Planting Living Willow Structures is great fun and the way they burst into life is very rewarding but there is no doubt that to keep them looking good some maintenance is required. A little and often is the best approach. Kids love doing it!
1 |
Monthly or every time you are in or around the structure weave in any side growth. Tuck it in and out going sideways but make sure it rises by at least 5 degrees towards the tip, willow sap does not travel down hill well. |
2 |
Try and avoid watering unless the spring and summer are very dry in which case flood the structure with as much water as you can for 24 hours then leave it for a week. Then do it again. If you water a little and often it will only encourage roots close to the surface and the structures will always be susceptible to droughts. |
3 |
Keep weaving in shoots need to be about 10”+ before they will stay where you put them but if they get to big they will not bend into the structure and will break. Don’t worry if they do break as two more shoots will come from the break point. |
4 |
If you suspect the rod has got to big to weave in the cut it off. If its not in the way then leave it until the winter trim. |
5 |
Try and keep the half-meter strip around the willow stems weed and grass free, use mulch if you have some. |
6 |
During summer you are likely to see big fat willow aphids feeding on the stems they are unsightly but not dangerous. Squish them or knock them off with a jet of water or just enjoy watching them. |
7 |
In late summer if you have had a good infestation of aphids you may well find they attract wasps which milk them for their honey dew. You can put down jam traps for them or just temporarily make the structure out of bounds for play and just go and watch them from time to time as its very interesting. |
8 |
In late summer and early winter again if you have had a good infestation of aphids you may well see a black fungus on the bark of the willow this is just a mould growing on the aphid honey dew secretion and is not harmful to the willow. |
9 |
You will see many other bugs and wildlife on the willow it is second only to the Oak tree in the number of creatures that feed on it. Apart from some virus’s there is little that will kill the willow mostly it will just slow its growth. |
10 |
Always trim back any other vegetation that will throw shade on to the willow – they leave the sunshine. |
11 |
Once the leaves have dropped and before the buds break its time to go out and give the structure a good weave in. Then trim any big growth that you can’t weave in back to the original stem. |
12 |
Sort these trimmings by length. If you need an excuse to set aside the time you can set it up in a way that practises converting from metric to imperial measurements – part of Key stage 1 & 2 National Curriculum Requirements. |
13 |
Use the bigger trimmed off rods to replace any rods that have died. Leave the original dead rod in place insert the new rod butt 1st down through the binders butt 1ist along side it. Make a new hole 12” deep push in the replacement rod and firm the soil around it. |
14 |
Any remaining rods can be planted into new structures or dried out for 6 weeks and then used for weaving baskets etc. |
