Now is a great time in Zone 7.

Dave

"Tony" wrote in message
om...
Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. A little more info:

After looking at them again, I may be able to cut them back to almost
withing a foot of the ground and leave a little green on each plant.
Over the last couple of years, I have been cutting back the side
facing my yard pretty hard (can't get to the neighbor's side due to a
chain-link fence, which is why I want a screen there) to try and get
some sunlight into the bottom of the plants. This has allowed them to
sprout some new growth closer to the ground.

These plants aren't overcrowded, but they are shaded by a nearby
magnolia. They get morning and late-afternoon/evening sun, but almost
none during midday.

I have gotten so sick of seeing them in their current state, that I'm
going to try this this year. If they don't survive, I'll yank them
out and replant. I've gotten good an pulling out yews with a jeep and
a tow strap as there were a bunch more that weren't worth saving on
the other side of the house.

Only question I have is what the timing should be for doing the
cutting. Should it be dow before the first spring growing spurt?
It's starting to warm up and I've got some perennials starting to come
up, so the yews won't be far behind.

"SugarChile" wrote in message
...
Well, you're in luck. Yews are unusual in that they will send up new
growth
from old wood (unlike, for example, junipers). I would not recommend,
however, taking them back all at once. You will need to do the work in
stages. I would plan on taking three or four years for it. Cut back
half
of the branches on one side the first year, the other half the next,
then do
the other side.

I would also top dress the soil around them with compost and mulch, and
make
sure they stay watered if you experience dry weather--established yews
are
fairly drought tolerant, but you will be asking a lot of them in terms
of
new growth.

I have done this successfully with twenty year old yews. It took a
while
for them to fill back in, but they look great now.

Cheers,
Sue

--

Zone 6, South-central PA


"Tony" wrote in message
om...
I have a row of large, old (best estimate if 50 years) yews in my
backyard that I would like to try and revitalize. They were not
tended well for quite some time before I bought the house and they now
are nothing more than a thin green crown and all wood underneath.
There's almost no green on the sides.

What I'm wondering is if they would survive an almost complete cutback
and break wood. Or, if it's even worth the time to try. I would
still like to have a hedge there to screen my neighbor's yard.

Unfortunately, I do not know the exact variety of these shrubs. Only
that they are yews. Any information or suggestions would be useful.

Thanks