and sometimes longer.