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pussy willow cuttings
Luubear
Posts: 21
Good afternoon all,
I was given some flowers and amongst them were some pussy willow cuttings. They seem quite fresh and appear to be the ends of the branches of the plant mainly, with a few seemingly from the bottom. This may seem like a stupid question but do you think its possible to try and root them? I figured its worth a shot? What do you think?
0
Posts
Yes, leave them in water, they'll root and you can watch them
In the sticks near Peterborough
When I was a child living on the farm, Pa told us that one of the wild duck's nests was falling into the big pond in the farmyard. I rushed out with some pussy willow twigs that had been in a vase in the dining room, with some daffodills - Pa stuck them into the pond bank and propped up the nest and made it secure. The duck hatched her brood, the pussy willow rooted and some 50 years on there's still a large pussy willow growing on the bank of the pond.
Nut's method will work, or you can just stick them in some damp soil and just make sure it doesn't dry out. This time next year they will have rooted and will be putting out little shoots.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Awh that's a brilliant story! What's Nuts method?
I have scraped some of the bark of the bottoms and left them to soak. I think I will put some rooting powder on them later and pot them. Do you think I should put them outside in my zip up mini greenhouse or indoors on a windowsil or something?
Nut's method (that's me
)
Leave the stems in water and after a couple of weeks little white lumps appear which are baby roots. Fascinating to watch, if you've got kids it's educational. Best size is from about pencil size up to index finger size.
In the sticks near Peterborough
Don't bother. They need the bark. Make fresh cuts straight across the stems and then either stick them in a vase of fresh water till they root - as Nut advised - or else stick them in damp ground. They will root very quickly as their bark contains a natural rooting hormone. They are hardy and do not need protection.
As an indication of how vigorous willow is, I had roots and plants grow from some willow bark chippings!
I missed the bit about taking the bark off, obelixx is right, don't do that. it doesn't matter where you put them, willows root.
In the sticks near Peterborough
oh oops! Will they still root even though I've done that?
They won't if you've taken it all off. Bark is where the action is with trees
In the sticks near Peterborough
Just trim the stems back to where there's still some bark - stick in some water or damp ground - they'll be fine outside - they don't need protection.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.