On Apr 22, 7:40 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?

Just a little bit of an add-on to your actual first question, for it
seems that 'dragging' the thing out with chains etc - when you stated
that it was near some steps - is really not an option.
Yews 'can' be pruned back hard, but I do mean hard. If you just snip
away into the brown woody twigs a few inches back into the growth, it
is unlikely to 'regenerate' from these light prunings. However, if you
cut it back hard - back to say wrist-sized limbs, early in the growing
season, or even just prior to the growing season, - then it WILL re-
shoot fresh new growth which you can then keep under better control by
annual pruning. I have many images of this type of pruning - on Yews
etc - if you wish to be re-assured then simply contact me through the
site.
By the way, several of the UK's great gardens have yew topiary, which
once they have been neglected, have been rejuvenated, re-shaped, by
cutting back hard.
Go for it!
Regards
Data
www.gardenseeker.com