Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'

As far as care is concerned, the Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' is quite easy to keep if you follow the care tips below. The shrub is relatively hardy and copes well with many different climatic changes. However, the shrub can also quickly die or stop growing if the wrong treatment is chosen. So that this does not happen, you will now receive all the important elements for caring for the Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki'.

Location

The Salix integra feels particularly at home in sunny and partially shaded regions. That is where the growth is strongest. It can also survive in shady places, but it grows much more slowly there, and if so If you don't pay attention to it constantly, it can even stop growing completely and also enter. The color of the leaves shows whether the Salix integra needs more or less sun. The leaf color can also be determined by the location. In partial shade, these turn lighter, in sunny places the leaves develop strong colors.

Floor

The floor plays a rather secondary role for the Salix integra. The soil has little influence on the plant, it can cope with many different types of soil. Soils interspersed with sand are particularly suitable. Here she feels particularly at home, gets strong and grows rapidly. Soils that are very wet and heavily compacted should be avoided. This is where the Salix integra has problems. Soils that the plant can easily cope with include...

• clay soils
• humus soils
• Conditional clay soil, drainage may be required

seasons

The Salix integra is a frost hardy plant and can survive outside in winter. If you grow it as a container plant, it can also be kept indoors in winter. This brings a small advantage when it comes to spring again. Compared to a plant that has spent the winter outdoors, it has a head start in growing and flowering. Then the Salix integra starts again with its growth and flowering phase, which then ends in late autumn. Basically:

• Best suited for autumn and spring
• Planting possible all year round
• avoid frozen ground

irrigation

The protective function of the Salix integra helps with watering. If you are not sure if you have watered enough, you only have to pay attention to the leaves and growth. The leaves curl up and growth stuns if the plant gets too little water. Basically, it should be noted that you water them sufficiently, but not overwater. The plant gets along with water for some time, but should not be neglected for too long. If this happens, you have the indicator of the protective function and can start watering directly.

Transplanting/potting

When transplanting/potting, it is very important to pay attention to the reaction of the plant. It can happen that the plant switches on its protective function. This could be a sign that roots have been injured. Slight root injuries are not a problem, the Salix integra should recover after a short time if the new conditions are good. The ideal time to repot the plant is late autumn. Here growth is slower and the plant has enough vigor to get used to the new conditions.

fertilization

Fertilizing the Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' is very easy. If it is kept as a container plant, occasional fertilizing is perfectly sufficient. The best fertilizer for this is total fertilizer for willow trees. You should be able to get this at any hardware store. If the plant is kept outdoors, you can occasionally add a little fertilizer to the irrigation water. Again, the rule of less is more applies and adding fertilizer is only necessary if the soil is poor in nutrients. If you want to put the fertilizer directly into the soil, you can do so in depot form.

clipping

Since the Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' is very vigorous, regular pruning is very important. The ideal time for this is again late autumn, when the plant almost stops its growth efforts. However, it can also be pruned in the spring. This should then be done before the plant forms its first foliage, otherwise damage could occur. Dead and rotted branches and leaves should also be removed from the base trunk. This can also happen outside of the core seasons, as these only hinder the growth and health of the plant anyway.

The shrub can also be pruned more when pruning. About half can be cut off if you want to create a desired shape. However, you should also make sure that a heavy cut should only be done in autumn and not in spring. An excessive density of the individual branches can also be thinned out. The top priority with circumcision, no matter what kind and form, is always that the base should not be damaged.

propagation

As with all willow plants, the propagation of the Salix integra 'Hakuro Nishiki' is extremely easy. All you have to do is cut off a branch and place it in a container with water. It is not necessary to add fertilizer. The branch should remain in the water until it takes root. Once the branch has grown enough roots, it can be planted at the desired location. Especially at the beginning, when a new branch has been planted, it needs sufficient watering. In the further course of the watering can then be set back to a normal workload.

planting time:

• Spring is best
• summer also possible
• Late autumn rather unsuitable

pests

This plant is not safe from pests such as aphids, spider mites and other types of lice. Whiteflies and fungus gnats can also attack the plant, as can the fungal diseases of powdery and downy mildew, mold and rust. The best alternative to pest control is to strengthen the plant itself. Good soil, location and regular fertilization help the plant to grow strong and give pests and germs no chance. If the plant is nevertheless infested, chemical insecticides and fungicides help against pests. You should be able to get these at any hardware store.

frequently asked Questions

Worth knowing about the Salix integra in brief

• The Salix integra is also called Japanese willow or harlequin willow and is usually grafted onto a standard.
• It is well suited for the front garden or as a container plant for the terrace.
• It has very beautiful white-green or pink-speckled leaves that shimmer pink when they emerge.
• In spring, yellow catkins are formed, which are also very decorative. This plant is at its best when it is alone.

Cut

In the case of a Salix integra that has been grafted on a high trunk, in principle only the crown grows, while the trunk retains its height and only gets a little thicker. However, the crown grows up to 30 cm per year, so it should be cut back regularly. If only a reduction of the crown is desired, a cut in early spring is sufficient, the crown should However, if they get a spherical shape, the shoots have to be shortened slightly in summer and autumn become.

• During spring pruning, which is best done in February and March, the branches can be generously shortened because the Salix integra sprout again quickly, so that the crown soon reaches its old size again has.
• In summer and autumn, only the protruding shoots are cut off, so that the crown gets a round shape again. Over time, it grows up to 1.20 meters high and just as wide. The trunk on which the Hakuro Nishiki was grafted must then be added to the overall height of the tree.
• In a grafted plant, such shoots that form on the trunk should be removed as soon as possible, because these shoots only use up energy unnecessarily and do not belong to the Salix.

Care

• The Salix integra grows best in a sunny or at least light location.
• It needs little water and can tolerate drought well.
• In the garden, it usually does not need to be watered at all.
• With a container plant, you should always wait with the next watering until the top layer of the soil has dried.
• Plants in tubs need some fertilizer because they can't provide themselves with the nutrients they need.
• With a Salix in the field, however, fertilizer can be dispensed with.

hibernate

Even in winter, no special protection is required, but in the case of potted plants, the pot should be wrapped in fleece or bubble wrap to protect the roots from the cold. Small feet or a styrofoam plate on which the pot is placed help against the cold from the ground. With potted plants, however, you should not forget to water them in winter, but then even more sparingly than in summer.

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