I just bought a small (about two ft. tall) weeping pussy willow at Franks. From
what I've seen online, it seems these are created by grafting. The directions
say to keep it indoors until the weather gets warm and then it can be planted
or moved outside. Is there anything else I should know? Since it was made by
grafting the weeping branches to the trunk, will it get taller, or will the
branches just keep growing (I know these need to be pruned when they get too
long).

On 20 Feb 2004 21:29:31 GMT, ospam (Yngver) opined:

I just bought a small (about two ft. tall) weeping pussy willow at Franks. From
what I've seen online, it seems these are created by grafting. The directions
say to keep it indoors until the weather gets warm and then it can be planted
or moved outside. Is there anything else I should know? Since it was made by
grafting the weeping branches to the trunk, will it get taller, or will the
branches just keep growing (I know these need to be pruned when they get too
long).

For the most part, these are novelty items, usually sold for Mother's Day along
with other specialty or novelty items. I don't believe you will have a hardy
specimen. The union is not all that good, and they are fussy...from what I can
tell with the feedback I hear. If you leave it in a pot, it should continue to
grow and the weeping branches can reach the ground. It does look pretty. It's
just not practical.

"Yngver" wrote in message
...
I just bought a small (about two ft. tall) weeping pussy willow at Franks.
From
what I've seen online, it seems these are created by grafting. The
directions
say to keep it indoors until the weather gets warm and then it can be
planted
or moved outside. Is there anything else I should know? Since it was made
by
grafting the weeping branches to the trunk, will it get taller, or will
the
branches just keep growing (I know these need to be pruned when they get
too
long).

It will not get significantly taller. You may get some slight extension of
the rootstock, but generally, the point at which they attach the graft is as
tall as it (the rootstock) will get and the weeping portion will not grow
upward, but will continue to cascade down. These branches will of course
continue to grow. What you will have is a minature tree, most suitable to
container growth, but likely to get lost in the landscape unless planted in
a prominent location. Not sure if I'd personally want to feature such a
specimen myself, but you may have a different idea.

Grafted weeping willows are pretty common, usually a form of Salix caprea.
They are perfectly hardy little trees upto zone 6. If the tree was purchased
bare root (without any soil around it), it needs to receive some attention
immediately - those bare roots can dry out quickly and the tree will suffer
and very likely die. Soak the roots for a couple of hours in a bucket of
water and plant into a container. If it is already potted, then inside a
house is too warm and will force it to break dormancy - it needs a very cool
location until you can put it outside. If your soil is workable and you are
in an appropriate zone, I'd plant it outside ASAP.

pam - gardengal

All of the above advice is patently good. However willows will root readily
from cuttings taken now and can be trained to achieve a desired height. At
that height the terminal can be removed and it will weep from there.
Cuttings should be about 12" long and inserted in a moist nursery bed. Plant
out in permanent position the following winter. Worth a try.
Best Wishes.
"Pam - gardengal" wrote in message
news:SmJZb.374458$na.566346@attbi_s04...

"Yngver" wrote in message
...
I just bought a small (about two ft. tall) weeping pussy willow at
Franks.
From
what I've seen online, it seems these are created by grafting. The
directions
say to keep it indoors until the weather gets warm and then it can be
planted
or moved outside. Is there anything else I should know? Since it was
made
by
grafting the weeping branches to the trunk, will it get taller, or will
the
branches just keep growing (I know these need to be pruned when they get
too
long).

It will not get significantly taller. You may get some slight extension of
the rootstock, but generally, the point at which they attach the graft is
as
tall as it (the rootstock) will get and the weeping portion will not grow
upward, but will continue to cascade down. These branches will of course
continue to grow. What you will have is a minature tree, most suitable to
container growth, but likely to get lost in the landscape unless planted
in
a prominent location. Not sure if I'd personally want to feature such a
specimen myself, but you may have a different idea.

Grafted weeping willows are pretty common, usually a form of Salix caprea.
They are perfectly hardy little trees upto zone 6. If the tree was
purchased
bare root (without any soil around it), it needs to receive some attention
immediately - those bare roots can dry out quickly and the tree will
suffer
and very likely die. Soak the roots for a couple of hours in a bucket of
water and plant into a container. If it is already potted, then inside a
house is too warm and will force it to break dormancy - it needs a very
cool
location until you can put it outside. If your soil is workable and you
are
in an appropriate zone, I'd plant it outside ASAP.

pam - gardengal

escapee wrote:

For the most part, these are novelty items, usually sold for Mother's Day
along
with other specialty or novelty items. I don't believe you will have a hardy
specimen. The union is not all that good, and they are fussy...from what I
can
tell with the feedback I hear. If you leave it in a pot, it should continue
to
grow and the weeping branches can reach the ground. It does look pretty.
It's
just not practical.

Thanks for the info. I like pussy willows but don't have room for a regular one
in our yard, with everything else I've planted over the years. I did plan on
keeping this in a container. When you say it's not hardy, you mean it's better
to overwinter it indoors?

On 24 Feb 2004 18:14:20 GMT, ospam (Yngver) opined:


Thanks for the info. I like pussy willows but don't have room for a regular one
in our yard, with everything else I've planted over the years. I did plan on
keeping this in a container. When you say it's not hardy, you mean it's better
to overwinter it indoors?

Or at the minimum in a garage which does not go much below freezing. The bud
union is soft and rushed during the grafting period. They are chemically
stimulated to be "ready" for shelf. When you plant it, use a very good potting
mix, not potting soil (which can be anything). Home Depot sells a 2 cubic foot,
compressed bale of excellent pro-mix. It's about 8 dollars, but after you add
water to it, is at least 4 times the bulk as it is in compressed form. Also,
watch it for scale.

Please do report on how it does...I'd be interested in hearing.

V

On 24 Feb 2004 18:14:20 GMT, ospam (Yngver) opined:


Thanks for the info. I like pussy willows but don't have room for a regular one
in our yard, with everything else I've planted over the years. I did plan on
keeping this in a container. When you say it's not hardy, you mean it's better
to overwinter it indoors?

Or at the minimum in a garage which does not go much below freezing. The bud
union is soft and rushed during the grafting period. They are chemically
stimulated to be "ready" for shelf. When you plant it, use a very good potting
mix, not potting soil (which can be anything). Home Depot sells a 2 cubic foot,
compressed bale of excellent pro-mix. It's about 8 dollars, but after you add
water to it, is at least 4 times the bulk as it is in compressed form. Also,
watch it for scale.

Please do report on how it does...I'd be interested in hearing.

V

escapee wrote:

Or at the minimum in a garage which does not go much below freezing. The bud
union is soft and rushed during the grafting period. They are chemically
stimulated to be "ready" for shelf. When you plant it, use a very good
potting
mix, not potting soil (which can be anything). Home Depot sells a 2 cubic
foot,
compressed bale of excellent pro-mix. It's about 8 dollars, but after you
add
water to it, is at least 4 times the bulk as it is in compressed form. Also,
watch it for scale.

Please do report on how it does...I'd be interested in hearing.

Thank you for the info on the potting soil. I will pick up some from Home Depot
this weekend.

So far the pussy willow is doing fine. I have it in a sunny window and the
catkins are blossoming. I just noticed that there are a few leaves beginning to
form, so I guess it will leaf out. I'm guessing that if it does need a period
of dormancy in the winter, I should leave it outside in the fall until it gets
to freezing or a little below. I have some other plants that are not hardy to
zone 5 that I leave out until the temps get to about 20 degrees F, then I bring
them in and store them in the basement. They have always come back in the
spring, so I hope that will be sufficient treatment for this willow too.

Thanks again.

Pam - gardengal" wrote:

It will not get significantly taller. You may get some slight extension of
the rootstock, but generally, the point at which they attach the graft is as
tall as it (the rootstock) will get and the weeping portion will not grow
upward, but will continue to cascade down. These branches will of course
continue to grow. What you will have is a minature tree, most suitable to
container growth, but likely to get lost in the landscape unless planted in
a prominent location. Not sure if I'd personally want to feature such a
specimen myself, but you may have a different idea.

Thanks for the info. No, I plan to keep it in a pot or container. I have too
small a yard for a regular size pussy willow, but I will probably just set this
out on the patio during warm weather.

Grafted weeping willows are pretty common, usually a form of Salix caprea.
They are perfectly hardy little trees upto zone 6. If the tree was purchased
bare root (without any soil around it), it needs to receive some attention
immediately - those bare roots can dry out quickly and the tree will suffer
and very likely die. Soak the roots for a couple of hours in a bucket of
water and plant into a container. If it is already potted, then inside a
house is too warm and will force it to break dormancy - it needs a very cool
location until you can put it outside. If your soil is workable and you are
in an appropriate zone, I'd plant it outside ASAP.

No, I'm in zone 5. I was told at the garden center that this type of tree is
hothouse conditioned and couldn't survive the shock if it were planted outside
right now, but has to stay indoors until the weather is warm. It came in a pot
and I repotted it to a larger pot. When you say it will break dormancy
indoors--do you mean the catkins will flower? It already had catkins when I
bought it, and they are now flowering. Can't it survive indoors until spring? I
had assumed it would begin to leaf out after it was done flowering.

I guess that leads me to another question--does this type of pussy willow
require a period of cold weather dormancy next winter in order to have catkins
in the spring next year? I was not planning to leave it outside in a container
during the coldest months.

On 25 Feb 2004 17:07:57 GMT, ospam (Yngver) opined:

Thank you for the info on the potting soil. I will pick up some from Home Depot
this weekend.

So far the pussy willow is doing fine. I have it in a sunny window and the
catkins are blossoming. I just noticed that there are a few leaves beginning to
form, so I guess it will leaf out. I'm guessing that if it does need a period
of dormancy in the winter, I should leave it outside in the fall until it gets
to freezing or a little below. I have some other plants that are not hardy to
zone 5 that I leave out until the temps get to about 20 degrees F, then I bring
them in and store them in the basement. They have always come back in the
spring, so I hope that will be sufficient treatment for this willow too.

Thanks again.

Keep in mind that, when the air is 20 degrees, so is the soil in the container.
To be safe, I'd do what you do, but raise it to 27 degrees. Anything below that
can really damage the roots. Plants will go dormant at 35 degrees, too. I have
plants in my greenhouse right now with the winter light and very warm days and
they are dormant.

Look he

http://www.sws-wis.com/lifecycles/what.html

v

On 25 Feb 2004 17:07:57 GMT, ospam (Yngver) opined:

Thank you for the info on the potting soil. I will pick up some from Home Depot
this weekend.

So far the pussy willow is doing fine. I have it in a sunny window and the
catkins are blossoming. I just noticed that there are a few leaves beginning to
form, so I guess it will leaf out. I'm guessing that if it does need a period
of dormancy in the winter, I should leave it outside in the fall until it gets
to freezing or a little below. I have some other plants that are not hardy to
zone 5 that I leave out until the temps get to about 20 degrees F, then I bring
them in and store them in the basement. They have always come back in the
spring, so I hope that will be sufficient treatment for this willow too.

Thanks again.

Keep in mind that, when the air is 20 degrees, so is the soil in the container.
To be safe, I'd do what you do, but raise it to 27 degrees. Anything below that
can really damage the roots. Plants will go dormant at 35 degrees, too. I have
plants in my greenhouse right now with the winter light and very warm days and
they are dormant.

Look he

http://www.sws-wis.com/lifecycles/what.html

v

escapee wrote:


Keep in mind that, when the air is 20 degrees, so is the soil in the
container.
To be safe, I'd do what you do, but raise it to 27 degrees. Anything below
that
can really damage the roots. Plants will go dormant at 35 degrees, too. I
have
plants in my greenhouse right now with the winter light and very warm days
and
they are dormant.

Look he

http://www.sws-wis.com/lifecycles/what.html

Okay, thanks. The plants I was thinking of are supposed to be hardy to 10
degrees, so I figured that since they are in containers, I should bring them in
by the time the temps were falling to 20 or so. I didn't know they would go
dormant at as much as 35. I'm not positive, but I thought my hakone grass (in a
container) didn't start to turn brown until it got below freezing. Of course,
I'm not sure hakone grass needs to go dormant either.

On 27 Feb 2004 16:10:48 GMT, ospam (Yngver) opined:

escapee wrote:


Keep in mind that, when the air is 20 degrees, so is the soil in the
container.
To be safe, I'd do what you do, but raise it to 27 degrees. Anything below
that
can really damage the roots. Plants will go dormant at 35 degrees, too. I
have
plants in my greenhouse right now with the winter light and very warm days
and
they are dormant.

Look he

http://www.sws-wis.com/lifecycles/what.html

Okay, thanks. The plants I was thinking of are supposed to be hardy to 10
degrees, so I figured that since they are in containers, I should bring them in
by the time the temps were falling to 20 or so. I didn't know they would go
dormant at as much as 35. I'm not positive, but I thought my hakone grass (in a
container) didn't start to turn brown until it got below freezing. Of course,
I'm not sure hakone grass needs to go dormant either.

Yes, but if it's 10 degrees outside, the soil will never get colder than 27
degrees. In a container, 20 degree air, is the same as the container temp. That
was my point.