Thanks Ken! The past few days has felt like Miami in hurricane season, I swear.

I was going to stick them in the ground, but I've read this particular willow is extremely slow growing and had no confidence that they would survive the dog, the mower and the soggy ground. It is just for kicks. Had no idea the roots were so long. I checked them two days ago and couldn't find any roots, but this morning I looked before I tossed them. Hello!

Soo.. I will see what happens with some damp media.

I was just outside digging around in the compost pile and discovered several branches from an old mystery willow I trimmed last year, were not dead and are now quite happily growing. It isn't the willow I want to keep, but hey - good to know that all it takes is rainwater and a pile of dead stuff for them to survive.

Want some free pussy willows? :)

Ohh and Maple seedlings!! They seem to have gone insane and are sprouting in everyone's gutters and sidewalk cracks.. and everywhere. I pulled out 50 at least from one bed at my sister's yesterday.

NEVER root in the ground.. unless you have a nursery bed ... as you note.. you forget where they are .. and mow them down ...

use the pot system ... keep them in full shade.. plant in fall ..

ken

ps the adrian dude is elardo ... never mind ...

Of any plant, willow stems/sticks just stuck in the ground have a better than average chance of rooting. In fact, it is almost impossible for them NOT to root! Many folks who make wattle fencing out of willow sticks that have not been allowed to dry sufficiently will find their fence suddenly sprouting leaves and putting down roots. Without watering, without attention, without any intervention beyond sticking them into the ground.

I gotcha Ken. Nope! No relation that I know about. :)

Garden gal - exactly what happened with these willow cuttings. But, I thought they were sufficiently dry and dead.. oops.

No takers on the maple seedlings? Pulled another 50 or so today. Ugh

the difference though ... is august in MI can be 100 degrees ..

and in my sand .. it will dry down 6 to 12 inches ...

as compared to gals PNW ... where 75 is a heat wave ...

that is why i say only some will root if stuck in the ground.. and she says all will ...

and that is why ... and my point was.. a nursery bed.. that you will water once in a while... is easier to use.. rather than doing a few all around the yard ...

JUST clarifying for the newbs of the world ... location matters

ken

Update: Willow cuttings are in a large pot and have been having a blast. They are apparently liking their new home and when they are toddlers, I will move them to the ground. Location will depend on what doesn't make it until September. It is looking like I will get at least two more shrubs from these little guys.

fear your success .. lol ...

did you convert the water roots ... or cut them off??

ken

I converted them. Laziness won..lol

So is this something I could potentially do with a friend's weeping willow? Take a few semi-cuttings and root them? I like trying it.

I am not looking for a tree - just a fair warning. The willows I am starting are cuttings from a dwarf shrub. I have no idea how weeping willows differ, but hey - I am all for experimenting and playing around to see what happens.

One thing that I did this time was that I used a black container to start the cuttings. I've always used clear glass in the past, but I had a black plastic thing sitting around so I just stuck them in it with fresh water that I changed every two days. No idea if it made a difference but I did nothing else!

I always use black containers with a plastic covering on a covered east facing window. Works well if I keep them evenly moist.

If I did the willow tree, I would just keep it in a pot as an experiment and have fun with it. I've done it with a few maples and I still have them potted and hanging around the yard.

I used a random black floral container in an uncovered north facing window. If you want maples, we had a weird weather thing that created a perfect storm for maples. The trees all seeded out, the wind came in a day later, then the rain. A follow-up of a week of 80 degree weather with 90% humidity turned half my city in to a maple seedling nursery. Hundred pulled so far. Am I the only one that feels bad when I yank out 100+ in a day? ;o)