Many hobby gardeners try to grow a bonsai. The stone yew tree is best suited for this in this country. Here you can find out what it takes to make it a success.
The so-called stone yew (Podocarpus macrophylla) is particularly popular for bonsai. Not only does it look very similar to the real yew, it also resembles it in its properties and characteristics: The evergreen trees love moist, nutrient-rich soil and only grow very slowly. Like the yew as a bonsai, the yew tree is very easy to care for because it is not very demanding. But how do you grow the stone yew as a bonsai? And what should be considered for the general care of the yew tree as a bonsai?
Making a bonsai out of the stone yew - what speaks for it?
There are many reasons for the yew tree as a bonsai: The coniferous tree provides a beautiful look with its needles pointing upwards and can be cultivated as you wish, i.e. it can be shaped into any shape. Whether strongly upright, inclined or freely upright - the stone yew cuts a good figure in every way and is also very appealing due to the bark with its rustic, wild appearance. But there is another reason for the yew tree as a bonsai: since it is easy to care for, you cannot go wrong with it when cultivating it and gain important experience. In addition, the yew is considered a bonsai that can be cared for indoors all year round - which is anything but a matter of course for a conifer.
How to start cultivating a yew tree as a bonsai?
Cultivating and caring for bonsai was brought to the world in Asia, but has long been practiced worldwide. The process is considered a true art by many lovers, because the owner has to look after his pupils conscientiously and nurture them with discipline. Of course, before you can cultivate a bonsai, you have to choose a tree species that suits your own climate zone - the holm yew is a coniferous tree that likes it moderately humid and does not need too warm temperatures in winter, which is why it is also used in ours climes can be used ideally. As already mentioned,The big plus of this tree species is that it is one of the few that can be kept indoors all year round.
Now it's time to decide how to get the bonsai material. Many possibilities open up here: On the one hand, you can grow the bonsai from cuttings or seeds - but this takes many years and patience until the tree can be designed and shaped as you wish.
Another way is to collect material like small trees from nature, which is called Yamadori in Japanese - but this method can also have disadvantages. An easy way to get started is to buy small trees from nurseries that are already tall enough to be worked on.
Cultivating a self-collected stone yew tree
If you have accidentally discovered a small stone yew in nature, you may be able to grow it into a magnificent and impressive bonsai. The first thing to do is dig around the tree with a spade, keeping a sufficient distance from the roots of the plant. Now the tree has to be lifted out of the ground, although it may be that the spade has to be used again at one point or another. The tree should be planted in an appropriate pot as soon as possible and kept moist so that its roots do not dry out. To do this, mix part of the soil from the location of the tree with bonsai substrate, fill a perforated bowl with gravel and Akadama until a quarter of the bowl is covered, and plant the tree together with the soil mixture. Now it has to be watered plentifully but gently. The stone yew should be protected outdoors if possible, but placed in a bright place and needs constantly moist soil - this may only be worked on next year.
To design bonsai
The processing and shaping of the stone yew into a bonsai of your own liking is done by cutting and bending with wire. First, the branches are pruned with concave pliers - the cuts on the bonsai heal better than with other pliers - so that they can develop as naturally as possible, but perfectly as you wish. There are a variety of techniques to pursue, but many users do so entirely of their own free will. In addition, every tree often develops very differently, despite the pruning technique.
As a rule, the procedure is such that no branch is at the same height on the trunk of the tree as the other. Unsightly growing, crooked or unnaturally behaving branches should also be removed. the branchesin the upper crown area it should be finer - so branches that are too thick are also trimmed here. Wire is used to wrap branches that are to be bent to grow in other directions. This involves wrapping the wire around the tree and applying light force to secure the branch to your liking - then the wire can be attached to the trunk or to an included stake in the ground to keep that direction. The wire should be removed after six months at the latest, otherwise it can grow in - you should also check regularly whether the wire leaves marks on the thickening branch.
Cultivate Nursery Stone Yews
If you were able to buy a young stone yew tree in the nursery, you can work on it in the same spring - working on it in summer is not recommended. First, the tree is planted in a pot with a drainage hole as described above, and lightly fertilized and kept constantly moist. To edit, follow the pruning techniques and wiring described above to turn the young tree into a bonsai.
Care for bonsai
Bonsai care is just as important as working on the bonsai itself. The yew tree should be placed in a light location, but not in direct sunlight outdoors - otherwise sunburn could occur. If you leave the stone yew bonsai outdoors, it can endure minus temperatures for a short time, but minus temperatures should be avoided for a long time. It is important to repot the stone yew bonsai about every three years to provide new space for the roots. Conventional ground soil with some Akadama is used for this coniferous tree, clay soil is to be replaced with the enriched soil. Fertilizer can be used about once a month when dealing with younger yew trees - older ones will need slightly less. The slow-growing stone yew always needs moist soil, but waterlogging should be avoided and the soil should be made quite permeable.
Advantages and disadvantages of the stone yew as a bonsai
Advantages
✔ is very uncomplicated in terms of care, you just have to pay attention to moist soil, little sun and a bright, not too cold location
✔ offers a beautiful look with its upright needles and rustic bark
✔ is one of the few conifers that can even be kept indoors all year round
Cons
✘ grows rather slowly, so cultivating from seeds or seedlings can take a long time