can anyone help with sick little yews..........

A client purchased some very ill looking yews, about 70cms tall.  They have been in a season and we have lost a few, the rest are fighting to stay alive but they are just not putting on any growth.  I have tried, more light, more bone meal, more grow more, more water, less water and shouting at them........Of course the client thinks they should be a hedge already but sadly we are a long way off, any other ideas would be great, thanks

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PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Graeme @ BGS on February 18, 2011 at 17:20
Unless I misunderstood things.  I think Gaynor was refering to Dave Sewell comments and about how good he is.
Permalink Reply by Sarah Russell on February 18, 2011 at 17:24

Oops!  I can see how that happened - for some reason Gaynor's response didnt come through at the right time - makes the conversation read completely wrong!


PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Graeme @ BGS on February 18, 2011 at 17:26
I blame Phil and his changes but all is being reverted back soon! :-)
Permalink Reply by Bigyin on February 18, 2011 at 17:28
Bit quick off the mark there Julie.  Gaynor is always helpful and appreciative.

PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Graeme @ BGS on February 18, 2011 at 17:31
I have found that if you have purchased healthy yews they should be a carefree plant to grow (ok a bit slow growing) and is widely disease resistant. Unless planting in clay where extra care and prep work is required.  Thankfully most of the ones I have planted has been in sandy loam even the few in our famous Farnham Cray have faired ok but they do drown if you get it wrong.
Permalink Reply by julie andrews on February 19, 2011 at 7:52
yes she is, I have got the wrong end of the branch........I have tried to say sorry but I am having trouble getting through...........Gaynor if this reaches you sorry, I got confused with who was saying what to who..............

Pro DesignerPermalink Reply by Caro Sanders on February 19, 2011 at 9:33
you don't say if you've tried pruning them? a light prune in April, another in September might help, and if they're not dead by then (!) could try moving on to regular 3x per year pruning next year (April/July/Sept is about what we do for yew hedges).  We're in London on clay soil. Mulching helps too, of course. interested to know about the PVA spray, not heard that before.  Good luck, sounds like a bit of a nightmare but client can't reasonably hold you responsible in these circumstances!
Permalink Reply by James Todman on February 19, 2011 at 10:11

The clay soil maybe causing an issue with drainage making the yews susceptible to a disease called Phytophthora.

 

As your yews are so sick maybe worth the risk of digging up and replanting with plenty of grit and organic matter incorporated into the soil. This will improve drainage- yews need plenty of water to get established but hate to sit in it.

 

While dug up inspect the yews rootball to see if there is any sign of new growth. Re-planting with mycorrhizal fungi helps to establish a healthy root system quickly.

 

Unfortunately you are up against it as yews can be hard to get established. Does the owner have a dog? Seems a strange question but a client of mine had the same problem as yours. I tried everything with no success until I found out it was because the yews had become the dog's favourite peeing post! Sadly it was too late to save them and we planted a fantastic holly hedge instead.

Permalink Reply by Claire Golemboski-Byrne on February 21, 2011 at 11:58

Sounds like they were dodgy in the first place, but also the clay soil and drainage is a problem. Have they any roots when you dig up the dead ones?

I used to work in a garden with truly horrible drainage and the clients had already planted a few years before I started there. We'd take out the the bad looking ones, transplant them elsewhere onto better drained soil and they'd come back, but you could never replant them back, they'd just die immediately. The soil literally was stinking in places.  I left that garden a few years ago and I think they've ripped them all out now, and they were lining four large parterres...


PRO MemberPermalink Reply by Phil Voice on February 21, 2011 at 12:06
Permalink Reply by julie andrews on February 21, 2011 at 17:21
Thanks for all your help, I have a few new tricks to try and save the little darlings, fingers crossed.

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