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Quite some time back I asked a question on hedge suggestions.
In that post, there was a nice suggestion to use willow branches to induce rooting in ANY plant I'd like to plant.
Here's follow up on that suggestion.
Actually, it did work.
We planted about ten willows around wet area that turns into pond when it rains in our property.
We simply placed willow branches into a gallon jar, half way filled with water. Let them sit there.
Took LONG time, maybe because it was quite cold outside but in about 6 weeks they did let white tentacles out and water changed its color to sort of greenish.
Those "roots" are alien looking - bright pink.
We now have those willow branches planted and various clipped branches of what she wants to plant more sitting in that water.
It's been said that willow produces some very potent hormone that makes any plant part root.
You can actually buy it online or there are faster ways of doing willow water, almost like brewing a tee.
But either way, it's working and is cool to do and inexpensive way to mutiply plants without paying nursery arm and leg.
Some of you PLANT willows....some of us try to eradicate willows.
My neighbor has a weeping willow on the corner of his property next to my yard. To say I hate, despise, and cannot stand that atrocity is an understatement. With every storm that comes through, I pray that the winds will take the entire tree down. It's messy, awful, and I do not like it. I am forced to trim it's branches several times each summer. I walked my yard this afternoon, and that stupid tree has dropped piles of branches on my yard. Also along the edge of my yard, I have willow shoots that come up every spring...they get clipped, cut, sprayed, and still they return....
I have used willows to dry-out wet spots. On one farm we used a willow grove for goat forage with dairy goats.
I use willow-tea for rooting other cuttings I make.
Currently I have some willow growing for basket weaving, light green, brown, red, yellow. They grow well and the branches are very bendy, good for weaving baskets, etc.
Our land now is largely peat bog, so willows are very handy for helping with wet spots.
Don't forget to keep some willow leaves in a jar in the pantry for making tea for yourself.
Quite some time back I asked a question on hedge suggestions.
In that post, there was a nice suggestion to use willow branches to induce rooting in ANY plant I'd like to plant.
Here's follow up on that suggestion.
Actually, it did work.
We planted about ten willows around wet area that turns into pond when it rains in our property.
We simply placed willow branches into a gallon jar, half way filled with water. Let them sit there.
Took LONG time, maybe because it was quite cold outside but in about 6 weeks they did let white tentacles out and water changed its color to sort of greenish.
Those "roots" are alien looking - bright pink.
We now have those willow branches planted and various clipped branches of what she wants to plant more sitting in that water.
It's been said that willow produces some very potent hormone that makes any plant part root.
You can actually buy it online or there are faster ways of doing willow water, almost like brewing a tee.
But either way, it's working and is cool to do and inexpensive way to mutiply plants without paying nursery arm and leg.
I started using willow water to root cuttings back in 1984 after reading about it in an Organic garden magazine. I root redwoods, roses, privets and so on. I keep either a bucket or large just with willow switches soaking so that I have it ready when I need it. Once in a while I pull the cuttings and pot them up and start a new batch in the bucket. Willow also makes for great garden furniture grown in the ground, no nails or screws, just weave the branches through and around each other and over time they weld to each other. When the chair or what ever is the size you want, just cut it off at the ground. I have a weeping willow tree planted on our Golden retrievers grave, I started it with three long switches that I braided together while they were supple, the trunk is now about 8 inches across and the braid still shows on the bark. Willow used to be a source of salicylic acid, aspirin. Now it is derived from coal tar or some other chemical. One can still collect the inner bark of willow and use it as a tea to help reduce fever and pain.
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