Willow cuttings

I’m trying to propagate a few Willow cuttings. Does anyone have any experience successfully growing either curly willow or an actual weeping Willow tree? And forgive my novice and lack of googling, but are they the same thing? I guess I’m thinking curly willow is just a willow tree coppiced? So far I’ve dipped the cuttings on rooting hormone, and popped some in two different spots in the ground near water run off areas and started a few in a terracotta pot (which I’m now thinking could allow them to dry them out too much). Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I've got fifty hybrid willow cuttings in the ground as of March as the start of a natural fence around my backyard. They are a cross between corkscrew willow and white willow and known as Austree willows.

Willows produce their own rooting hormone. You can even use willow water as a rooting solution for other plants.

They're famously hardy. You can take a willow cutting and stick it in the ground. It will probably grow.

Curly willow (salix matsudana) isn't just a coppiced weeping willow, it is its own species. They want moist but well-draining soil. Hope this helps.

j

Ann Marie Bessette wrote:I’m trying to propagate a few Willow cuttings. Does anyone have any experience successfully growing either curly willow or an actual weeping Willow tree? And forgive my novice and lack of googling, but are they the same thing? I guess I’m thinking curly willow is just a willow tree coppiced? So far I’ve dipped the cuttings on rooting hormone, and popped some in two different spots in the ground near water run off areas and started a few in a terracotta pot (which I’m now thinking could allow them to dry them out too much). Any insight or advice would be greatly appreciated!

^What Jim said. I have cut live willow for garden stakes and they freaking sprouted!

I've managed to kill quite a few willow cuttings by putting them in soil that is on a quite dry spot during a record dry year. Still two survivors on a spot where there's less wind blowing. They've been going for some years now and are still not half as happy as the same type of willow growing in wetter circumstances. But they are very strong and will in time become very happy. It's us! We don't wish to wait.

Rooting hormones don't do that much in my experience. In my cutting rooting bed i stick a few willow sticks for rooting improvements.

It keeps surprising me how strong willow is. I've improvised some climbing racks for snap peas this year. After having left the pruning outside during this wet cold winter, they're sprouting somewhat! I expect them to die over summer, but if it turns out another wet summer i expect some to live.