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Camile · Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 12:35 pm Post subject: Willow

Hi everyone,

I thought I might actually make a small article on willow to gather all the informations needed.

We went this weekend to visit Blowin and pick up some willow (thanks Blowin) ..

He had plenty of different varieties .. about 10/12 I think .. so the OH decided to take some of each.

We've followed Blowin's instructions and cut it all to about 12' pieces ..

We already started planting some around the drains .. and all around the chicken coop so I hope that we will have some "living" pens ..

Camile

chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

he he, Camile, it seems our interests are very similar Smile

I have 30 odd different types of willows here. It's too late now really to take cuttings but if anyone wants cuttings next winter I'd be happy to supply some cuttings.

Ute

Camile · Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 2:13 pm Post subject:

Hi again chooks ..

Indeed, great minds thinks alike .

By it's too late to take cuttings, do you mean to coppice them or to replant them ?

What do you personally do with the willow ?

Thanks,
Camile

chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

Both really, as the sap is already rising and buds are breaking. You can still plant cuttings taken earlier of course. Willow is surprisingly hardy. But generally any work on them, cutting, coppicing, laying, taking cuttings etc. is done at dormancy and that's over now.
Initially we just took cuttings in the area and of the few present on the land when we moved here and planted them along borders primarily for shelter but also with bees (early pollen) and goats (cut stuff as late summer fodder) in mind. Over the years we used them to define more spaces (sub-plots) and got cuttings of more varieties for colour, basketry (yet to be pursued), feed, perhaps some living structures in the future, drainage of wet ground. I also sell a few bundles of unusual ones such as 'Sekka' if there is a Kilfenora Organic Fair at Christmas/Easter. That's why I love them some so much, they are so versatile and so easy to plant and propagate, and fast-growing to boot.
Looks like you got some nice colours there. You'll be amazed as to how quickly make an impact.

Ute

admin · Site Admin Joined: 13 Dec 2006 Posts: 227

chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

I have used the woven black horticultural groundcover to plant commercial cuttings (from westwaleswillows), which as you say admin, are very short and wouldn't stand a chance if planted into grassland. Works well. Silage plastic I found pretty disastrous for any application; the soil got all slimy and compacted underneath. But the woven material lets the soil underneath breath and water gets in too. Around the holding I have used the second approach you describe. (I'm sure the neighbours thought I'd gone cracked - stickin' twigs into the ground all over the place Laughing

. For VERY quick effect one can even hammer very thick branches or parts of trunks into the ground. We pollarded a couple willows and 'planted' some large branches >2" thick and about 5' long and they took fine. I've also seen this being done with massive poplar trunks which were driven into the ground in a newly established park (on top of an old landfill) in my hometown for quick impact and an immediate third dimension. This only works with willows and poplars though (they are closely related as well), not with other European trees.

blowin · Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2007 11:29 am Post subject:

Thanks for adding the comment about woven plastic . I knew I had overlooked something ! It is in fact the method I was using myself .
When I had the gardening business in the uk I recommended that customers go for the heavy guage . I might have to think twice if it was out of my own pocket , tho' . I guess all this stuff will last forever but the heavier one is less floppy and can be easier to lay on large areas . It doesn't get lifted quite so easily either ( animals & birds scratching / strong weeds pushing ) . Very best is the one which has 6" gridlines printed on it --- I find it difficult to keep long cuts going in the right direction without these . Trouble is that I can't find that type over here .
A couple of tips ( teaching grandma about eggs again I am sure ! ) :
- Be sure to secure the edges down really well to prevent lifting by wind or weeds . I cut a slit trench and poke the fabric 6" into that but this takes time . Alternatively use weights eg rocks or something like tent pegs ( if you cut these from hazel or a branchy type of willow they may grow too ) .
- If you have to lay 2 lengths of fabric side by side , you should overlap by at least 9" IMHO . This can use up an awful lot of fabric if the area is large and you have bought only narrow rolls . Get the wider ones from a garden centre .
- Scissors are best for cutting the fabric , particularly if you need to cut curves to work around obstacles . To avoid serious blisters on your fingers and thumbs , work in the direction of the threads ( rather than cutting across them ) whenever possible . Put the edge of the material tight into the "V" of the open scissors then push rather than " snip snip" to make the cut run .
- Allow about twice as much time time as you first thought it would take and try to make a really tight , neat job of it to forestal problems later on .

chook · Joined: 14 Mar 2007 Posts: 305 Location: North Clare

Good advice, blowin. I used the "slit trench" approach, "gridlined" groundcover and it has stood the test of time. That type is available by the meter or roll in a hardware shop (name escapes me) on Ennistymon's Main Street.

Ute

wayland · Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 1171 Location: Campile. Wexford

This interests me as well. I made some living willow garden features back in the UK. It was fun. It also made a very good hedge. Unfortunatly I do not have enough land to grow Willow in any quantity. I would like to grow it as a Bio fuel at some point.
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Camile · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 10:40 am Post subject:

Hello everyone !

the willow is growing well ! loads of buds are opening from the ones I planted a while back ... and we had some in water that are are developing some fine buds too .. and the roots were starting to grow on them ..

So I planted some more around the chicken pens to add shelter to the garden, and hide the ugliness of the pens themselves !

Camile