Encouraging Back Budding on old wood

I have a large old Yew. All of the foilage is on the outer tips of the branches. Over the last three seasons I have cut it back hard believing that it would back bud on the old trunks. Well, no luck.

I usually don't cut back past the point of foilage. I leave some foilage on each branch. If I stump the branches leaving no foilage will it die off, or should back bud?

Any other tips?

http://www.bonsai4me.com/SpeciesGuide/Taxus.html

Ed

Thanks, but it doesn't answer my question.

I'm not interested in encouraging budding where needles have been plucked. I'm interested in whether hard pruning can force backbudding on the the trunks. And whether or not pruning to a point where no growth is left in the branch will cause the tree to die.

Yew will bud profusely on old trunks when cut back hard. That's why they are used for topiary, hedging etc. Just make sure that they are vigorous and well fed when you do the cuts, though I'd do that early in the growing year.

When was your tree collected or repotted?

I wouldn't advise hard cutting on the same year, or on a tree whose roots have filled the pot.

But on a healthy tree with very good root condition, you can prune it very hard back and see it backdud, aye.

I have collected numerous Yews over the years, mainly from woodland where the foliage is up high. Most of these trees were reduced below any greenery and once the weather warmed up, would pop new buds everywhere. As mentioned previously, if in a pot you would do well if the tree you are pruning back is really strong and healthy.