Is the pruning dangerous? (Taxus baccata)

Can you safely cut a yew tree?

There is only a risk of poisoning from yew if you consume parts of the yew plant. The poison is in the stem, needles and the kernel of the fruit. The pulp itself is edible and birds love it.

Cutting the yew is therefore not dangerous. However, you should still take a few precautions when you are about to do that Rejuvenate yew tree or to get in shape.

The sap can cause inflammation

When the yew tree is cut, the sap comes out. If it gets on bare skin, it can cause serious inflammation. There are also gardeners who tell of skin irritation on the face because they got needles of the yew tree on the sensitive skin of the face while cutting.

While these injuries are not life threatening, they are of course very uncomfortable. They can be avoided by taking appropriate precautionary measures.

Precautions when cutting a yew tree

• Wear gloves!
• Protect face from needles
• Wear long-sleeved clothing
• Do not leave cuttings unattended

Don't leave the clippings in the garden, especially if you have pets who may be gnawing on the branches. There is also a strong risk of poisoning for animals if they eat parts of the yew tree.

What to do with the remains of the yew tree?

Even if the yew tree is so poisonous, you shouldn't worry about it compost bring. The toxin is broken down by the bacteria. If the yew is rotten, the poison has also disappeared. So you can safely use the compost for vegetable beds.

Just bring healthy Cut material on the compost. Chop up the yew scraps before composting them. Otherwise the decomposition process takes a very long time. Mix the yew tree with other compost components to make it a higher quality one humus arises.

Cover the yew remains on the compost well so that no animals can tamper with it.

The best time to cut the yew tree

You can yew that all year over cut without even one strong pruning the yew tree becomes dangerous. It survives cutting without any problems and becomes even denser with more frequent cutbacks.

It is only better to avoid a cut in the hot summer. At the interfaces, the needles turn brown when exposed to strong sunlight. This is harmless to the yew tree, but it doesn't look so nice.