Yew tree and hedge work
Yew tree surgery
Yew tree surgery can involve a mature tree, a clipped hedge or an overgrown boundary. We plan the work around the form, the live growth and the people or animals using the space.
Short flat dark needles, sometimes with red arils
Poisonous if eaten, so show animals and the ground below
State whether it is a tree, hedge or overgrown boundary
Yew tree work
Tree work and hedge work are different jobs
A mature yew tree may need a selected branch removed or clearance from a building. A yew hedge is more often managed to an agreed line. Show the complete form so the request does not turn a careful tree prune into a hedge-cutting instruction.
Yew is unusual among familiar conifers because it can produce new growth from old wood. That gives more scope for renovating an overgrown hedge, but it does not make one severe cut the best plan for every specimen.
Large hedge reductions can be staged
The RHS recommends gradual renovation of an overgrown yew hedge, commonly over three years, instead of cutting every face hard at once. This allows the work to be divided between the top and sides while new growth develops.
The actual sequence depends on the hedge's condition, the amount to remove and the customer's aim. Regular summer or early autumn trimming is easier to keep on line once the required shape has been established.
Reddish bark and flat needles are useful clues
Common yew has reddish-brown or purplish bark that peels in thin plates. The needles are short, flat, dark green and pointed. Female trees can carry red fleshy arils, each open at the end around a seed.
Yew is highly poisonous if eaten, including its seed and foliage. Keep cut material away from livestock, children and pets. Wear gloves when handling clippings and tell us about animals that use the work area before the job is planned.
Plan where every clipping will land
Sheeting beneath the work area can help keep small yew clippings together. Show ponds, gravel, planted beds and any animal enclosure below or beside the tree. Clean-up is included, while the handling of cut material is agreed for the individual job.
A yew can be protected by a Tree Preservation Order or conservation-area controls. Very old or veteran yews may also need specialist assessment. Woodside does not offer surveys, consultancy reports or veteran-tree preservation work, so those services must be arranged separately where required.
