Willow Starts Process from Spring Cuts

These Sandbar Willow (Salix Interior) starts are from some cuts I took May 15th, when it was still cool in the morning.

I cut them & split into two groups:

Some into a muck bucket with container mix dirt (it has the extra bits & pieces in it more like natural dirt than say, planter mix I usually pot up in) & a whole bunch of water about 6” above the muck, & they sat in full sun in the nursery since then.

The others I potted up with a container mix blend, and got a little less sun. They were not as happy, and are now going into the muck bucket to catch up.

Muck buckets started looking great awhile back, so I started adding even more water, and Wednesday - I plopped them (water & all) out of the 5 gallon bucket, into a much larger trudge bucket. And then again - a bunch more water & sat in the sun, with plenty of space to stretch out from each other.

Their roots had all grown as a mat around each other, but by letting them soak (todays Sunday, so a 5 day soak) & every now and then teasing the root over root ball gently, they started to untangle from each other into clumps.

So this morning:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/8bb89c_fdab6646818f4cdb80bee703fbd6bc5e/file

I’m glad they rooted so nicely. Muck bucket for them it is. I wouldn’t grow all splits this way - the elderberry like the in-container mix in a planter box best & blueberry’s would hate a muck bucket - far to rotty for them. To each their own right?

Coming soon, more native options. And the Sandbar has grown in popularity in recent years.

As a native, it has great seasonal growth & people have enjoyed planting out rows to weave into natural privacy screens & native habitat. Once established, other than pruning, natives often require little maintence care. The benefits just never end.

I will be bringing these to town to offer soon, after they settle into their final pot up.

Happy Sunday, from outside.