Tis berry

Contents

Strawberry yew variety
Yew berry care
Reproduction of yew berry
Diseases of yew berry
Pests of strawberry yew
Popular questions and answers

This coniferous tree is a welcome guest in every garden. But at the same time, it is also the most controversial plant: it is believed that yew does not hibernate in harsh conditions. Is it so? Let’s find out with the experts

Have you ever seen yews in the wild? Surely, the yew-boxwood grove in Sochi will come to your mind. There, indeed, berry yews grow, and very old ones – some trees, according to scientists, are at least 2 years old. Do you remember other places? Hardly. And all because in Our Country they are extremely rare. They exist only in the Caucasian Reserve (000), the North Ossetian Reserve (1), the Crimea (2) and the Kaliningrad Region (3).

But once upon a time yew yew (Taxus baccata) grew throughout Europe and occupied vast territories. But people exterminated it – they really liked the wood of the relic. It practically does not rot, and besides, it has bactericidal properties – the volatile substances that this plant releases kill a lot of microbes in the air. They say that if there is yew furniture in the house, no one will ever get sick there. It is not surprising that there is practically no yew in the wild.

But it can be grown in the garden! Yes, the yew has its own characteristics, but in general it is unpretentious.

Strawberry yew variety

In nature, yew berry usually reaches a height of 10 – 20 m, but in the same yew-boxwood grove there are specimens 30 m high. But in gardens, it usually does not exceed 3 m.

There are several varieties of yew that differ in the shape of the crown and the color of the needles.

Goldener Zwerg (Goldener Zwerg). A miniature variety of columnar shape, at 10 years old it does not exceed 1 m. Annual growth is 3-4 cm. The needles are dark green, young shoots are golden green, which gives the plant an unusual look. It is considered completely frost-resistant.

David (David). This yew has a columnar shape and an unusual color of needles – it is green with a yellow border around the edge. It grows slowly, 3–4 cm per year. The height of an adult plant is no more than 2 m, the crown width is 70 cm. light, it becomes light green. Frost-resistant variety, but in the early years requires shelter for the winter.

Repandens (Repandens). Dwarf variety with a flat, rounded shape of the bush. The maximum height is 80 cm, and the diameter can be up to 3 – 4 m. The annual growth is 8 cm. The needles are dark green. Frost resistance, according to some sources, up to -30 ° C, in the early years requires shelter for the winter. Tolerates drought well.

Summergold (Summergold). Dwarf form with open crown. The maximum height of the bush is 1 m, diameter is 2-3 m. Annual growth is 15 cm. The needles are light green, but young shoots are painted bright yellow, which gives the plant a special chic. But its frost resistance is extremely low – up to -18 ° С.

Fastigiata (Fastigiata). A variety with a vertical, ovoid shape. The height of an adult plant is up to 7 m, the diameter is up to 2 m. The annual growth is 12 cm. The needles are very dark, black-green in color. Frost resistance is low (up to -23 ° C), winters well only under snow.

Fastigiata Robusta (Fastigiata Robusta). In the form of a slender column up to 8 m high and up to 1,5 m in diameter. The shoots are very dense. Annual growth – 15 cm. The needles are light green. It grows well both in the sun and in the shade, but in good light the needles are more saturated in color. Frost resistance is low (up to -28 ° С).

Elegantissima (Elegantissima). This variety has a sprawling shape and is somewhat reminiscent of a vase. The needles are variegated, yellow-green. Annual growth – 10 – 15 cm. The height of an adult bush – 3 – 5 m. It is considered completely frost-resistant.

Yew berry care

Yew care requirements are minimal. It can generally grow without any tricks, the main thing is to choose the right place for it.

Ground

Any soil is suitable for yew. It grows best on fertile loams – there it has more growth, the color is brighter, but it winters more stable on loose sandy loams.

Lighting

Yews can grow both in the sun and in dense shade. For species plants, there is no difference at all, but for varietal plants, the color of the needles depends on the lighting – under bright rays it becomes saturated. This is especially true for variations with a yellow crown. With a lack of light, the needles dim and may even turn green.

Watering

Watering yew berry is needed only during the period of active growth. And, as a rule, at a young age – in the first year after planting. At this time, it is useful to water it once a week, 1 bucket of water per bush.

In the second year, watering is needed only during a long drought – also once a week, 1 bucket.

But from the third year, you can no longer bother – yews easily tolerate drought.

fertilizers

There is no need to apply any fertilizer when planting a yew. But what is really needed is to add 1 bucket of earth from under pines or firs to the pit. Special mushrooms live in such a kidney, which help conifers to extract nutrients.

Feeding

They don’t need a yew either. And they are even contraindicated, because fresh organic matter and mineral fertilizers kill those same soil fungi, and without their help the plant may die.

Reproduction of yew berry

Yew berry is propagated in two ways.

Seeds. This option is for very enthusiastic and patient people. Yew grows very slowly, and seedlings reach a height of 1 m only after 30 years. But if you’re willing to wait, then it’s worth a try.

Before you start sowing, the seeds, or rather the cones (this is what the yew fruits are called), need to be soaked for a day in water – during this time the shell will soften, which must be removed. Then they should be dried, mixed with sand and sent to the refrigerator with a temperature of 5 – 6 ° C (this is best done in April) … for 1 year! Still want to propagate yews from seeds? Then, after a year, they should be sown in greenhouses and covered with coniferous soil from under pines or spruces from above with a layer of 2 cm. With this sowing option, about 70% of the seeds germinate.

There is a simpler option – to sow cone berries immediately in open ground in late October – early November to a depth of 2 cm. But in this case, they can sprout in 3 – 4 years.

Cuttings. This method is much simpler and accessible to any gardener. However, one should not deceive oneself much, because experiments show that the survival rate of yew cuttings is very poor: the maximum that can be expected is 20%, but more often this figure is even lower (5).

It is better to cut cuttings for propagation in September-October or April-May. They should be 15 – 20 cm long and should be taken from 3 – 5-year-old shoots – they take root worse from older branches. The needles from the lower third of the cutting must be removed, and then planted in pots, in a mixture of peat and sand in a ratio of 2: 1. It is not necessary to treat cuttings with root formation stimulants – experiments have shown that they either do not give any effect, or, conversely, worsen the survival rate of cuttings (5).

Cuttings take root in about 3-4 months. All this time they need to be watered so that the earth is constantly slightly moist, and shaded from direct sunlight. Cuttings planted in autumn are planted in the garden at the end of May. Spring – in September.

For the winter, the soil around the seedlings should be mulched with sawdust with a layer of 7–10 cm, and the cuttings themselves should be covered with spruce branches. By the way, it will be necessary to cover them for the first 3-4 years.

Diseases of yew berry

In general, yew berry is not often sick, but nevertheless, there are several pathogenic fungi that can cause problems.

Phomosis. With this disease, the bark of the plant dies, the needles gradually turn yellow, then turn brown and fall off. With a strong infection, the branches begin to dry out en masse, the plant weakens, and winters poorly. The spores of the fungus persist on the bark and fallen needles.

At the first sign of the disease, all affected shoots should be cut out. In autumn, treat the plants with Bordeaux mixture (1%). And if the infection has spread strongly, then the treatment with Bordeaux mixture must be repeated in the summer.

Brown Shutte (brown snow mold). This fungal disease affects many types of conifers, and yew is no exception. The disease usually manifests itself in early spring – the needles begin to acquire a grayish-brown hue. And with a strong defeat, the trees stand as if scorched by fire.

At the first signs of the disease, you need to cut the affected branches, collect fallen needles from the ground. And then treat the plants with Topsin-M or Rakurs (6).

Pests of strawberry yew

Pests on yew are very rare, but they do happen, and it is important to recognize them as early as possible in order to begin treatment.

Yew false shield. This pest can be seen on thin shoots and the underside of the needles – insects look like round tubercles of yellow (females) or white (males) color, 2-4 mm in diameter. They feed on plant sap. The first signs of infection – the needles begin to turn brown and crumble, and the needles turn black on the lower branches – a secondary infection in the form of soot fungi joins.

It is difficult to fight with adults – they are covered with a strong shell. But it is possible to effectively destroy the stray larvae, which appear en masse in the first half of July. At this time, the plants must be treated with Confidor Maxi or Engio.

Yew midge. Signs of the pest appear on the tops of the shoots – the needles on them are collected in a bundle, inside which reddish pest larvae can be found.

To combat yew gall midge, Engio is used.

Spruce needleworm. Adults are a small moth of variegated color. And they are harmless. But the silt larvae infect a number of coniferous plants, including yew. They live inside the needles, gnawing mines. As they grow older, they weave a web, collecting several needles in a bundle.

To combat the pest, systemic drugs are used – Calypso, Confidor or Engio.