Bonsai forum

TOPIC:

Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3041

  • Bensai
  • Bensai's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 32
  • Thanks received: 2
I am very excited with a bumper crop in Corkscrew Willow I am producing, and they are coming in really strong - I have read sort of mixed reviews on doing Bonsai with these - some people say they are great. I can see how they could be both beautiful and problematic. I am attaching some pics of what I have so far - anyone have any experience on this front?

This message has attachments images.
Please log in or register to see it.

The following user(s) said Thank You: yasin12

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3046

  • Pinkham
  • Pinkham's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 800
  • Thanks received: 62
Hey Bensai,
I don't have experience will corkscrew willow...Mine is with weeping willow.
Last spring I cut a few branches off my willow and rooted a bunch of cuttings in water. It took about a month for them to root.Then planted them in pots. I gave some away and kept 8 or 9 for myself. they are now in my garage waiting for spring to see how many made it. One drawback of rooting trees in water is that their root system isn't as strong as cuttings that were propagated in soil from the start.
Yours look pretty healthy.
Keep them out of direct afternoon sun and keep them well watered. willows like water. They grow extremely fast. That is why they are both good and bad for beginners. Good because they grow so fast and the mistakes you make while pruning will grow out fast....Bad because they need constant pruning or they will lose their shape very quickly, and need to be re-potted in early spring and late summer...their roots grow fast as well.
Anyway.....
I hope this helps.
Lance.
The following user(s) said Thank You: yasin12

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: Post by Pinkham.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3049

  • Bensai
  • Bensai's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 32
  • Thanks received: 2
Thanks. Yes - I tried rooting some in water alone, didn't turn out so well. So I made a watery peat mix that worked incredibly well. Basically add a fine peat mix to a small bucket about 1/5 of the way, then add water until you get a really saturated slushy mix. Add pencil thick to double a size battery cuttings - within a month they will root vigorously.

One big note of caution is the young cuttings are VERY sensitive to cold air - even air as warm as 55 degrees F - this will greatly inhibit their progress, and may even kill them. They need to be rooted indoors - they do surprisingly well in low light - that is until they are established.
The following user(s) said Thank You: yasin12

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3052

  • Pinkham
  • Pinkham's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 800
  • Thanks received: 62
I rooted mine outside in right through the summer.They do need warmth to root well.
One thing I read and did with my cuttings...after they rooted and I put them in pots I left them standing in an inch of water for a few weeks, then took them out and watered them normally.
Here is a link to one of my cuttings. The blog as a whole is pretty boring but it has information on my trees, and what has been done to them.
<broken link>
The following user(s) said Thank You: yasin12

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Last edit: Post by Oscar.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3057

  • Bensai
  • Bensai's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 32
  • Thanks received: 2
that's a good looking tree - good job

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3061

  • Pinkham
  • Pinkham's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 800
  • Thanks received: 62
Thanks.
This is one of my favorites. I hope it makes it through it's first winter.
I'm going to root bigger cuttings next spring. One great thing about willows is that you can root cuttings of any size.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3067

  • manofthetrees
  • manofthetrees's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 1070
  • Thanks received: 193
hey, lance,
i was wondering just how large of a cutting will root to a sustainable tree.
were i go camping the creek is lined with 6 foot across willows (not weeping) and there are some larger (3 t 4 in across) branches with some spectacular shape and age to them i would love to root . i just don't want to destroy the branchs with no sure results when an airlayer would be more reliable,but a much bigger pain in the a##.
i know i have seen logs that have sprouted leaves but i don't know if they survive.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3068

  • Pinkham
  • Pinkham's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 800
  • Thanks received: 62
Keith,
I have read that you can root willow cuttings of any size, so chop off a big branch.I'm starting big ones this spring....or sooner. I could safely cut a branch in late January.The tree will have been dormant for long enough so I could cut a branch and root it inside until late spring. Hey, it's something to look forward to. haha

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3075

  • Bensai
  • Bensai's Avatar Topic Author
  • Offline
  • Junior Member
  • Junior Member
  • Posts: 32
  • Thanks received: 2
I don't have experience with anything but corkscrew willow, but I can tell you without a doubt, the larger the branch, the better success I had. The pencil thin ones were hit and miss, whereas the ones that were cigar size or bigger rooted readily and vigorously. As long as they are kept inside out of the cold, and you use a fine watery peat mix to root them in, look out - they will explode in roots.

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Re: Corkscrew Willow - Advice and Recommendations? 12 years 3 months ago #3079

  • Leslie
  • Leslie's Avatar
  • Offline
  • Platinum Member
  • Platinum Member
  • Posts: 749
  • Thanks received: 7
I luv the look of the Corkscrew Willow! This is the first time I've even heard of them. Where abouts in the world do you live, Bensai? Are these native to your area?

All this talk about exploding willow roots has me wanting to try one...or three! :lol:

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.