Starting a new tree/shrub....

[2468Gardeningisgr8]

I have a cork screw willow tree...witch hazel ?....that is about 4 years old ...I have moved it twice now and this year its really doing good....I was wondering if I pin down one of the branches to the ground and bury it how long it would take to have another tree/shrub?......Would I cut it off next spring? and then plant the new plant?.....I bought some Forsithyia....spelled wrong...at a garage sale and the woman told me that is how she always gets more for her hedge to keep it looking good....mind you their little twigs but a deal......Thanks

 

[patandchickens]

Now is this a corkscrew willow, or a corkscrew hazel, or a witchhazel? (Three utterly different things).

If it is a WILLOW, you can root cuttings pretty easily -- in late winter you won't even need rooting hormone, the rest of the year it can't hurt to use a little. And it will grow up into a reasonable size bush in a few years.

If it is a corkscrew HAZEL, I can tell you that regular (noncorkscrew) hazels root pretty readily so I should think the corkscrew form would too, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to use a little hormone powder as well, and of course they grow MUCH more slowly than corkscrew willows do so it will remain teeny for a long time.

Witchhazel is harder to root, although it can be done.

Yes, you can bend over a branch, wound the bottom bark slightly (e.g. partially break or cut the branch), then pin or weight it down and cover with a mound of soil that you mulch over, that is a lower-maintenance way of doing it if space permits. It will work for willow for sure, and I *believe* it would work for hazel; I do not know about witchhazel but since you mention corkscrew I doubt your bush *is* witchhazel

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[robbobbin]

Yay! Pat, good reply!