Growing willows

[Curly]

I don't know anything about the subject of tree growing, so bear with me please:
Many years ago, when I planted a shelterbelt on the farm, I remember receiving willows that were just a piece of branch, cut on both ends. If I remember correctly, I stuck them in the garden and watered them until they made roots and had sprouted (is that the right word?) and grown to about two feet tall, then transplanted them to their final destination. It was quite fascinating to see those sticks come to life.

Now, I'd love to do that again. Can I just go and cut these myself off a willow tree? Is this the right time for it? There will be about another 6 weeks before trees here start growing any leaves, so they're still dormant I suppose. The snow is just now starting to melt a little.

I'd be grateful for any advice.

[Rob Millar]

I did it at college, so I'm a little rusty, but we just put them in the ground in about april time and they grew.

Take a piece of willow about a pencil width thick and cut it to a pencils lenght- cut the bottom flat and just beneth a node, and the top slanted so you know which end is which (in smart edited circles this is called polarity). Stick it in a pot, or the ground and watch it grow.

Obviously the more care the better, but there really not hard or fussy. They like a ton of water though so bare that in mind.

To give you an idea of how easy they are, in England there put at lenghts of two metres by about 20cm wide into river banks, and they will be a tree by the summer. Easy as!

Enjoy

[Curly]

Easy is great, thanks!. The ones I grew in the past made me quite happy, because not everything grows well under my care

[DankyDoo]

u can also just take these and put them in a bucket
of water and leave them and they will root

[The Helpful Gardener]

And you can use the willow water to assist in rooting other plants ( a centuries old trick that has scientific basis)

[url]https://www.seattlepi.com/nwgardens/325091_lovejoy28.html[/url]

HG

[Rob Millar]

Do you use the the water to put onto young seedlings/cuttings/divided plants, or soak the water or something?... that sounds like a cool trick

[The Helpful Gardener]

You can chop up willow and steep it in a bucket for three days and use that to water cuttings. The orignal rooting hormone!

HG