how can i make ossier willow cuttings grow more branches

Hi

We bought some ossier willow cuttings last year, which took and did grow very well.

The only problem is, that they grew more upwards and did not grew enough branches to make them denser like a “bush “style.

So my question is, do you cut them back now it is winter, or how do you make them grow more branches and not continue just upwards?

We need them to be about 6 ft and bushy but they are now about 8 ft.

Thanks

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

Cut them right back to the base. This one was cut back to the stump last winter and all the thin branches are this years growth.



Sorry about the pic quality (thru the caravan window)

 

Thanks for your advice
Should we wait till the frost season is finished to put the new cuttings in the ground eg march?
thanks

 

No, lob them in now, they'll start making root growth

 

Ideally now. The only reason to wait would be if the ground is too hard to poke the cuttings into, but seeing as its unusually warm for the time of year, I can't see that being a problem.

Another trick you can do is gently bend the willows right down, so that they run horizontally along the ground, then peg them down. They'll send up side shoots along their length. To be honest though, given that the success rate for willow cuttings is often more than 90%, it's probably easier and will produce faster results just to do as the others have already suggested.

 

I actually had great success with willow (Salix integra) rooting in just water on my kitchen windowsill! I eventually repotted into soil. They grew tall and straggly so I chopped a good 6+ inches of growth off the top and they started branching out brilliantly.