Help on making a Willow arch...

Hi, I need to make a willow arch (aprox 2m tall).
What would be the best technique to use to bind the Willow at the top and secure the willow at the base?

thanks

 

Are we talking live willow?

 

as far as i know the willow is cut.
does it take to the soil even if it is cut??

 

Yes it can do, I guess it all depends on how fresh it is, I'm not sure how old it has to be for it not to root.

 

ok cheers
but any idea on a certain way to plant the base and fix together at the top?

i tried searching loads but all i found was small pictures of complete one or companies offering to sell complete ones

 

Willow grows so well it's easy Alex. I cut some vertical canes off a weeping willow (as they weren't weeping) and was about to throw them away when I thought I would stick them in the ground and see what happened. The attached pictures show the result. The arch is about three years old now but it was like that in the first year.
All I did at the top was tie in the shoots with string as they grew up and they now retain the curve on their own. It still grows like billy-oh but it's easy to keep in check.
Incidentally, there is Chamomile growing between the steps beneath it and it seems to be happy there.:lollol:
Chris

 

Chris, that arch looks superb and has given me a good idea to do something similar myself. How many strips of willow did you use to create it?

Alex, sorry for jumping on your thread!

 

its ok - that's a question i wouldn't mind having answered for myself

 

Its a bit late in the year to be doing any live willow structures. It may still take if it is very fresh and the ground is kept very moist for a while until it roots, but ideally this sort of thing should be done in december or january when everything is dormant.

The whips should be pushed at least 1ft into the ground, preferably 2ft. Ideally the whips used should be long enough to reach over the top of the arch and part way down the other side, and then you just wrap them around each other where they meet, and secure with some string to stop the wind from busting it while it establishes. When done in winter, nothing happens for a few weeks, and then about this time of year they'd be off like a rocket and would all grow amongst each other to make it all more solid.

 

Willow is so easy to do!

I would recommend that if you are buying in your willow, once you have it stand it in some water. English Willow Baskets is a company I've used in the past!

When you come to creating a feature in the garden, I would make sure the piece I was putting in the ground has a fresh angled cut, so that the moisture uptake and growth etc starts straight away.

For an arch I would recommend 4 long lengths that would make up the basic side structure, (two on either side about a foot - two foot apart) Then I would with another 4 go inside these first four pieces on the angle, and tie to the upright ones. I suppose these are like cross members.

If you need a horizontal piece joining the front to the back as well, then I would do that, but without it going into the ground.

The tops if they don't meet at the top, don't worry, let them put on some growth, and then you can tie them in at a later date.

All the joints are with string, and the willow will fuse together in time.

Willow has been known to survive going through a chipper, and from a small piece is able to grow to a reasonable size.

You can make up your own designs, as this is just a guide.

I did make a dome and a 20metre willow archway in the past, which are still alive today! If there are any stems that don't take, just wait until there is a long enough section on the arch to cut off to use.

Hope this Helps!

 

thanks everyone for your answers. it will be much easier now.

 

Amazing that willow will survive when cut to grow again. Thanks all, I'll give it a try sometime in the future. Have saved the advice for then.

 

just to warn you all, you can develop OCD about winding the new shoots back in-it's addictive lol.

 

I don't think it is too late Clueless1 but I agree with Plant1star about putting the willow in water. Within a couple weeks it will be putting out roots and will take much better when planted. As for depth, as long as it doesn't fall over it only need to go in, say 6 inches. (Unless it's very tall of course). Aaron, I 've just had a look, before it's too dark to see and I put five whips in each side. As they grew - which that did very quickly, I wove the side shoots in and around the uprights horizontally and this made it rigid. Then as it grew taller, I tied the tops in, gradually pulling them together to make the arch. Picture below shows arch looking the other way. All the growth is this year's so it's due for a trim soon. And you're right Claire, it can be quite meditative, weaving it together. Good luck Alex:thmb:
Chris

 

Well...went for a walk in the woods this week and this afternoon shoved the willow I had collected into their alloted place. Have had to do some trimming and tidying up in order to be able to get through them, but the overall effect should be good. At the moment I have two walls of willow rather than an arch, about 5 foot high on either side. If the young willow tree that seeded itself a couple of years ago is anything to go by, it shouldn't be long before I'm having to start trimming them.

Will keep you informed of progress. And I look forward to the meditation of willow weaving!