Willow Arch

[mickdundee]

First off I don't know if this is in the right place.

On holiday last week and the wife clocked one of these and thought, as they do, that it would be nice to have something similar in our garden.

I've got a few questions I'm hoping someone here can answer please

1. Are these beyond the ability of an average gardener

2. Would I be able to get willow that is big enough to create this straight off or is it a long term project

3. What sort of money if I can buy them big enough is it going to be. The arch in the picture had 24 trees by my count. I'd probably be looking at 12-16 I think.

Thank you, mick

[spandit]

1. Are these beyond the ability of an average gardener

 

 

No, pretty easy to do. Osier viminalis (common sallow) would be best. It's pretty foolproof to grow, especially with rabbit protection and weed mulching

 

2. Would I be able to get willow that is big enough to create this straight off or is it a long term project

 

If you plant rods about 25cm long, like I did, in 8 months they went up about 12 feet... I cut the rods off to build an arch and already they've got up quite a bit, plus should get multiple shoots from each one this year and more as each year progresses

 

3. What sort of money if I can buy them big enough is it going to be. The arch in the picture had 24 trees by my count. I'd probably be looking at 12-16 I think.

 

Unless you can find someone who will let you have some for free, if you were near me then I'm sure I could sort something out, a rod is going to cost about 30p, that's a short bit you plant. The problem with planting long bits straight off is that without careful watering the tops may die back anyway and you'd be back to square one.

[mickdundee]

 

If you plant rods about 25cm long, like I did, in 8 months they went up about 12 feet... I cut the rods off to build an arch and already they've got up quite a bit, plus should get multiple shoots from each one this year and more as each year progresses.

 

Thanks spandit. I had imagined that the trees would be planted in place and then grown into the arch. If I grow them elsewhere then cut them to build the arch will they put roots down. The pic doesn't show it very well but that one was coming into leaf

Thanks again, mick

[spandit]

Mick,

 

I didn't realise you were in Sussex - might be able to help you with willow this Winter - too late now as they're not dormant any more. Bear in mind that once it's in and growing, getting rid of it is not an easy undertaking. I used to trim one that belonged to next door (in my previous house), because it hung over my drive. One year I got a bit fed up of cutting each branch so I chainsawed it down to a stump. A year later, it was back up at 14' (that's feet!) and is still going strong. She works with the scouts so likes cutting the material for them but I'm sure she'd let me take a bit.

 

I've also got some that I've propagated here in my current house.

 

You'll probably find a local supplier anyway that would save you the drive

[openspaceman]

No, pretty easy to do. Osier viminalis (common sallow) would be best. It's pretty foolproof to grow, especially with rabbit protection and weed mulching

 

Interesting juxtaposition of names there. Salix Viminalis is common osier to me, sallow or goat willow is a separate species though in the past it referred to several willows. Nowadays I only used it to refer to salix caprea.

[spandit]

Interesting juxtaposition of names there. Salix Viminalis is common osier to me, sallow or goat willow is a separate species though in the past it referred to several willows. Nowadays I only used it to refer to salix caprea.

 

You are quite correct, salix viminalis it is or common osier

[openspaceman]

You are quite correct, salix viminalis it is or common osier

 

I wasn't meaning to imply you were wrong because in english anything used in common parlance seems to be acceptable. To me osier is a willow grown for harvesting small rods of which the most common is viminalis and goat willow is a self seeded weed, never planted to harvest. Sallow may be used differently in different parts of the country and you are more likely to come across the word as an adjective to descibe a pale green sickly color or tone.

[spandit]

No, I had got confused and was writing from memory early in the morning!

 

As you say, I've planted the common osier for harvesting. I do have a salix caprea that I planted because it was given to me and the wildlife will like it.

[spandit]

By the way, the osier rods I planted last year and cut down earlier this year are already up to 3 foot high in places:

 

[NFG]

First off I don't know if this is in the right place.

On holiday last week and the wife clocked one of these and thought, as they do, that it would be nice to have something similar in our garden.

I've got a few questions I'm hoping someone here can answer please

1. Are these beyond the ability of an average gardener

2. Would I be able to get willow that is big enough to create this straight off or is it a long term project

3. What sort of money if I can buy them big enough is it going to be. The arch in the picture had 24 trees by my count. I'd probably be looking at 12-16 I think.

Thank you, mick

 

Hello,

 

1. Willow is simple to grow, just cut a new growth & push it into the ground obviously best done when wet

 

2. I would cultivate as above it grows fairly quickly

 

3. Free, if you know someone with a willow

 

You need to be a little careful on where you plant as the roots will search for water - Ive seen roots strangle & crack drainage pipes so be aware of this!

 

 

N