If you are growing  a screen or hedge it is a good idea to plant a double row so that you can prune them alternate years, keeping your screen or windbreak in place. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. For best growth, prune your weeping willow when it is young, cutting it so that there is one central leader. This will give the tree time to become acclimated to its surroundings before becoming dormant. ... meaning male and female flowers grow on separate trees. Suggestions please for ground cover plants to grow below the tree.The border is at the side of a beck and the soil type appears to be slightly clay. While weeping willows can help wet spots in your yard, planting in standing water is not advised. The matting that we use and supply is also marked with handy squares that make it easier to get your spacing right! So be sure to plant your willow where it will receive plenty of water. Willow spiling might be a solution for you it you have an eroding bank that is in a sunny place and do not want to install a hard landscaping solution. One of the oldest forms of erosion control using willow, willow spiling is a popular way of stabilising a bank that is next to water. You can test your soil for good drainage before you plant. Weeping willow trees add a graceful element to any landscape design. We plant between December and Mid March and get around a 98% success rate. If the hole drains at a rate of 1 in (2.5 cm) to 6 in (15 cm) per hour, you have good draining soil. Spot it at riversides with leaves draped in the water where it feeds and shelters native wildlife. Weeping willows are preferably planted in fall to enable root development before the first frost spells, so that growth can resume in the following spring. Close-up of the White Willow male catkin in April, showing the yellow ‘anthers’ before releasing pollen Grey Willow male catkin in March showing the yellow pollen. You need to make sure that you plant your rods and cuttings whilst the willow are resting over the winter, that way they get the best chance to establish a strong set of roots before they start producing buds and leaves in the spring. When you are calculating how many plants you need we suggest that you plant most of our willow varieties no closer than 30cm (1 foot) apart. The weeping willow (Salix babylonica) is probably the best known of the weeping trees, with gracefully arching stems that dangle delicately and shiver in the breeze.The leaves of this deciduous tree are lance-shaped and grow 3 to 6 inches long; they turn yellow in the fall before dropping. If you absolutely must plant a weeping willow, have some fun and go for S. babylonica Crispa, with its curled-up leaves (very Chinese) or Tortuosa Aurea with its twisted leaves on orange stems. Click on the links below. Willow spiling might be a solution for you it you have an eroding bank that is in a sunny place and do not want to install a hard landscaping solution. Select an area with good drainage. Willow is a fantastic, ‘woody’ biomass crop. The most important thing is firstly to make sure that you plant at the right time of the year, and secondly to ensure that you keep the weeds down. This trait makes them difficult to collect though as there are no large berries or nuts to easily pull off the tree. They also like plenty of water, so try to find a location near a pond or lake. Dig a hole the size of the root ball and backfill with soil. Plant a weeping willow tree at least six weeks before the first frost in your area. These Trees Have a Short Life Span. Measure again after 15 minutes to see how much water has drained, and then multiple that amount by 4 to see how much water would drain in 1 hour. Fill the hole with water and then let it drain completely. Pop them in! Don’t forget, some varieties are very vigorous and their roots will search out water so never plant willow too close to any building or other structure. References. Give it 2 gallons of water before filling in the rest of the soil. Weeping Willow male catkin March. Dovefromabove Central Norfolk UK Posts: 64,999. Planting a weeping willow. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. There is a somewhat romantic, rustic appeal to the weeping willow trees. Weeping Willows Prefer the Sun. You should plant the tree so that the roots will be able to extend fully before reaching the water. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Willow really are very easy plants to grow and to propagate, and all our willow come with detailed palnting and care instructions. If you are looking to grow willow as a specimen tree, consider the AGM Golden Weeping Willow, or the native Kilmarnock Weeping Willow. Transplant the new saplings to their final location in autumn when they have dropped their leaves. Examine the branches towards the top of the willow tree, making sure that they’re at least 2 in (5.1 cm) apart. To plant a weepy willow tree, you’ll need to find a relatively sunny spot with good drainage and lots of room. Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/what-the-heck-does-well-drained-soil-actually-mean, https://www.gardeningchannel.com/how-to-grow-weeping-willow-trees/, https://www.bowerandbranch.com/plant-weeping-willow/#.Wh8SrrbMy3U, http://www.southernliving.com/garden/grumpy-gardener/the-only-good-place-for-a-weeping-willow, http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Trim-a-Weeping-Willow-/10000000178706177/g.html, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. pendula. Early Chinese cultivar selections include the original weeping willow, Salix babylonica 'Pendula', in which the branches and twigs are strongly pendulous, which was presumably spread along ancient trade routes. Here's another installment of our growing trees from cuttings videos. These woven ‘walls’ can hold back the banks and as the willow grows, the roots form a dense root mat that binds the bank together, making it stronger and preventing future erosion. We here at World of Willow are not specialists in this area so click here for more information from some friends of ours at JPR environmental on both the supply and installation of spiling material: http://www.jprenvironmental.co.uk/erosion_control.htm. Plant at least 10m (33ft) from these areas ; A moisture-retentive soil will encourage more vigorous growth although willow will grow in most soils ; Clear grass away from the base of the structure before planting and consider planting through a weed control membrane to eliminate the burden of weeding Willows need dry soil from time to time, so planting in an area with good drainage and that has loose soil will allow air and water to get through. Remember though, the later you leave it the harder it will be for your cuttings to establish. Some varieties need a good chop to encourage their ornamental features. For more detail have a look at our YouTube films on planting willow cuttings and on pruning and coppicing your willow. Hardy in zones 6 through 8, weeping willow trees grow well when planted adjacent to water. You’ll need to dig a wide hole and make sure your surround the root ball with plenty of soil. Keep in mind that the roots of the willow can grow up to 45 ft (14 m) out from the base of the tree. Maintenance The best time for planting is from the middle of November until early April. Goat Willow male catkins at the end of March. Get your timing right! When you’re choosing your place for planting, don’t threaten their utilities, either. If you go down this route, seed can be collected in late May or during June before it’s blown away. You can plant until the end of April, make sure that the cuttings have not started to leaf, and providing you water well you will get some good results. Weeping willows do best in soil that can filter air and water, and in a spot that gets between 2 to 4 hours of sunlight per day. Your Willow will benefit from regular coppicing. Willow, also known as sallow or osier depending on the species, has been used as a practical resource by humans for thousands of years. You’ll want to take care when you’re cutting the grass near the tree. As long as you choose a good planting area, with good drainage and plenty of sun, they’re pretty easy to plant. You can plant until the end of April, make sure that the cuttings have not started to leaf, and providing you water well you will get some good results. It is then simply a case of making a hole through your matting of the right size for your cutting, checking your cutting is the right way up, and popping it in. Dig a hole that is 1 ft (0.30 m) square. If your weeping willow tree’s leaves are looking pale, you can apply a balanced fertilizer, with an NPK ratio of 20-20-20, in spring. Willow seed is very light and fluffy, which makes it perfect for being distributed on the wind. A willow needs water and it will settle in perfectly near a river, a pond or any body of water. If you are planting the more vigorous hedging, windbreak or fuel varieties then look to a spacing of around 1m (3 feet) between plants for best results. If you’re growing willow for colourful winter stems, prune hard in spring for the new growth that will be on display the following winter after the leaves have dropped. see more; Synonyms Salix caprea 'Pendula' Salix caprea var. Keep out the weeds! Keep in mind that your neighbors might have underground utilities on their property. Push soil in and around the roots when planting willow trees, and water the soil in well. If you use mulch matting then it will continue to benefit the plants for several years until they are well established. Also, willows must have copious amounts of water. We here at World of Willow are not specialists in this area so click here for more information from some friends of ours at JPR environmental on both the supply and installation of spiling material: http://www.jprenvironmental.co.uk/erosion_control.htm. Although willow grow strongly they are no match, even for grass, when they are young. Maggie Moran is a Professional Gardener in Pennsylvania. These distinctive trees were subsequently introduced into England from Aleppo in northern Syria in 1730, and have rapidly become naturalised, growing well along rivers and in parks. CUTTINGS: The cuttings we supply are 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) in length and should be planted with the triangular shaped buds pointing upwards with at least three buds showing above ground level, which is … You might need to fertilize it from time to time, too. 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