Weeping willow (salix babylonica) attempts

[greg27]

I stumbled across Matt S's salix babylonica thread - viewtopic.php?f=158&t=22302 - (thanks Matt) and got all inspired, so a couple of weeks ago I went for a wander along Linear Park to see if I could find a weeping willow to grab some cuttings from. I wasn't sure how I'd go because councils like to poison/remove these due to them being so invasive, but within about five minutes I'd found three trees. Two were a bit inaccessible with a pram (I had my assistant with me) but one had thick branches growing right next to the path, so after a couple of minutes with the pruning saw and some odd looks from passing cyclists I had some cuttings.

These have been sitting in a bucket of water behind my shed for a couple of weeks - the white spots are roots beginning to form. The spot I have them in gets some harsh afternoon sun so the leaves are a little crispy, but it's the best spot to keep them to avoid too many eye rolls from my wife.

Once things move along a bit I might try splitting a branch to make better use of one of the long straight cuttings.

[greg27]

Oops, forgot to include a close-up of the forming roots.

[greg27]

Just starting to get some decent roots appearing, plus some shoots from the largest cutting that had no leaves.

[MJL]

Hey Greg,

I appreciate this thread for a few reasons - I had not seen Matt's thread and that is interesting - so thanks for that. Also, your photos and approach is making me want to have a crack too. So thanks again! I don't have a willow near my joint but there's one near mum and dad's so I am encouraging them to go for a walk and tae their secateurs.

Cheers,

Mark

PS - If I do get some cuttings, I think mine may need to sit out of site too... or the dreaded eye-roll.

[greg27]

Thanks Mark, glad it's useful - I was hoping logging things as I went would prove useful to someone! Get your parents to take a pruning saw rather than the secateurs I reckon - the two thicker bits I have are doing better than the thin one!

Those eye-rolls are an occupational hazard - although I did manage to convince my better half to go for a hike with me so I could dig out an olive stump the other day!

[Matt S]

Yay Willows!
I’ll also encourage taking thick branches as cuttings, no point in striking thin twigs when branches as thick as your arm will strike just as easily.

Greg, you can wait until the roots grow quite long before you plant it out, it will grow quite happily in just water.

Matt.

[greg27]

A few more photos from this morning for the sake of a complete timeline. If only everything grew as quickly and easily as these!

[greg27]

A quick update on these guys - they're nuts! I've been rubbing off the lower buds so that growth is focussed toward the top. Other than that they've just been sitting in their bucket of water.

Hard to believe that the bottom cutting in this photo was completely bare a month ago.

[MJL]

Ha! Well played. Ya can't kill it! I hope the ficus, that I have conducted a premature air-layer on, has the same willingness to live!

[greg27]

So I'm not sure how "correct" this is - I kind of made it up - but I've cut a wedge out of the thicker of my two cuttings, and then used some brass screws and wire to hold it back together, to try and get rid of the straightness of it all. I did this about a week ago and it hasn't flinched, and I figure the worst case is it'll just grow roots from where I cut the wedge.

[greg27]

I just realised I hadn't updated this thread with the latest developments. A couple of months back we had a lovely run of 45 degree days, and apparently the willow cuttings didn't appreciate me forgetting about them and leaving their bucket sitting on concrete between an iron fence and an iron shed so I've managed to kill a tree that is pretty much the easiest thing to grow. Just before that happened there was a huge mass of roots and foliage on both cuttings.

I think I'll reattempt my willows again at some point. I've been keeping my eye out for something with a bit of interest rather than just long straight bits so I'll see how I get on there.