Pruning Yew Tree

We have this tree, which I assume is some kind of yew, consisting of about 5 or 6 small trunks.


It is about 5m tall and has grown about a metre in the last 5 years (since we moved in).
I have two concerns:
- it blows around alarmingly (we are on an exposed site). The roots are on a raised part of the garden, not far from a drystone wall. The top parts are much higher than the last ring of garden wire and so tend to flop out at 90 degrees.
- it is starting to brown in a few places higher up. Not much on the outside lower down - seems heathly enough (and certainly heathly enough to give me a bad rash if I get too close whilst weeding underneath).
I'm guessing that it needs to be pruned to reduce its height.
Various posts/stickies say that, being coniferous, it can be cut at any time of year? This'll only happen when the dunnocks have moved out ;-)
Do I just straight cut across at e.g. 3.5m, or should I get someone in to take a proper look?

 

Its an "Irish Yew" (which is just a Sport of an English Yew, slower growing though)

Yew normally responds fine to hard pruning (that's NOT the case for everything Coniferous though, as you may have seen in "posts/stickies" ...)

I think Irish Yews look nice with a "flat-top", so if you want to flat-top it at 3.5M I think that would be fine. You might prefer to flat-top it 6" lower, and then cut the fresh growth that comes during the season at exactly the height you want [later this year, or next], otherwise you will have the "ends" of the main stems at your finished height, and it will be hard to make the top look "right".

You can put a wire around them [like a trouser belt], at various heights, to keep them neat and stop the wind blowing the various stems about, or the snow weighting them down, but they can look a bit strangled like that.

Do knock the snow off them in the winter though, although flexible enough to make Bows that won wars! they may bend irrevocably, or even break :(

 

I've got a couple of these, I dont want them too tall so every 5yrs or so I cut 3or4ft off the top, just done mine.
I prefer them to look kind of natural so using secateurs I cut the stems down to slightly varying heights.

Once the new growth starts you cant see where I've been.

 

I've just had a close look at the picture.
Not sure its Irish yew.

Could be one of the upright growing Chamaecyparis, perhaps "Ellwoodii" or similar?

 

Sorry, I didn't bother to expand the image Agree Chamaecyparis / Ellwoodii. Possibly, but less confident, Juniper?

I think it will be happy to have its top cut off, but less so than Yew, and may not regenerate as well. If it regenerates OK I would trim the top, like a hedge, annually rather than do the 3-foot-cut as Pete said for his Yews, as lightly trimmed will regenerate.

Does Chamaecyparis suffer from the Cupressus aphid (that makes Leylandii go brown and die)? If so pay attention to when the recommended times are for trimming to minimise chance of infection.

 

Thanks for the advice - yes, I keep the snow off as around these parts there is either no/little snow, or a whole dump of heavy damp stuff (though not this year!).

Height will be governed by what I can reach by ladder and I'm pretty good at shaping during pruning of other plants, so that should be fine.

That leaves the identity - here's a close up:



An area where it has gone brown: