How To Plant And Care For Willows

How To Plant And Care For Willows

Planting a willow in your own garden is not witchcraft. Anyone who has enough space for the beautiful woody plant makes a good decision with a willow. The trees are easy to care for and hardy.

Willows are impressive trees that are always an eye-catcher. They are among the most ecologically valuable native woody plants and are extremely versatile. If you want to plant a willow in your garden, you will need a lot of space: willows grow quickly and form a lush crown as well as an enormous underground root system. So you should definitely have an open area with a diameter of about 20 meters for the willow.

Planting willow: location and procedure


If your garden is large enough, you can start looking for a suitable location for your willow. Willows are so-called pioneer shrubs that grow in the wild on areas that are unfavorable for other plants. These include, for example, gravel plains, riverbanks and slagheaps. Accordingly, willows are also very adaptable and robust in the garden.

How To Plant And Care For Willows

The optimal location looks as follows:

  • moist to wet soil
  • slightly acidic to neutral soil
  • permeable soil
  • sunny and bright


If you can’t meet all of these points, that’s not a problem either. The willow tolerates almost all soils, as long as they are not too dry.

If you have found a spot, you can buy a young plant in a specialized shop. This is best done in spring or fall, as these are the best times for planting.

  • Loosen the soil thoroughly and mix it with sand or gravel. This will give you very permeable soil.
  • Dig a sufficiently large planting hole. Make sure it is not too deep, as willows are shallow rooted.
  • Place the tree in it and fill the hole with soil.
  • Press down well and don’t forget to water!
See also  Is Wood Ash A Useful Fertilizer For The Garden?


Caring for willow: tips and tricks

How To Plant And Care For Willows

Overall, willows are low-maintenance shrubs that don’t require much attention.

Free-standing willows do not really need to be watered, as they always find water in the soil due to their extensive root system. Only in the first period after planting should you keep the young plants well moist.
You do not need to fertilize willows, unless you keep them in a container. Then you should mix some compost into the soil once a year.
Willows are very tolerant of pruning. The trees quickly become very lush, so regular pruning is recommended. The best time for this is in spring.

Author

  • James Jones

    Meet James Jones, a passionate gardening writer whose words bloom with the wisdom of an experienced horticulturist. With a deep-rooted love for all things green, James has dedicated his life to sharing the art and science of gardening with the world. James's words have found their way into countless publications, and his gardening insights have inspired a new generation of green thumbs. His commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship shines through in every article he crafts.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Gardeninguru