If the yew tree turns completely brown after winter or even in summer and even loses its needles, you should be very vigilant. In the rarest of cases, illnesses are present. An unfavorable location or insufficient care is more likely to be responsible for this, especially in the first few years.
Why does a yew tree turn brown and what can you do about it?
If a yew tree turns brown and loses its needles, this may be due to drying out, pests, diseases, unfavorable location or winter sunlight. Check the exact cause and cut back affected branches, water well, control pests organically or improve the site to save the yew tree.
Causes of brown needles on the yew tree
- Yew tree has dried up
- Yew tree is infested with pests
- Yew suffers from diseases
- Yew tree is in an unfavorable location
- Yew tree got too much winter sun
You need to investigate in more detail why a yew tree has brown needles. If the branches can be broken easily, the yew tree may have dried up.
If there are feeding burrows in the trunk or you find lice on the needles, this is a pest infestation.
If the brown needles appear after a long, sunny winter, they are simply burned. That's not a problem. The yew quickly recovers from this.
Can the yew tree still be saved?
Whether a yew tree with brown needles can still be saved depends on how badly the tree is infected. If it dries out, you can try cutting back the yew and then watering it well. The trees usually recover.
If there is a pest infestation, cut off all branches with brown needles. Disrupt ant trails (€9.00 on Amazon) and use biological pest controllers such as lacewings, nematodes and ladybirds.
How to prevent the yew from turning brown
A strong, he althy yew tree can usually cope with diseases and pests on its own. If it lacks nutrients or gets too little or too much water, you should take action to remedy the situation.
A good preventive measure is to mulch the soil under the yew tree. The water balance is well regulated by the mulch cover. The yew tree can then not dry out so quickly, even if it rarely rains.
The mulch fertilizes the yew tree at the same time and provides it with lots of nutrients.
Tip
Yellow, soft needles on the yew tree indicate fungal infection. Cut off all affected branches generously and dispose of them with household waste. Thin out the tree or hedge so that the air can circulate better again.
