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hicks yews? (on planting)

11 years ago

I want to plant a row of Hicks Yews but I need to know a couple of things first... How far apart should they be spaced? When is the best time of year to plant them? When planting, should they be in a straight row or staggered? Thanks everyone.

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

11 years ago

Nothing the slightest bit tree-like about Hicks yews :-) And not likely to be subject to any "plagues", which is one reason these make an excellent hedge plant. They have a bit of a columnar, upright habit but still have an ability to spread to a good size, albeit not very rapidly. If you want a solid hedge, plant them closer - about 4-5' apart. If just as a backdrop or if a staggered planting, you can increase that to 6-8'.

Also, like any yew, immensely prunable.

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Comments (12)

ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
they are conifers.. which are trees ... though i care not where you post..

use the link for planting instructions

as to spacing.. it depends on how fast you want them to fill in ..

plus the standard caveat of planting a monoculture .. if some plagues come along.. you might lose them all ...

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link
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User
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks Ken, as always I appreciate your thoughts. I have one in my front yard and I love it. I have a location along side my house, where a row of these would be ideal.

Gardengal - Is there any particular time of year that they should be planted? I'm glad I asked how far apart they should be spaced. I would have planted them about two feet apart. Thanks for you help again Gardengal.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
11 years ago
Now is the least ideal time but doable. Winter better than now, spring better than winter, fall best of all :-)

Caveat: this only applies to Pacific Northwest!! Not suggesting to anyone anywhere else what is good/better/best planting time.

Cadence, I may be a bit more generous in my spacing than some folks because I prefer plants to fill in naturally with minimal pruning to maintain size or keep them from overcrowding their neighbors.
Embothrium
11 years ago
The main thing with yews is good drainage, they must have that.
User
Original Author
11 years ago
Gardengal, thanks again for helping me. Yes, I'll wait until the fall to plant them and allow enough room so they don't crowd each other.

Bboy, thanks for the tip. Is there a way to tell if you have good drainage or not? I have heard that if you dig a hole and pour water in it, if it drains in about 15 minutes, that means it has good drainage...is this true?
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
Be sure to plant them at least 5 feet or more (like 6'-8') away from the house.

tj
User
Original Author
11 years ago
Hi tsugajunkiie..You suggested that I plant them at least 5 feet away from the house...why? do they have really large roots?
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
11 years ago
See the link for its potential and those have been trimmed. Biggest mistake folks make with foundation plantings is to plant too close to the foundation. Now, if you want to be out there trimming year after year after year that's up to yew. ;-)

tj

Here is a link that might be useful: Yew don't want it too close
Evergreen-shrubs.com
11 years ago
Hicks Yes is a good choice because they are very hardy and have thick foliage. If you want them to grow together you should plant them 3' apart. You could plant them in a straight line or stagger them depending on taste, I personally like them staggered, because it looks more natural, but you will need more of them to fill the space.
The best time of year to plant is spring because they have time to root before the hot summer months come, but they can really be planted any time of year. If planted in the summer they will need to be watered.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hicks Yew
annieecamp
10 years ago
Could you tell me how and when I could trim my hicks yews? I do not want them to grow together like a hedge. I want to keep them narrower. I don't mind the height. What and when is the best way to accomplish this? Should I use a hedge trimmer or cut branches off at the bottom?
Thank you!
Patricia Jordan Marks
7 years ago
Annie, I'm just wondering how your Hicks yews came out? Were you able to trim them narrow? What method did you use?

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