Willow Cutting

stephentoddpope

hey, i got some cuttings of willow, some have leaves, and some don't, i was wanting to know the best way to root them, and if the ones w/out leave will root? i was also woundering if willow leaves will reduce, and by how much, can they look like the weaping willows by the pond? thanx

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salix

Although I do not pretend to know the 'best way' to root willow, I have had moderate success from just placing the cuttings into a jar of water. Roots will sprout in about 2 weeks, I think. You can also put them in wet, clean sand. Rooting hormone should be unnecessary with willow if your cuttings are fresh and green. I just started a new willow this last weekend, actually...

As far as the weeping goes, I think it will depend on what kind of willow you have. If you took it from a weeping willow, it should be no problem. Other varieties can be trained in this style, but not as easily. My cutting is from a curly willow, so I will be trying a broom or flame style.

Let me know how it turns out!

stephentoddpope

ok, no it is not a weaping willow, just some willow growing by the pond, i put the peices that didn't have leaves into a bottle of water, w/ a little root stimulator, do i need to take them out? i have never trie with a willo, and am unsure ALSO, CAN I KEEP THEM INSIDE UNTIL THEY HAVE OOD ROOTS? SRY, CAPS LOCK

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

salix

They will be fine inside until they root, and just fine with the rooting hormone, and you may even want to keep them in through the winter, as the new roots will be pretty tender. I'm sure someone will correct me on this if I'm about to be wrong, but my plan with my cutting is to let it do its root growth indoors this winter, then move it outdoors in the spring to take advantage of an artificially long growing season. Come the following winter, I'l be ready to allow dormancy as usual.

I don't know if you're feeling that experimental, but that's what I'm trying. As long as they don't dry out or freeze hard when young, willows are pretty tolerant of noodling...

stephentoddpope

OK, SOUNDS GOOD TO ME, it doesn't get that cold in alabama, so i will take it out next spring, and let it go next year out side, i can get plenty, so i can experiment all i want,hehe, thanx

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

Ceberon

Willow root madly easy. You can cut off a branch the size of your arm, stick it in some type of soil, and water frequently. I have some in dirt pots, some in gravel, sand, etc. All of them have rooted extremely easily.

As for the season, I'm not sure when is best to root willow. I rooted a few just a month ago, and I'm in chicago. I'm interested in seeing how well they last through the winter. If they don't last, it's so easy to root them, I'll just try again next year.

Btw, I didn't use any rooting hormones at all with them, they don't seem to need it.

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Tony

Mid spring through mid summer is the best time to start willow cuttings. I'm not sure how well they'll do all winter inside. You will need to keep the humidity high and probably provide artificial light as well. Or as soon as they have plenty of roots you could just let them go dormant by putting them in a cool spot for the winter. Some where between 30-50 degrees but no hard freezes.

Tony

salix

I've never started one this late in the season, but I just got a wild hair and decided I'd try to pull a fast one on Mother Nature to see if I could get some good root growth. I'm probably still at least a month away from cold weather (it was in the 70's here yesterday), and even then, it won't get too cold, so I'm hoping I caught it at a time of rapid pre-dormancy root growth as the water table comes back up.

The tree I took my cuttings from is half dead, and is surrounded by a 6-foot-high sea of blackberry cane. I climbed up an entension ladder leaned against a pretty dubious branch to (barely) reach the living sections of the tree. I was probably about 10 feet up, dangling over brambles higher than my head. I had to reach out to a branch that was way out of my 'power zone,' and the cutters wouldn't make it through the branch. I finally just reached out and gave it a little tug, and it broke right off well below where I was trying to cut (figures, huh?). I didn't even end up using that branch, and took some thinner, but nicer-looking cuttings.

doody

I am trying to fool momma nature also, but with different trees. I have a Zelkova cutting, and three magnolia cuttings that have already started to root. I might try bringing them into the house, and in December put them in a cold area for dormancy like Tony said.

I also took cuttings from a flowering purple leaf plum tree last month. A week after I took the cuttings I had new growth, but I have'nt checked for roots yet. Is it possible to get new growth without roots?

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"What we see depends mainly on what we look for", because "Creation and art are defined only by the boundaries we confine ourselves"

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