Willow Bed Discussion

[bushtuckaman]

I've started this thread for two reasons. Firstly, as general discussion forum on the subject of willow beds, as I couldn't easily find one on the web. Secondly as I have as question about the willow bed I planted/rehabilitated this time last year!

 

The bed in question was one planted some 10-15 years ago but had not been harvested annually in recent years, so had grown tall into thigh thickness timber. I've coppiced it back to ground level and infilled any dead areas with some of the inch think branch cuttings and also expanded the bed by planting some new rows with the branch cuttings.

 

These cuttings were planted with some 3-4 inches left above ground level and maybe a foot below ground level. The rows were planted about 1.5 ft apart and the spacing of the cuttings in the rows was about 1 ft between cuttings

 

The coppiced stools have sprouted very vigorously, some to 15ft high. The new cuttings planted have also been successful in sprouting, but unsurprisingly not to the same height. I didn't use a mulch or weed killer, but did have to pull up alot of Himalayan Balsam which overtook the willow mid summer.

 

A question I have for any experts on the subject would be about the harvesting of the willow rods that I plan to do in the next few weeks. Do I just cut the new growth (last years growth) ie the withies off or should I be cutting the top off the original cutting I planted as well?

 

Would also be interested in anybodiy elses experiences with there own willow beds

 

John

[spandit]

I would have thought the top has already died so by cutting it off, you're not harming anything - if willow is anywhere near as potent as I'm led to believe, then it will just resprout.

 

I got bored with pruning my neighbour's willow tree so cut it to a small stump with the chainsaw. In one year the shoots were up to 4m long and an inch thick! I've planted a few hundred cuttings on my land as it's good for weaving (osier)

[muldonach]

There is in my experience no way to kill a willow tree by cutting it - nor indeed is it necessary to go to the trouble of sticking cuttings into the ground - if you just throw them on a damp patch they will grow fine.

 

In short - it won't matter a toss

 

Cheers

mac

[J-P]

If you are going to cut rods every year, leave an inch of new growth at the bottom. If you want firewood size, cut to near ground level and thin shoots, crop every ten years or so. Watch out for deer, hare, rabbit damage !!

 

Any idea what species / clone you have?

 

I am using viminialis (local form) Bowles Hybrid and am trying out some Bowles x caprea hybrids.Also some cinerea selections.

These are growing as SRF (6" dbh in 10 years I hope)

I need a wood density of about 0.4 which rules out Bowles Hybrid even though it has a great form (sg of 0.32 at 4 y.o. so far)

 

Cheers JP