issues with some of my Japanese yew trees

Not sure, but those trees mean business.

[quote]Is Japanese Yew Poisonous? The fact that Japanese yew doesn’t mix with dogs or children is an important limiting factor in the tree’s use. Consider the toxicity of the plant along with the way you and your family will use your garden before deciding to plant Japanese yew. Japanese yew contains toxins called taxine A and B, which can be fatal if ingested by dogs, cats, horses or people. The primary symptoms are tremors, difficulty breathing and vomiting as well as seizures in dogs. Ingesting the plant can cause sudden death due to heart failure. Any person or animal that has eaten any part of the plant needs immediate medical treatment.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Japanese Yew And Dogs – Info About Japanese Yew Plants LINK ]

Could be salts in the ground.

I have had a major infestation with aphids, which lead to major trimming. The droppings look like black sticky dust.

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Not sure, but those trees mean business.

[quote]Is Japanese Yew Poisonous? The fact that Japanese yew doesn’t mix with dogs or children is an important limiting factor in the tree’s use. Consider the toxicity of the plant along with the way you and your family will use your garden before deciding to plant Japanese yew. Japanese yew contains toxins called taxine A and B, which can be fatal if ingested by dogs, cats, horses or people. The primary symptoms are tremors, difficulty breathing and vomiting as well as seizures in dogs. Ingesting the plant can cause sudden death due to heart failure. Any person or animal that has eaten any part of the plant needs immediate medical treatment.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Japanese Yew And Dogs – Info About Japanese Yew Plants LINK ]

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I didn't know any of this until you posted it, and I've had two of the shitty trees for years. One grew like it was on steriods, the other has always looked like a terminal cancer patient. They WERE 6 feet apart. I finally cut down those ugly bushes a couple of weeks ago. Very glad I did.

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Yew definitely have a problem.

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Thoughts:
Get that pile of mulch off the roots
Liquid feed them with microelements
Too much water

We've cut the bad stalk out in the past and just let it fill in. Usually something was dumped on 1 in a hedge or a head was cracked & flooding it to cause similar issues.
Are they all browned out on the same side? Seems odd that it looks like this. Is it a hot side and these were grown in some shade or tightly together?