Almost 2 weeks ago (or was it 3??) I took some cuttings from my weeping willow and curly willow 4′ tall treelets. Last night I potted up many of the weeping willow. These cuttings were quite small in diameter. I’ve had great luck in the past rooting larger diameter cuttings. I wanted to see how the smaller ones would do. They were just starting to break dormancy when I took the cuttings. The weeping willow started out as a 12″ mid-late summer cutting I took year before last.
Here are the ones left to pot up. These had to wait as I ran out of soil.
The curly willow cuttings are the same size and were taken at the same time but they seem to be running a bit behind the weeping willows.
Not sure what I am going to do with these. I have a friend to take a couple and I will plant a few of the curly willows myself. Anyone local to Cincinnati want a rooted willow cutting?
I was wondering how long it take to get these rooted, I am looking at doing this now, but am afraid it is too late for this year. (Live in Minnesota) What do you think?
I’m interested in making my own cuttings. How do I go about doing so?
Willows are very easy to root from cuttings. I’ve tried everything from thin first year growth to small branches about the diameter of my index finger. Both seem to do better if you cut them while they are dormant. In either case about 12″ lengths are good. The larger diameter cuttings get stuck into moist soil leaving only an inch or so above ground. Keep the soil moist and wait. I’ve also put these into water first. Either way seemed to work fine.
With the smaller new growth cuttings I’ve had better luck putting them in water first. These are potted up when they have a good set of roots on them.
I’ve also taken cuttings from trees that have already leafed out. Generally I strip off the lower half of leaves and place the cutting into water. I have some Scarlet Curls cuttings that I will pot up this evening that have been in water for about 2 weeks.