Yew Tree is too big but dont know how to prune

Hi

We have a Yew tree in our garden that sat nicely between 2 paths.

We have had it trimmed a few times but now it too big and you cannot get down the paths anymore as its spread too wide.

I would like to prune it back but the greenery is only on the ends of the tree, the inside is just barren twigs.

It needs taking back around 20" minimum but this will just leave the trunk and the branches and no green at all.

If I just take it back 20" will the green come back at some point or can I take it right back to virtually the trunk and see what happens?

I'll try and upload some pics now....

Thanks

Rich

 

Pictures, hope they upload ok

 

My understanding is if it's too overgrown you need trim it back in stages,too much in one go might be too much of a shock for it....I have known Yews to be completely chopped back and still recover but it takes quite some time...Hang on before you get the shears out to see if anyone else can come up with a solution

 

At Chirk Castle they have pruned some of the Yews back to the main trunk without killing them. BUT, as said, the harder you prune the longer it takes to bush out again. However, it will eventually.

 

Thanks, so if I take it back say 10-15" which would remove all the green, but leave all the branches on the trunk, would that be too much? I can take say a few inch off and leave a bit of green but that isnt going to solve the overgrown problem.

 

If you lost it altogether @Richleeds would you be devastated? if so to be on the safe side just take it back a good foot or so...you could however try a serious prune to solve the overgrown problem,it won't look good for a while but it will slowly regenerate

 

I think you need to cut it back harder than you think.
Reason being, its best to cut back hard then trim the regrowth to where you want it.

Never found yew to not regrow from bare stems.
It will look awful for a while, so best done in spring, giving it summer to green up.

 

I wouldnt but the other half loves it!

Today I trimmed it back to give it some shape, its still too wide but it looks a lot better than it did.

 

Yeah, I'll go for this plan I think, trimming it back for the next couple of months just to tide it over and then go for a major haircut next spring.