Kilmarnock Willow

Hi all first post so be gentle , when and how should I prune the kilmarnock willow tree, it hasn't flowered for a couple of years now and seems to be getting very overgrown any help gratefully received the tree is about 12 to 15 years old and about 6 feet tall. thanks in anticapation.....

 

Hi Oggy and welcome to the forum,

Everyone here is very friendly and only want to help and perhaps have a laugh along the way.

I prune mine at the end of oct or early november, and I prune it right back to the main four branches and I only allow about 6" on each to stay-however mine is kept quite stunted on purpose. It looks pretty severe when you do it but it does go bonkers again the next year.

And I hope you enjoy your stay here with us.

 

Aaaah. Willows should be pruned immediately after flowering as they produce catkins next spring on the wood grown this summer. It is getting a bit late to do it now though. I prune my Kilmarnock one in May/June and I am quite ruthless too. I take every branch back to about 2 inches from its point of origin. I also do this with our Curly Willow, but only every other year. The other willows we have get cut right to the ground so they produce long new coloured growthsfrom the stump.

 

I just can`t bring myself to take those beautiful leaves off at this time though-especially as with the constant rain this last two years-they are just about the prettiest little things out there.

I would still do it in in november as I have had no ill effects leaving it til winter to do, and just a question, doesn`t it do better to plant up the whips at that time of yr or am I thinking of something else entirely?

 

You can take willow cuttings at any time of the year. If you prune them at the right time you get nice fresh new clean stems and leaves for the whole of Summer and Catkins in Spring.

 

Thanks palustris,

Will have a go your way this yr and see how it goes, might be a bit chicken about taking it back to the stump the first time though.

So I pruned mine in november last yr, and you would not prune again now til may next year, have i got that right?

and then I just plant the whips at the same time?

I was thinking of a natural pergola made with willow whips under my oak tree to stop the birds dropping their doingses whilst I sit out there in the evening!

 

Thanks for the replies will get it cut right back in Nov,hopefully get some catkins and flowers again.:thumb:

 

Lollypop I would not prune again until the catkins have finished. If you want whips then take them in September say, they are the easiest to root.
Oggy. If you cut back in Nov you will not get any catkins but you will get new growth during next year which will produce catkins the following year (unless you prune them off in Nov after that.)
Of course both of you should remove any dead or damaged branches at any time of the year.
Had a look after this question and found 12 diferent willows in our garden, most of them dwarf ones I hasten to add.

 

Thanks Pal,

Will do.