Propagating willow tree...

[lesa]

I know a lot of people hate weeping willows, for any number of reasons- but, I love them!!!! I ordered one a couple years ago and planted it far from the house in a wet area. It has grown quite successfully. At least 6 feet tall, with lots of new growth. People claim they are very simple to propagate- I have never had any luck, thus the ordering of one... I would love to start a few and spread them around. How should I do it??? Thanks!

 

[bid]

I rooted some a few years ago from a tree that was mature and fairly large, 20-25 feet tall or so. I took cuttings from the last years wood and put them in a bucket with water until I could get them home and then just stuck them in pots with some garden soil. The cuttings were about as big around as my pinkie to my index finger (holds up fingers so you can see) and I cut them at about a 45 degree angle. I kept them damp and shaded from the hottest part of the day but a bit of morning sun and they rooted for me. The hardest part was remembering to keep them watered and not let them dry out.

The reccomendation I got from the fellow that was kind enough to give them to me was not to cut the growing tips off, which was a bit different than what I was used to in trying to root woody cuttings. He also told me to take the cuttings from the last years wood rather than trying to root from the present years growth. Hope this helps you a bit and good luck!

 

[journey11]

I have curly willows and austrees (a willow relative) that I have made many "babies" from. With them, I hadn't paid so much attention to which year's growth, but simply took cuttings of extra branches I wanted to prune out and stuck them in a bucket of water for about a month or so (change water as needed to prevent mosquitos or getting rank). They are very eager to make roots and will do so very quickly. The thing with any type of willow is that once you stick them in the ground (I bury the stem down to about one foot), you need to keep them very wet, especially that first year. They will prefer a damp location anyways, but otherwise you will need to water them deeply at least once a week and more during hot/dry summer weather. Once they get going, they grow quickly and soon you will be giving away cuttings to all your friends and family!

 

[hoodat]

Use half hard cuttings four or five inches long and put them in a mixture of sharp sand and seed starting mix. Be sure you insert them right side up. Keep them as wet as the mix will absorb. Put the pots of cuttings in good light but out of the sun and they should start to root in no time. Willows are the easiest trees to root and in fact water where a bundle of willow cuttings has soaked for a couple of days will help any other cutting to put out roots. that's what nurserymen used before things like Rootone came on the market. Willow bark tea was also the original aspirin.

 

[lesa]

Okay, thanks for the tips everybody! Hoodat, that is very interesting about the rooting hormone- who knew?? Gonna try it- I'll keep you posted!

 

[patandchickens]

Just take a section, stick it into a large (like, gallon or multiple-gallon) pot of damp potting mix, don't let it dry out and keep it out of the wind/sun til it roots.

Truthfully you have probably missed the easiest window for rooting them, as I've had best luck BEFORE they start to leaf out -- but with care and enough cuttings you should be able to get some to 'take'. IME you can't usually get a willow twig to grow from its leader bud, though (even if there is a leader bud *on* the section you use), usually it wants to go off in several side branches and then you have to pick the best one and remove the others.

Willow twigs can also be rooted in water on a non-sunny kitchen windowsill -- in fact, come to think of it, for already leafed-out branches I may have had more success THIS way than with potting them up -- BUT do not let the roots grow more than an inch long or so before potting them, or the plant will make the transition to potted life poorly or not at all IME.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Mattemma]

I have corkscrew willow,so not sure if this will apply. I cut from the new growth,dip in rooting powder,and put in potting soil out of the sun. It dies back at first,but then quite often it will start greening up.

I love willows!