willow growth

[Trillipse]

i recently bought a kilmarnock willow from a nursery, planted it in a pot and watched it die. however, on returning from a week's holiday, i find it sprouting fresh growth from the top. do i need to get rid of the old branches, or leave nature to take its course.

 

also - it seems to have some tiny shoots coming out of the trunk at soil-level... what's the score with that?

 

ps i do have a fine huge healthy kilmarnock out the front, but never had such issues with it.

[gen2]

I understand these ornamental willows are made by grafting the weeping variety onto the top of a straight stock of an upright variety.  That means that any growth from below the graft point will be the upright variety - not the weeping one, so all those lower buds/shoots should be removed.  Furthermore, the lower shoots will compete with the upper ones and recovery will be slower.

Willows are fairly robust but need to be kept moist so look after it and it could recover.

[Trillipse]

aha! well, i didn't know that whole grafting business. makes sense though. cheers gen. but the dead branches/leaves? to be left on?

[woofgang]

wait until you are sure that they are dead. Regeneration is a slow process and they may yet shoot. When you are sertain that they arte dead, trim off.

[Trillipse]

THANKS woof - tree now sprouting on all previously "dead" branches. you're a star!