Can you be too aggressive with willow?

[spandit]

Judging by its neighbours, I think it will be OK. It's sprouting like mad all over anyway

[Will C]

Unless you feed it Kaskara it will prob grow back, I've seen willow shrug off roundup before now! That Kaskara seems to sort most woody and broad leaf stuff I've tried it on

[Johny Walker]

Unless you feed it Kaskara it will prob grow back, I've seen willow shrug off roundup before now! That Kaskara seems to sort most woody and broad leaf stuff I've tried it on ��

 

depends on the mix

[Peasgood]

They can and do die from too much reduction. I think they are more likely to regrow from a complete fell than a severe reduction at times. As said, there are an awful lot of different sorts of willow and they do react differently.

If you want it to live then leave one branch on to act as a lung and draw the sap. You can cut it off a year later once the rest of the tree has got going.

[spandit]

 

It's the tree on the left of the picture. I suppose I could chop down the large leaning stem on the left and leave the vertical bit for now. It's difficult stopping the sprouting lower down, though. There's another in the same row that I've been bud rubbing but I'm sure this spring it will go crazy again.

 

The one on the right was just a mess and full of brambles. It was also damaging the fence. I'm leaving the one vertical stem and clearing the rest

[Mick Dempsey]

Looks like goat willow to me, Killing that by pruning alone would be an achievement.

[spandit]

Not convinced it is goat willow - leaves don't look right (there is some goat further up) but won't be a great loss if it dies anyway. At least it's easy to split & burns well when dry

[Mick Dempsey]

Fair enough. They can hybidize apparently.

(I seem to remember finding that out in a similar conversation years ago)

Edited January 16, 2016 by Mick Dempsey

[peatff]

I've seen logs left partially under mud sprout!

 

I've seen logs on an uncovered log pile sprout new leaves after a year on there. Cut it back it will do everything in it's power to thwart you.

[Couldyajust]

There are a load of willows on the railway near me that were cut to ground level & crammed full of ecoplugs about 2 years ago. I don't think a single one actually died, most are now 6'+ multi-stemmed bushes at the moment.