Potsofgreen
Mame
Definitely will! @Carol 83 is hooking it up big time should have some twigs soon and have a collection trip planned for the 30th so just a mater of time
I need willow twigs!
- Thread starter Potsofgreen
- Start date
Definitely will! @Carol 83 is hooking it up big time should have some twigs soon and have a collection trip planned for the 30th so just a mater of time
MimosaGroveMexia
Sapling
I recently cut my saplings back to make willow tea for the first batch of hardwood cuttings this winter, but... Try going for a rural drive with a pair of clippers around places with bodies of water and look for a tree. I started all of my trees from twigs/sticks I cut off random trees out by my town's lake. Just stick them in the dirt or a bucket of water to root, and you can always have a source of natural rooting hormone. 
I've read the early US settlers used willows to make fence posts; cutting them down & letting them dry out before driving them in the ground, and they'd still put out roots and start growing. I've never tried anything that big, but I've had luck with willow branches as thick as my wrist rooting from just sticking them in the dirt outside the greenhouse.
I've also, unintentionally, had things root just from leaving them in a bucket of water with a couple of willow branches when I didn't have time to pot them up and said I would do it the next day, but forgot about them for a couple of weeks lol.
Just don't plant them in the ground anywhere near a sewer/septic line, well, or waterlines bc the roots will seek out water, and wreak havoc on the pipes.
-chase
I've read the early US settlers used willows to make fence posts; cutting them down & letting them dry out before driving them in the ground, and they'd still put out roots and start growing. I've never tried anything that big, but I've had luck with willow branches as thick as my wrist rooting from just sticking them in the dirt outside the greenhouse.
I've also, unintentionally, had things root just from leaving them in a bucket of water with a couple of willow branches when I didn't have time to pot them up and said I would do it the next day, but forgot about them for a couple of weeks lol.
Just don't plant them in the ground anywhere near a sewer/septic line, well, or waterlines bc the roots will seek out water, and wreak havoc on the pipes.
-chase
Potsofgreen
Mame
I recently cut my saplings back to make willow tea for the first batch of hardwood cuttings this winter, but... Try going for a rural drive with a pair of clippers around places with bodies of water and look for a tree. I started all of my trees from twigs/sticks I cut off random trees out by my town's lake. Just stick them in the dirt or a bucket of water to root, and you can always have a source of natural rooting hormone.
I've read the early US settlers used willows to make fence posts; cutting them down & letting them dry out before driving them in the ground, and they'd still put out roots and start growing. I've never tried anything that big, but I've had luck with willow branches as thick as my wrist rooting from just sticking them in the dirt outside the greenhouse.
I've also, unintentionally, had things root just from leaving them in a bucket of water with a couple of willow branches when I didn't have time to pot them up and said I would do it the next day, but forgot about them for a couple of weeks lol.
Just don't plant them in the ground anywhere near a sewer/septic line, well, or waterlines bc the roots will seek out water, and wreak havoc on the pipes.
-chase
Good idea! I’ll definitely try to grow my own couple trees to have stock constantly
When our one big willow was taken down by our neighbors tree, I stuck a couple branches in a bucket of water. They rooted quickly and leafed out. I planted them in the yard, but I think my husband ran over them with the lawn mower.
Mac In Oak Ridge
Shohin
If all you are after is salicylic acid, why not dissolve an asprin tablet in a quart of water or some other amount of water. That would be a cheep way to get some.
Potsofgreen
Mame
True but I try and do things the "organic hippie" way lol, just personal preference but I feel like the plants responded better to it, again that's just personal preference
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,437
- Reaction score
- 23,647
- USDA Zone
- 5b
Willow water is more than just salicylic acid, there is the whole list of plant hormone exudates in addition to the salicylic acid, and it is the whole combination that makes willow water a useful rooting hormone.
atlarsenal
Omono
I have read Harry’s blog on willow water but I am unclear on how long to continue watering with it.
@Potsofgreen, @Soldano666, @Bonsaicarpenter, @Leo in N E Illinois any ideas on how long to continue watering with the willow water? A week, a month, till you run out?
@0soyoung what are your thoughts? I’m surprised you have not commented on this thread, this is the kind of stuff you usually weigh in on.
@Potsofgreen, @Soldano666, @Bonsaicarpenter, @Leo in N E Illinois any ideas on how long to continue watering with the willow water? A week, a month, till you run out?
@0soyoung what are your thoughts? I’m surprised you have not commented on this thread, this is the kind of stuff you usually weigh in on.
atlarsenal
Omono
I have read Harry’s blog on willow water but I am unclear on how long to continue watering with it.
@Potsofgreen, @Soldano666, @Bonsaicarpenter, @Leo in N E Illinois any ideas on how long to continue watering with the willow water? A week, a month, till you run out?
@0soyoung what are your thoughts? I’m surprised you have not commented on this thread, this is the kind of stuff you usually weigh in on.
@Potsofgreen, @Soldano666, @Bonsaicarpenter, @Leo in N E Illinois any ideas on how long to continue watering with the willow water? A week, a month, till you run out?
@0soyoung what are your thoughts? I’m surprised you have not commented on this thread, this is the kind of stuff you usually weigh in on.
Leo in N E Illinois
The Professor
- Messages
- 11,437
- Reaction score
- 23,647
- USDA Zone
- 5b
One answer would be, until you have roots.
I would make up a batch of willow water, use it up. Wait a month or two. Check for roots, make another batch of willow water.
If you have plentiful willow available, use it continuously. I have to drive 5 miles to get willow that I can collect legally. I have only bothered to use it the first week of the rooting process. I'm not sure it is "all that". Maybe because I didn't use it continuously until the cuttings had taken.
It doesn't hurt.
The OP was putting roots on juniper, which can take time, 6 to 18 months is not unusual for me to root juniper. I have good % root even without willow water. If continuous use of willow water would knock the time in half, that would be great.
Soldano666
Omono
Soak the spagnum in it for airlayers. That's the only purpose I'd use it for I think. Or like leo said. Maybe get those big blue rain barrels and make all the gallons to water with
Cable
Omono
Did you get your twigs?
JoeH
Omono
- Messages
- 1,090
- Reaction score
- 996
- USDA Zone
- 9B
the stuff is all along the roads here, I've rooted a few pieces to mess around with and have tossed some bits in my rainwater barrels too.
Potsofgreen
Mame
bonhe
Masterpiece
Hi "Potsofgreen,
I just found out this post. Why don’t you try tamarix tea instead of willow? In our area, there are plenty tamarix .
Thụ Thoại
I just found out this post. Why don’t you try tamarix tea instead of willow? In our area, there are plenty tamarix .
Thụ Thoại
Potsofgreen
Mame
Does Tamarix have rooting properties like Willow?
bonhe
Masterpiece
I think so.
Even though I don’t have any papers to back me up, but I guess tamarix are full of auxin! Tamarix is one of the species that it roots out from the cutting easily. One just puts the cutting in the water container, and one could see plenty of new roots coming out in a week!
Because of this characteristic, I have been using tamarix tea with good results. I wish someone can do some research about it.
Thụ Thoại
atlarsenal
Omono
@Potsofgreen anything to report on the willow water? I collected some twigs back Dec with intentions of trying some. I had them in a vase and they have rooted so I am going to plant them when it warms up and have twigs any time I want them.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
In that event aspirin should also work. The salicylic acid may improve the environment as it is also used to keep cut flowers fresh and Christmas trees as well, but it is the auxins in the willow that promote rooting.
Potsofgreen
Mame
Sorry I’m terrible at timing, tea came out good, nice tan color and I will be using it for all my air later this spring, I used a bit to try and get some good roots on a collected Cali juniper and it’s still trucking along so we shall see, how ever the best result is that after I used the twigs for the tea I planted all of them and about 75% took! Even after the long trip and tea making thanks @Carol 83 ! Your awesome! I will post some pics of the growing willow when I can
Similar threads
