Trimming back evergreen yews: Will it grow back?

We have large old evergreens about 4 feet high. If we cut them back to the wood and leave a foot worth of branches, will it regenerate? Any tips? How long before it looks like a shrub again?

Trimming back evergreen yews: Will it grow back?
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Some of the evergreen branches should have been trimmed back while others left for an eye appealing shrub until you get it growing again. The branches that are cut back will start growing soon. In the future when you trim an evergreen for a natural look, not the squared off look, always reach back into the plant several inches, and make your cut with maybe a third of the branches. This lets the sun get into the inside of the shrub and creates growth giving it a soft look of green instead of a brown dying plant. Remember when you cut of the ends of a shrub that is where the new growth is going to sprout from and that creates more blocked sun for the inside.
Reply:I think that if you don't trim your shrubs regularly, or even if you do for that matter, they seems to just out grow themselves. Nothing makes and older home look young again like new shrubbery. Good luck and thanks. Report It
Reply:Actually, you're in pretty good shape with Yews.



It's getting a little late for Yew pruning, but it's not too late. You can prune fairly aggressively on Yew, but since the season is getting on, be a little more conservative. Hope this helps :)
Reply:We had same old evergreens. My experience was that once I cut back the new growth to the wood it did not grow back. Only trimming the area of new growth will regenerate and the inside of the old evergreen stays the way it is.
Reply:Use the 1/3 rule (remove 1/3 of the existing plant mass):

-Remove any dead or broken stems

-Prune any gangly (long offshoots) to your desired lenght. Just make sure you still have some foliage on those shoots

-Tools: Use handshears for stems smaller than the width of your finger. Use "loppers" (pruning shears with long hadles) for larger stems. Stems that are too big for either tool, use a pruning saw.

Remember to water (but not fertilize!) the plant 24 hours prior to pruning to avoid burn marks.
Reply:a good guideline to heavy pruning is to take only up to 1/3 of the shrubs mass.
Reply:You can trim them back, just don't overdo it. Some trimming is ok, you can "neaten" the yew and make it look more even, just don't trim it too far back.
Reply:you may have over done it and could kill the trees. you should only cut back a few inches till you get the look you want
Reply:Taxus will withstand the harsh pruning, provided that there is some foliage left intact.



Best done in early to mid winter.



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