Hello, I have four mature yew trees that must be about 40 years old and have noticed tiny very few seedlings in the past but they are very fragile and get disrupted easily underfoot or with raking. But, this season, with clearing the thick old brush from under the trees, there are individual seedlings and clusters of seedlings that are surviving in protected areas. So far, I've made sure they've had watering and have a bit of leaf or yew needle litter around them. The roots are so minimal at this point, but later, can they be moved into a bed or to pots and if so, when, what conditions? There's a few dozen seedlings so a few should be able to thrive but they have to be moved at some point when their roots are established a bit more. Thank you.
Transplant sooner than later, with small root systems, your reduce the risk of damaging the roots even when digging a fairly small rootball. They will need coddling with water & TLC in their new location (bed or pots) but the extra sunlight will speed their growth.
Thanks for all the replies, For now, in the summer heat, I'm keeping the clay soil well moistened-- it dries very quickly. The roots still need a magnifying glass so digging them is not a problem-- seeing the roots is. A teaspoon would work for a shovel right now! None has ever grown past this stage in previous years but the brush was thick and only this year cleared so there's more light and moisture available to them. I'll post a photo later.. and won't try to move them too soon. (there will be some that won't survive where they are and can experiment with those first) Thanks again!
