GRAYCAT926 from Bolton, CT
Willow cuttings root easily because the tissues contain a natural root-promoting hormone. They can be started any time of the year in pots, or outside in late winter or early spring.
To start a tree from a cutting, select a healthy branch that is approximately 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter, and about 10-15 inches long. If planting outside in the spring, pound the branch into moist soil with a rubber mallet, leaving two or three leaf nodes exposed above ground. The site should receive at least a small amount of shade during the day to allow the roots to develop properly. Roots will start to form within a few weeks, and by fall the cutting can be carefully transplanted to a permanent site-ideally as far away as possible from foundations, water pipes and sewer lines.
To root a cutting indoors, simply stick the branch in a small pot of moist soil and transplant it outside as soon as the danger of frost has passed.
Good luck.
Ellen
This page contains the following solutions.
How do you start new trees from an existing Weeping Willow tree?
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
My daughter had to cut down her weeping willow after it was destroyed in a storm. We noticed that the cut logs and branches were starting to sprout. Can a new tree be started from these and, if so, how?
By Kate
You can just cut off one of the shoots and put it in water, or plant it, but it must be kept pretty damp till it takes root. It will grow with no problem. We have done this several times, they are pretty easy to get going. Good luck.
How do I start a willow tree?
Hardiness Zone: 6a
By Carol Burich from Pittsburgh, PA
All you have to do is put the cut end in water and change it every 2 or 3 days, be sure there is room between the twigs so don't crowd them in a glass or jar.
Rinse the stem ends when you change the water but stop rinsing them once you see roots, just carefully flood the jar with warm water until it is clear again, once roots start appearing simply pot them up and try to keep them in a warm area, they grow like crazy so be prepared! Corkscrew willows can be kept in a pot for many years and make beautiful trees.
Can I clip a piece of my downed willow and make a new willow?
By Lee
Willows root pretty easily and you shouldn't even need any rooting hormone (many of these compounds are made from willow anyway). If the tree has been down for a short time, you should have no trouble rooting it as the stems will still be live for a period after it has fallen. If the tree fell due to disease, I would not root cuttings as that could be transfered to the new trees.
Take a cutting from new wood on the willow, about 8" long (new wood is a term for that season's growth). Leave only 2-3 leaves on it at the tip. At the base of the cutting, gently scrape off some bark on two sides of the stem. This will help roots to grow from that area.
Place the stem in a 4"-6" pot with moistened potting soil. I like to use a potting mix that is for seed starting. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to keep the humidity high. Place the covered pot in a partly sunny location (morning sun is best). Check the soil daily to see if it needs watering. Spray the soil with water as needed and put the bag back on the pot.
After 4-8 weeks, roots should begin to grow. You can check the drainage hole on the bottom to see if you see any roots growing or gently pull on the stem to see if you feel any resistance. If you do, then roots have started growing. Once you know roots are growing, removing the bag and continue to grow it in the pot until roots have filled up the pot. Transplant to a larger pot to grow for another year or so, before putting in the ground. I'd suggest taking more than one cutting in case some don't take root.
I also have another method you could try, but not sure if it will work in your situation. You can use a technique called layering. Simply take a stem, nick the stem with a knife and then bury the wound under soil while the stem is still attached to the tree. After 6-8 weeks you can cut the stem from the mother plant and dig up the cutting with new roots attached. You can usually have a larger plant this way as the stem is still getting support from the mother plant as the new tree is growing roots of it's own. Works great for all kinds of bushes too.
Can I plant a branch from a weeping willow? Should I use root hormone on it?
By Eileen
I would say definitely on the root hormone. I know that you can root the curly willows in water first. It should not be hard either way. It is almost impossible to kill those darn things!
How do you grow roots on a weeping willow cutting?
By Nick J.
My friend simply cuts a good sized stem and puts in in the ground while the leaves are still coming out. After that time, I would normally put the stem into a container of water until roots showed up.
I have taken some cuttings from a large weeping willow at the end of our road. They are now well rooted and I was just wondering if these will grow into mature weeping willow trees?
By Steve
Yes, so be sure to give them lots of room to grow!
I have a weeping willow tree in my back yard. I would like to know how to prune and start another tree with my pruning
By David
I found these actually on this site:
www.thriftyfun.com/
I might actually try this myself!
I received some weeping willow twigs in the mail. I've already planted them in a small pot. They're about a foot long. They are "not" branches. They are much smaller and thinner than a branch. I've had them for about 2 weeks and the willow buds are starting to sprout leaves. I've noticed that they grow more and more each day. And they seem to grow faster if I water them faster.
My question is, now that they're starting to sprout, will they grow together as one tree? Or will each sprouting twig become its own tree? Also, is it possible to take the willow twigs and entwine them together so when the weeping willow tree grows, the trunk will be braided?
I've tried looking all over online, and I can't find a legitimate answer. The only related searches are about pruning, watering, etc. I know all of this, I just want to know if each twig will be an individual tree.
Thank you so much for your help ((:
By Donna R
Each cutting is an individual tree, if planted in 1 clump you will have a clump of willow trees. Please check with your county extension office for more information on growing your willows, if they can be braided and any other questions you may have. I do hope this helps.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
Is it ok to start a weeping willow cutting in the fall?
How do I propagate cuttings of the weeping willow?
On Valentine's Day 2007, I received some roses with beautiful greenery! On of the pieces of greenery was a Curly Willow branch which is growing it's leaves.
