Hanging willow, hanging willow: location, care and cutting

The hanging willow (Salix caprea 'Pendula') is a hanging form of the willow (Salix caprea) and is an exclusively male willow. It shows its fluffy, delicately scented flowers in March/April. on an approx. The arching overhanging shoots of this hanging willow sit on 80 cm high, medium-thick trunks above the grafting point. The plant can reach growth heights between 100 and 200 cm depending on the stem and grafting height.

location claims

This elegant and very easy-care tree feels good in the sun and in partial shade equally well, but still prefers locations that are as sunny as possible with at least four hours sun per day. Potted specimens should be in a sheltered spot to prevent them from tipping over in stronger winds. As far as the demands on the soil quality are concerned, loose and sandy-humic soils offer the best growing conditions.

The hanging willow (Salix caprea 'Pendula') tolerates both alkaline and slightly acidic soils. In general, the soil should be able to store water and nutrients well. Commercial potting soil or high-quality potting or potting soil enriched with a little sand or perlite are ideal for keeping in a bucket.

planting

In the garden

The decorative hanging willow does not take up much space, which is why it is also very suitable for smaller gardens or front gardens. It can usually be planted from March to October. in spring and autumn as long as the ground is frost-free. The best planting time is between September and November. Then the ground is still warm, so that the roots can quickly spread and gain a foothold.

• Water the root ball thoroughly before planting
• Meanwhile, dig a planting hole
• This should be about twice as deep and wide as the pad
• For optimal starting conditions, mix the excavated soil with compost or horn shavings
• If there are several specimens, do not plant too close together
• Too dense planting hinders the willows in their growth
• Therefore keep planting distances of 80 – 150 cm
• Now take the willow out of the pot
• Loosen the roots a little with your hands
• Then put it in the planting pit
• Plant at the same height as before in the pot
• Use a support stake for better support when planting
• Tie the willow loosely to it with a coconut rope
• Once the willow has grown well, carefully remove the support

If the plant is in the ground, fill it up with excavated soil, press the soil firmly and water the whole thing vigorously. Before watering, it makes sense to create a watering rim around the plant to prevent water from running away. A layer of mulch on the planting area will keep the soil from drying out.

In the bucket

The hanging willow can also set beautiful accents in the bucket on the balcony and terrace. When planting in a container, you should first make sure that the planter is large enough. With a capacity of at least 30 - 40 liters, they offer the plant enough space in the first few years. A 5 - 8 cm thick layer of drainage material, e.g. B. made of coarse gravel, grit or shards of pottery to ensure good water drainage.

To prevent the substrate and drainage from mixing, cover the gravel with a thin mat. Then you fill up part of the substrate and put the plant in the middle. Then fill the pot with soil to a few centimeters below the rim, press the soil down and water. It is also advisable to use a support when planting in a tub. In the first few weeks after planting, the plants should be watered according to the weather.

care instructions

The hanging willow will usually be grafted or grafted onto the trunk of a normal willow. grafted on. As a result, the trunk only grows very slowly, while the shoots with the pretty catkins grow all the faster, almost vertically downwards and can eventually hang down to the ground. However, this requires a minimum of care.

Pour

In principle, the water requirement of a planted pasture is covered by the natural rainfall. Additional watering is only necessary in summer, when the heat and drought persist, to prevent the bale from drying out completely. It is best to water infrequently, but penetratingly. This encourages the plants to penetrate into deeper, moist soil layers in order to be able to survive longer dry periods better. Willows in buckets, on the other hand, need to be watered more frequently. Due to the limited volume in the pot, the substrate dries out much faster here.

Fertilize

This ornamental tree is also relatively undemanding when it comes to the need for nutrients. As a rule, it is sufficient to administer a slow-release fertilizer once in April and again in July. Alternatively, slightly mature compost can be worked into the surface of the soil once a month. In a good garden soil you can also do without additional fertilizers if necessary.

The situation is somewhat different with potted plants. Just as the supply of water in planters quickly runs out, the nutrients are also used up much faster, so that fertilization has to be carried out regularly. As a result, the plant should be supplied with a liquid fertilizer once a month from March to August.

hibernate

Since the hanging willow is one of the native trees, it copes very well with the local winters. Accordingly, trees planted in the garden are also hardy, so that winter protection can usually be dispensed with. Only the trunk should be protected from the winter sun, depending on where it is located.

• Protect trunk from winter sun with fleece or similar permeable material
• Protection of the crown is not required
• Plant loses all its leaves in winter
• Specimens in tubs are somewhat more sensitive to severe frost
• Place the bucket on a wooden pallet or styrofoam plate to protect it
• This protects the root from frost from below
• Also wrap the pot with winter protection fleece, bubble wrap or jute
• Choose a sunny spot in the garden for the winter

Cut

Salix caprea 'Pendula' is very tolerant of pruning. To keep this attractive tree in shape, it should be pruned about every two years. The pruning can also be a bit stronger. The best time to prune is immediately after flowering. If you cut it in early spring, you will have to do without the pretty flowers in the same year, so it is better to wait until after flowering.

In order to promote new growth and to be able to enjoy the noble catkins again next year, the shoots of the hanging willow are not only shortened, but cut back to three or four eyes. This cut also ensures that the crown of the tree is not too dense and is always well ventilated.

Over-aged plants should be pruned for rejuvenation to make them more vital again and encourage new, healthy growth. To do this, the main shoots of the crown are cut back to a few centimeters and all dead parts of the crown are completely removed.

You shouldn’t completely do without cutting measures. Otherwise the proportion of dead shoots inside the crown would increase more and more. These, in turn, would be overlaid by the new shoots, so that the bottom ones would be increasingly shaded and no longer be able to carry out photosynthesis. If you give some complete fertilizer after pruning and water the sapling thoroughly, the hanging willow should bloom profusely again next year.

multiply

This willow can be propagated both by grafting and by cuttings or sticks. Special knowledge is required for refinement, which is why it is better to leave it to the professionals. Propagation by cuttings or cuttings is a little less complicated. Cuttings are semi-lignified and leafy shoot tips, while cuttings are taken from the middle of a shoot, have no leaves and are fully lignified. However, rooting is not always smooth, many of them do not root at all. Therefore, it makes sense to always use several cuttings or sticks.

• Cuttings and sticks should be 15 - 20 cm long
• Cut cuttings from annual shoots during the growing season
• Cut sticks in the fall or winter
• Remove leaves from the lower part of the cuttings
• Then put both of them about halfway into loose, lean substrate
• Press and water the soil well
• Keep the substrate evenly moist until rooting
• Plant rooted cuttings in late September or next spring
• Keep cuttings frost-free, allow to root during the winter
• Plant in the garden in spring

Diseases

willow rust is a fungal disease that can occasionally affect the hanging catkin willow. An infestation manifests itself in the form of yellow and red spots on the leaves, which soon cover the entire leaf. It usually occurs between the end of April and the beginning of May and when the humidity is high, whereby the willow can also be infected by other plants. Orange, rust-like spore beds can be seen on the undersides of the leaves.

This fungus can be combated with a suitable fungicide from specialist retailers. In addition, it is important to completely remove infected leaves from the plant itself, as well as leaves that have already fallen off and to dispose of them in the household waste. This is important because this fungus overwinters on the affected leaves and can infect the plant again next year. In order to generally prevent an infestation, the willow should be trimmed regularly. This way the crown cannot become too dense and the leaves can dry out quickly again and again. In addition, care should be taken not to wet the foliage when watering.

pests

aphids

Sallow willows such as the hanging catkin willow (Salix caprea 'Pendula') are more frequently attacked by aphids. If an infestation is detected, it can quickly take over. Therefore, the fight should be started as soon as possible. As an immediate measure, showering with a strong jet of water is a good idea. That can already eliminate most of these pests.

In addition, infested plants can be sprayed several times with a stinging nettle decoction or a soft soap solution or treated with commercially available neem products. In addition, the use of beneficial insects such as ladybugs, parasitic wasps, lacewings or earwigs can be helpful. Depending on the type, they are either poured or attached or Laying out breeding boxes in the immediate vicinity of the infestation focus.

willow leaf beetle

Another pest that can attack this plant is the so-called willow leaf beetle. He can eat the pasture completely bare in a relatively short time. This beetle does not usually cause any damage to the wood itself. Control is only possible with a special insecticide. When handling or When it comes to dosing such agents, you should always follow the manufacturer's specifications and administer them accordingly.

Learn more about shrubs