I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away. This puts its crown right in line with the
view. I would like to open up the view but would like to keep a willow
or something similar there to soak up the water.

If I were to cut the tree down would it resprout and would the new
shoots weep or grow straight? I am considering taking a course on
willow weaving. Would the shoots be useful for this?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Martin wrote:
On 16 Oct 2006 08:23:17 -0700, "perrancott"
wrote:

I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away. This puts its crown right in line with the
view. I would like to open up the view but would like to keep a willow
or something similar there to soak up the water.

If I were to cut the tree down would it resprout and would the new
shoots weep or grow straight? I am considering taking a course on
willow weaving. Would the shoots be useful for this?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

You could coppice it.
http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handboo...nt/chapter/798
--

Martin

Yes I was considering coppicing but wonder whether the shoots would
grow straight up. Would the roots stay small or could they spread
beyond the height of the coppiced shoots?

Perrancott

Martin wrote:
On 16 Oct 2006 08:23:17 -0700, "perrancott"
wrote:

I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away. This puts its crown right in line with the
view. I would like to open up the view but would like to keep a willow
or something similar there to soak up the water.

If I were to cut the tree down would it resprout and would the new
shoots weep or grow straight? I am considering taking a course on
willow weaving. Would the shoots be useful for this?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

You could coppice it.
http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handboo...nt/chapter/798
--

Martin

Yes I was considering coppicing but wonder whether the shoots would
grow straight up. Would the roots stay small or could they spread
beyond the height of the coppiced shoots?

Perrancott

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message . com
from "perrancott" contains these words:

I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high

Just a baby, then.

A big mature tree in full summer leaf sucks up hundreds of gallons of
water a day, drying out the soil. IOW, when the tree grows bigger, and
especially in a warming climate, the boggy spot will dry in summer, and
those roots will spread , looking for water and nutrients elsewhere.
When your tree reaches 18 m high, you can ( very roughly) expect the
roots to travel the same distance from the trunk as its height. If
there's water uphill ( perhaps running off a house roof or patio or
driveway ), that's where they will go.

and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away.

Maybe, not a problem to the foundations of the house at the moment. I
wouldn't count on it staying that way, with climate warming. Buildings
insurers are getting very particular about distance from building
foundations to nearest tree.

Did he ask to see a drainplan, is it also 18 m away from all your
drains, sewer pipes or septic tank, soakaways, and those of all your
neighbours?

Janet.


There is no drainage to that side of the property. My insurer is
interested only in trees within 5m. Most of the trees in my garden are
covered by TPOs, but not the willow. Some of the larger ones are over
50m and within that distance from my house and a neighbour's. Will I
become uninsurable? Will the local authority that made the TPOs insure
me :-)?
Perrancott

Janet Baraclough wrote:
The message . com
from "perrancott" contains these words:

I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high

Just a baby, then.

A big mature tree in full summer leaf sucks up hundreds of gallons of
water a day, drying out the soil. IOW, when the tree grows bigger, and
especially in a warming climate, the boggy spot will dry in summer, and
those roots will spread , looking for water and nutrients elsewhere.
When your tree reaches 18 m high, you can ( very roughly) expect the
roots to travel the same distance from the trunk as its height. If
there's water uphill ( perhaps running off a house roof or patio or
driveway ), that's where they will go.

and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away.

Maybe, not a problem to the foundations of the house at the moment. I
wouldn't count on it staying that way, with climate warming. Buildings
insurers are getting very particular about distance from building
foundations to nearest tree.

Did he ask to see a drainplan, is it also 18 m away from all your
drains, sewer pipes or septic tank, soakaways, and those of all your
neighbours?

Janet.

If you read my post I was asking about cutting it down so most of your
response, while interesting, is irrelevant.
Are you a qualified arborist?

On 17/10/06 01:20, in article ,
"Janet Baraclough" wrote:

The message .com
from "perrancott" contains these words:

If you read my post I was asking about cutting it down so most of your
response, while interesting, is irrelevant.

I shan't waste my time again.

This is not a private specialist advice bureau btw. It's a recreational
discussion group, where responses are voluntary, can be as partial as
one pleases; and may be relevant to some other readers looking in.

Janet.

Funny how many sock puppets are springing up these days.....

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
http://www.discoverdartmoor.co.uk/

Generally, hardwood trees will resprout once cut down; if you have the
tree cut back to its framework the re-growth will be straight,
therefore useful for basketweaving. To remove such an abundance of the
tree's energy source will destabilise the tree and present a
significant risk of the wounds becoming infected- showing as rot,for
the sake of simplicity.
If you cut down the Willow it will endeavour to survive, through
putting on lots of regrowth,which will present as straight, upright
shoots.

Not a pleasant thing to do to a tree, especially a mature specimen.

Usually, to grow Willow trees for harvest is a decision made early on,
whilst the tree is still dynamic, and can recover. General rule of
thumb: the bigger the limb removed, the larger the wound, the more risk
to the tree's health.



Martin wrote:

On 16 Oct 2006 08:23:17 -0700, "perrancott"
wrote:

I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away. This puts its crown right in line with the
view. I would like to open up the view but would like to keep a willow
or something similar there to soak up the water.

If I were to cut the tree down would it resprout and would the new
shoots weep or grow straight? I am considering taking a course on
willow weaving. Would the shoots be useful for this?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

You could coppice it.
http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handboo...nt/chapter/798
--

Martin

Generally, hardwood trees will resprout once cut down; if you have the
tree cut back to its framework the re-growth will be straight,
therefore useful for basketweaving. To remove such an abundance of the
tree's energy source will destabilise the tree and present a
significant risk of the wounds becoming infected- showing as rot,for
the sake of simplicity.
If you cut down the Willow it will endeavour to survive, through
putting on lots of regrowth,which will present as straight, upright
shoots.

Not a pleasant thing to do to a tree, especially a mature specimen.

Usually, to grow Willow trees for harvest is a decision made early on,
whilst the tree is still dynamic, and can recover. General rule of
thumb: the bigger the limb removed, the larger the wound, the more risk
to the tree's health.



Martin wrote:

On 16 Oct 2006 08:23:17 -0700, "perrancott"
wrote:

I have a weeping willow in my half acre garden. I believe that it is
at least 12 years old. It is about 6m high and growing in a boggy part
of the garden. An arborist from the local agricultural college told me
that its roots are not a problem because it is lower down the hill from
the building and 18m away. This puts its crown right in line with the
view. I would like to open up the view but would like to keep a willow
or something similar there to soak up the water.

If I were to cut the tree down would it resprout and would the new
shoots weep or grow straight? I am considering taking a course on
willow weaving. Would the shoots be useful for this?

Thanks for any advice you can give.

You could coppice it.
http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handboo...nt/chapter/798
--

Martin