A yew hedge is best planted in a bright spot, from full sun to partial shade. It is hardy and drought-tolerant and doesn’t require much maintenance. As a hedge, yew should be trimmed twice a year for a neat appearance. If left free-growing, it doesn’t need pruning at all, but can be cut back if it gets too large.
Young plants need to be protected from the spring sun and watered during prolonged drought. Mature yew hedges can handle long periods of drought, but grow better if they receive water. Yew hedges are poisonous—both the berries and the branches. ‘Baccata’ (common yew) has a lush, bushy growth habit. Height 100–120 cm. It’s easy to shape and train as you like, and also looks great when left to grow naturally. ‘Hicksii’ is a sparse, somewhat straggly, upright-growing yew used for clipped hedges, where it’s best at heights of around 1.5 meters.
As a clipped hedge it can be kept even and dense, but it’s important to keep it pyramid-shaped so it doesn’t become sparse at the bottom. If left free-growing, it can reach up to four meters tall and two meters wide. The needles are dark and glossy. A female clone that produces red, poisonous berries. ‘Hillii’ has a narrow, airy, vase-shaped growth habit. It suits clipped hedges of around 1.5 meters.
When clipped, it’s easier to keep dense than ‘Hicksii’, and is therefore often a better choice. They are very similar, but ‘Hillii’ doesn’t have quite as glossy foliage and produces fewer berries. Although ‘Hillii’ is supposed to be a male clone, it is sometimes seen with berries. If left free-growing, it reaches up to 3 m tall and 1.5 m wide.
Planting a yew hedge
- Dig a trench that is at least 40 cm deep and 40 cm wide.
- If drainage is poor, make sure you have drainage so excess water (rain) can run off.
- Mix the soil in your garden with planting soil containing compost and nutrients.
- Fill the trench with water and let it drain away.
- Shovel the soil mix back into the hole until it’s full (there is usually soil left over).
- Stretch a string line to get a straight line when planting.
- Plant 2–5 hedge plants per meter of hedge, depending on the size of the plants. Make sure all roots are properly covered and press down gently. The plants should sit a few cm deeper than the branching point.
- When all the hedge plants have been planted and firmed in, there should be a small hollow left in the trench.
- Water thoroughly and fill the hollow with water, then let it drain away. Repeat watering once more.
- Now take the remaining soil and top up so you create a small ridge along the hedge planting. This keeps the topsoil loose and makes it easy to remove any weeds.
Care
You must water at least once a week throughout the first summer. The hedge can’t form new roots and will die if it’s too dry. It’s very important that the water really penetrates deep into the soil. If you water 30 liters/m², the water will soak down about 30 cm.
A really heavy downpour often gives no more than 10 mm of rain, i.e., 10 liters/m². The water then penetrates about 10 cm into the soil, and that isn’t enough. The recommendation is to get a rain gauge, which makes it easier to monitor.
On the other hand, if it’s too wet, no new roots can form either, and the hedge will die. Water thoroughly, with intervals so it has time to soak in. For autumn planting, give a thorough watering at planting and possibly once more; after that it usually takes care of itself. But stay alert, as autumn can also be very dry!
Fertilising
Yew copes well with the Swedish climate without fertiliser, but one application once a year still makes a big difference.
