"Jack" wrote in message
...
Would the rust fungus affect the production of the "pussies"? Last year,
the willow was plagued with rust and mildew, and spraying didn't have much
effect. I've decided that if the tree doesn't give pussies this year then
I'm chucking it out because it's more trouble than it's worth (and not
particularly attractive when covered in rust and mildew).

Thanks.


It reduces the strength of the tree, if it is fighting rust year on year
eventually it just has no reserves left. The other thing that tends to cause
problems are trailling branches that actually touch the ground, they tend to
rot and provide a breeding ground for all sorts plant diseases. Any
kilmarnock willow at best has a a limited life span