corscrew willow that has 9 lives... maybe

Funny story. Last fall for T-giving I bought some thin (dead looking) corkscrew willow branches about 3 feet long at the Farmers' Market. Used half in the house to decorate. Tossed the rest on the deck in a corner. Gave some to my sister-in-law. A month ago she emailed me a picture of them still in a vase with new leaves and roots galore. So I figgerd,: "what the 'hay'"! I took my old (still dead looking) branches off the deck, cut the bottoms, and put them into water in the garage/garden work space! Now I have leaves and roots and MANY root buds!

How would these do in a big pot on the deck?

Again, I say: Isn't Mother Nature marvelous?! They will do very well in a large pot on your deck.

Thanks, I'm so happy IT will be happy on the deck. I like corkscrew plants Check out Medusa Pepper, fifth from bottom on this page: http://tomatogrowers.com/hot3.htm Ever seen rat tail statice?

I don't know how long you will be able to keep in a pot. They can be expected to reach up to 30 feet when planted in the ground. Perhaps they will respond to root pruning. I have three in pots now but am planning to plant in the ground soon. Al

Al ----


How long in pots? How big are the pots and how big the willow?

S

Reminds me of the old story about the pioneer family moving on and a willow basket that had seen it's day was tossed into a hole near the old house. Years later one of them passed by and discovered that a willow tree had grown from the old basket. LOL Does that give you an idea of how durable they are? Jessamine.

That is pretty much the way I got my first fantail willow. A friend of mine bought the branches for floral arranging. She got a wild idea, stuck them in water and they grew. LOL

Steve, you could probably grow them a couple of years in deck pots as saplings. Heck, I had a ginko tree for several years in a 5 gallon pot -- right in my tiny kitchen in Chicago! When they get too large, if you don't have a spot to transplant to, cut a few branches to root a new one and give the baby tree away to a lucky friend..... I'm thinking that might work!

I have a little corkscrew willow in a wet corner of they yard, and it is thriving! It's an offspring from my mom's tree, which makes it extra special. Have fun with yours!

Willows are special that way... Before the advent of rooting hormone if you wanted to grow a start on something that was difficult you would take willow branches and chop them up and soak them in a bucket of water and then you would soak the cuttings in the water and the hormone from the willow would help the other cuttings root. (it still works) But rotenone works a bit better and is easier...

Drew

Wilowtone. Organic too! What cool info here on DG.