willow whips

[coppice cutter]

I've about half a dozen or so young but good sized willows to coppice.

 

There's another area not that far away which can flood occasionally, but because it's lower than the banks of the burn that floods it, it can hold water for maybe a day extra and as a result a few trees have died in it.

 

So I'm going to stick in a few willow whips to fill the gaps when I'm trimming out.

 

Where is the best place to take a cutting from, approximately what length and thickness would I leave them, and how far in to the ground?

 

The soil they're going in to is a deep loam so is it just a case of the deeper the better?

 

Thanks.

[htb]

Your looking for pieces just bigger than a pencil in thickness, about 18" long and push in 1/3 to 1/2 way.

Top cut at an angle and bottom cut perpendicular so you know which way up they should be, some scrape a bit of the bark away at the base to encourage rooting.

[richyrich]

Stems with one years growth are prob best but even a log will sprout if ground wet enough. Push at least a foot into soil if poss. You can cut short (as stated above) but full length is fine- example being for cricket bat willow, growers use unrooted setts( think spelt?) that are about 12 foot i think. Deer, rabbits ,etc - might need mesh guards. Tubes not so good.

[coppice cutter]

Super replies, just what I was after.

 

Thanks folks.

 

 

[openspaceman]

When we planted poplar setts the rod was pushed into a preformed (dibbed) hole and backfilled with dry sand. I often wondered if pushing them in the hole and then heeling the hole back would have worked as well.

[Stere]

Why use sand are popular fussy about drainage?

 

I don't think they are?

Edited February 7, 2023 by Stere

[openspaceman]

1 hour ago, Stere said:

Why use sand are popular fussy about drainage?

 

I don't think they are?

I am guessing it is to prevent any voids forming in the hole but don't know. It was a specification from the Briant and May forester.

 

It was my first job in forestry and I was just the gopher for the two old guys doing the work. It was a small job that was outstanding and B&M had already pulled the plug on their plantations. We continued to prune them for a while and then gave up. It was in the days when the tax relief on establishment could be offset against PAYE so money was no object.

[scbk]

If you do longer willow cuttings they can fight with the weeds a bit better, maybe 3ft/4ft.

Was talking to a guy before who was using cuttings at 6ft minimum, they were going in to bracken, never heard how he got on with that