Hi there, I would be grateful for some advice.

I planted a grafted willow salix flamengo about two months ago. My question is how do I maintain it during the winter months.

Do I need to trim it back now or wait until the spring?

Do I need to water it throughout the winter months?

Any other advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks

Good question

I do not know what type of framework you want. Some Salix can be pollarded.
E.g., a single stem pollard would have all of its branches removed back to
the branch collar without wounding the branch collar and without leaving a
stub. Not that hard to do, I do it often. You would then drop crotch prune
the central leader. Now you have no branches and this plant will not have
another branch. The next growing season, epicormic sprouts from
meristematic points, will form. The following fall or winter all of the
sprouts will be removed. They do not have branch collars, however , they do
form a swollen base. So when removing the sprouts they should be removed
back to the swollen area at the base without wounding the swollen area and
without leaving a stub. Some could be left for flowers if desired. This
pruning or ancient art form will remain that size for ever. Proper mulching
would be wise with addition of microelements. If you desired a multi
stemmed pollard you would do the same thing to branches as you did with the
single. Each year then repeat the instruction for a single pollard on the
branches pruned into pollard. The areas where the sprouts are formed will
form what we call a head. Often people top trees and claim to be pollarding
when topping is what they are doing. Pollarding correctly does not wound
the branch collar, swollen area, or leave stubs.
The same pruning targets are helpful for pruning vines.

Other than that we would have to know if you desire a short compact or tall
plant. I take it that it is a woody plant?

I once met a Mr. Pollard and he told me I was the first person he had met
that knew the meaning of his name.

True pollarding is common in Spain.
Pollarding -
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT20...ing/index.html

Mulching with composted tree trimmings correctly would be great to have for
winter.
Mulching -
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/M/mulch.html

Pruning Wait until next growing season to prune stem, following planting.
http://www.treedictionary.com/DICT2003/tree_pruning


Also an application of microelements would be nice. Where are you located?


--
Sincerely,
John A. Keslick, Jr.
Consulting Tree Biologist
www.treedictionary.com
and
http://home.ccil.org/~treeman
Watch out for so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology.
Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, tornado's, volcanic eruptions and other
abiotic forces keep reminding humans that they are not the boss.



"Novice Gardener" wrote in
message ...

Hi there, I would be grateful for some advice.

I planted a grafted willow salix flamengo about two months ago. My
question is how do I maintain it during the winter months.

Do I need to trim it back now or wait until the spring?

Do I need to water it throughout the winter months?

Any other advice would be gratefully received.

Many thanks




--
Novice Gardener