Not everyone appreciates the unfortunately poisonous yew tree in the garden. If the tree needs to be removed or replanted, you will have to do a lot of work. Therefore, you should think carefully about whether you want to dig up the yew tree. What do you have to consider when digging?
How to dig up or remove a yew tree?
To dig up a yew tree, dig deep and wide as it is a deep-rooter. Young yew trees can be transplanted, but older trees require heavy equipment. If you are not digging up, we recommend sawing off the trunk and covering it with strong foil.
Yews have deep roots
Yew trees are one of the. This means that the roots of old trees penetrate very deeply into the ground. The tree also forms a dense network of small roots just below the surface. So if you want to dig up a yew tree, you have to dig deep and wide.
Transplant only young yew trees
You should only transplant young yew trees whose roots have not yet spread so far. You can only get older trees out of the ground with heavy equipment. The roots are usually severely damaged.
If you want to transplant a young yew tree, you must leave a distance of at least 1.5 m around the trunk when digging it out. Use a digging fork (€34.00 on Amazon) to cut so that you don't injure roots unnecessarily. Always check how deep the main root reaches into the ground.
Find a location in the garden where the yew tree can remain. Remember that yew trees can get very old. Prepare the soil well and dig into a planting hole that is at least twice the size of the yew tree's roots.
Remove the old yew tree completely from the garden
Removing an old yew tree from the garden without digging it up is almost impossible. New shoots will continually sprout from the roots. Some gardeners swear by repeatedly cutting off the new shoots from the remaining roots so that the roots eventually die. But that could take many years.
If you don't want to dig up the yew tree, you can try sawing or having the trunk sawn off directly at the ground surface. Then stretch a strong film over the stump to prevent new growth.
Tip
To remove an older yew tree from the garden, you should hire professionals. It is only possible to get the roots completely out of the ground with appropriate garden tools. The wood is also very heavy and can hardly be moved by hand.