名媛直播

I have a huge bush that someone I know wants dug out. What is the best way to go about this? If it’s a very mature bush is it possible to save it? I am in zone 5. I would love to collect this pot it and then wait till next year to work on it. Any help is appreciated.

It would help if you told us what type of tree/bush it is,and/or a picture. Generally if you are in the northern hemisphere now is not a good time to dig up trees.

This is the bush, so you would probably say no to digging it up? I know it is mainly early spring or late fall. Just didnt know if I could sneak by or if I had waited too long

I would not touch it. Not now, nor any time else.

First of all it will be backbreaking digging it out. Second, most conifers dont backbud so easily. So you are looking at a decade or more to turn it into a thrustworthy bonsai if ever.

But thats just me, if you are ready to invest the time and work for a slim chanse of a nice looking bonsai in the future, by all means, just do it. But not now, in late winter or early spring. What you can do now is to reduce all the new light green buds to half leangth. That will promote growth closer to the trunk and you will get a feel for the work that needs to be done the first few years before it is styling time.

Got it if it doesnt seem worth it to someone with a lot of experience like yourself then I will probably pass. I am just trying to look for free trees/ shrubs in yards and things to keep the addiction going without breaking the bank and just saw a nice trunk and thought it might work. But good to know. Thank you for the insight!

I dug up two smaller than this. Four hours for one, five for the other. Keeping he rootball intact meant carrying quite a bit of weight around. I don't think I would do it again.

This looks like a Yew (Taxus spp). These backbud everywhere.

I have dug a few of these, smaller and bigger than this. They are excellent for bonsai (In my view one of the best species). The only thing I find tricky is getting them to re-root, and I have not found the best way. They seem to be very much self-deciding. I have had some that we pulled out, planted without thinking in a pot in full sun that grew. And I have had some that I spend a lot of time caring for that died. Make sure you check the trunk and ensure there is some interest (Although also straight trunks can be turned into something nice)

Key aspects I am finding is not cleaning out the rootball after digging. So try to get a fairly compact rootball old soil including in a small container.

Other tips
Wait at least 2 years before you do anything.
Keep as many growing tips as possible
Mist the tree frequently

This is certainly a tree I would consider digging, in fact, I have one like this marked in ebay, but I am not sure I have the space to put it till it recovers. For you, I do not know what sort of soil you have. Here I have sand, clay, humus. So all soft soil which are easy to dig in. If yours is more rocky it can be a nightmare to dig. The base of Yew plants tend to flute outwards, so gently poke around in the soil to find out how wide the base really is.

When you decide to dig, bring a strong rope, which will allow you to tie up all the branches giving you space to work. Bring a sharp spade, large branch loppers and a foldable saw (Or better, battery driven saw) to cut through big roots. All actions should be aimed at minimizing damage, and keeping the original roos intact as much as possible. So no tearing. After digging, make sure you have burlap or tarp to tightly wrap the roots.

Yew wood is VERY dense and thus HEAVY. Getting this out would mean you might have a 50kg shrub& rootball combo: This is a 2 person job to recover, and may take you half a day to do.

This is the one I am eyeing. Been online for 2 weeks. Me being sick last week held me back then. And now the weather has turned I am concerned I may have missed my window (And I am not sure I can pull it off, collecting)

The concern with backbudding is mute.



If you collect now, collect the whole shrub. Do not go messing with this years growth, the plant needs all the growth it can get. It is a little late in the season, but the one above was dug in July. It took a long time to recover, but id did. Alternatively, consider collecting next year at the very start of spring, as the buds are swelling.

Listen to LB. I have no experience whatsoever with yews, live on clay/rock base and have a back issue.

If two persons can get it out in half a day, that is not too bad. Here I would be working for weeks.