Frank said:

On Apr 22, 2:40 pm, Nil wrote:
I've got a hugely overgrown yew shrub/tree by my front steps. It's at
least 10 or 11 feet tall, and quite too big around. Can I prune it back
to 6 or seven feet and maybe take some off the diameter, without
killing it? Will any deformed areas caused by pruning eventually get
covered up by new growth?

You can try opening it up by pruning some branches from within to let
in light.
Then growth can start within and you keep doing this and gradually
prune back.
This can take 2-3 years to complete but should work.
Frank

A LOT will depend on the variety of Yew. If it's an upright Yew, it's going
to want to be 10'-12' tall and 10'-15' in diameter. There's no way around
that, as that's how big that plant grows. It's growth to that size can be
slowed by removing 1/2 to 3/4 of the *new* growth each year. Eventually, it
will get to the size it's supposed to be, though. Trying to force it to any
other size will not bring about desired results. If it's a Hick's Yew
(5'-10'H x 4'-6'D), it *may* work, but will still most likely look
horrible.

It definately sounds like yet another case of an inappropriate plant for
it's location, an all too common mistake. Best thing would be to remove the
overgrown shrub, and find a plant that won't exceed the dimensions
specified by the location.

--

Eggs

The cost of living hasn't affected its popularity.