How do you prune a dappled willow?
To prune a dappled willow, wait until early winter when the weather has turned cold for good in your area and the plant has gone dormant. If you want to keep the willow in a natural form, simply cut off select branches down to the ground with pruning shears to thin the willow out every 1 or 2 years.
What does dappled willow look like in winter?
The Dappled Willow is a plant that grows well in the winter. In addition, it can withstand cold temperatures and doesn't need much water. In the winter, the leaves on this plant turn from green to brown or yellow, making them look like they are made from gold or copper. In the fall, its leaves turn a nice red color.
Can you shape a dappled willow?
You must prune your dappled willow to the shape you prefer. You can prune it into a short shrub, allow it to grow to its full height, or select something in between. Let your overall landscape plan be your guide. As you shape and trim a dappled willow, maintain its graceful natural shape, upright and slightly rounded.
How do you care for tri color dappled willow?
Dappled willow trees have high requirements for moisture. When they're young, you'll want to water them deeply twice a week. You should feel moisture in the soil at least two inches down. As the tree ages, you can water it less frequently, giving it one inch of water once every week.
Is a dappled willow a tree or a bush?
shrubPlant Description: The Dappled Willow is a tri-color shrub that is sometimes large enough to resemble a tree, and it is adored for its spectacular variegated foliage which emerges pink and evolves into pink, white, and green.
How tall does a dappled willow tree get?
In ideal conditions, an established dappled willow grows fast, and attains a height of around ten feet. On an average, this plant can be four to six feet tall. With proper pruning, you can maintain the shape, size and foliage of the plant.
Can you prune dappled willow in fall?
To master dappled willow pruning, prune in early spring or late fall to maintain the most colorful leaves, and prune in midsummer if you want to keep the shrub smaller than its natural height of up to 20 feet.
What is the best fertilizer for a dappled willow?
For young dapple willows freshly transplanted from a 1 gallon pot, apply 1 tablespoon of general-purpose, granulated slow-release fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, around the base of the plant and water it in. For a 3 gallon plant, use 2 tablespoons of fertilizer.
Why are the leaves on my dappled willow turning brown?
Browning of leaves is caused by under-watering, exposure to frost, and fungal diseases. Sometimes, the leaves of the dappled willow may turn green. This can be countered with proper and regular pruning, along with timely feeding. Exposure to full sun is also beneficial for retaining the foliage colors.
Is a dappled willow same as tri-color willow?
The Tri-Color Willow Hedge Shrub, or 'Dappled Willow', is an amazing new shrub that can be planted to form a colorful 8 to 10-foot privacy hedge. Heavy branching means that the stunning Tri-Color Willow grows quickly and beautifully.
Can I trim my dappled willow in the summer?
For these plants, pruning should be done in the early spring, before they leaf out. Shear or prune the outer branch tips to shape and reduce the size of the plant. Repeat this pruning technique throughout the summer, as needed. As the plant matures, renewal pruning will be needed.
How tall does a tricolor willow get?
7'-9' feet tallOnce established, tri-color willows grow quickly, up to 7'-9' feet tall and wide. Regular pruning should be performed to maintain a smaller shape, ideally after new growth in the spring.
Why is my dappled willow turning brown?
The spots you are seeing are a characteristic of fungal infection, including willow rust disease. There is an enormous amount of fungal disease present in our area this spring due to the wet weather. Fungal disease is nurtured and spread by rain and overhead irrigation.
Why is my dappled willow losing leaves?
Dappled Willow Issues For example, anthracnose diseases come from a fungus that causes a willow tree to lose its leaves. This usually happens at bud break after cool, wet periods. If you notice powdery fungus on the stems and foliage of your tree, you may have rust.
Why is my dappled willow turning green?
Sometimes, the leaves of the dappled willow may turn green. This can be countered with proper and regular pruning, along with timely feeding. Exposure to full sun is also beneficial for retaining the foliage colors. In ideal conditions, an established dappled willow grows fast, and attains a height of around ten feet.
Why is my dappled willow bush dying?
All willows, the Dappled Willow shrubs and grafted trees included, are susceptible to disease problems which include blight, crown gall, fungus, root rot, cankers, rust, Willow Scab, leaf spot and powdery mildew. May also be afflicted with insects including aphids, scale, borers, lace bugs, beetles and caterpillars.
What is a dappled willow?
The dappled willow ( Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’) is a popular ornamental tree with a graceful weeping habit. It has lovely gray-green foliage streaked with pink and white. Since this tree grows quickly, pruning a dappled willow is always an important part of the maintenance. Read on for information on dappled willow pruning.
Where does dappled willow grow?
The dappled willow is native to Japan and Korea where it frequently grows near water, like along streams and in marshes. Its shoots were used in yesteryear for basket making. A Dutch breeder brought Salix integra ‘Hakuro-nishiki’ to this country in 1979.
Is dappled willow ornamental?
Today, it is considered an ornamental, which means that dappled willow pruning is a part of many gardener’s to-do lists. All willows grow rapidly, and dappled willows are no exception. Keep this in mind when you are choosing trees for your backyard.
Can you cut back dappled willow?
If you are wondering how to prune dappled willow, you’ll be happy to hear that you can virtually do no wrong. These are very forgiving trees and will thrive no matter how you trim them. In fact, cutting back dappled willow almost always makes them more attractive.
What zone does dappled willow grow in?
Loppers or pruning saw. The tricolor dappled willow grows best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8, according to Fine Gardening. This deciduous shrub’s branches arch gracefully in a weeping form. Its leaves begin as pink buds, then grow to become a mottled mixture of white, green and pink foliage.
What color are the leaves on a dappled willow tree?
Its leaves begin as pink buds, then grow to become a mottled mixture of white, green and pink foliage. As with most willows, the tricolor dappled willow needs partial to full sunlight and to be in a very wet area or receive regular watering. The dappled willow tree makes an excellent accent to a water feature in an Asian-style garden, ...
How to open up a tricolor willow?
Thin the tricolor dappled willow to open up its shape by pruning branches at their point of origin from a larger branch or at the ground. Focus on cutting back the shrub on the inside of the plant, especially if you are working with a dense tricolor dappled willow, to improve air circulation.
What to use to clean willows?
Use household cleaners, bleach or isopropyl alcohol to clean shears and loppers before using to prune.
Do willows need sun?
As with most willows, the tricolor dappled willow needs partial to full sunlight and a very wet area or regular watering.
When trimming a willow tree, what is the goal?
When trimming a willow tree sapling, the goal is to develop a strong central leader, which will later become the trunk of the tree. You also want to remove branches that are too close together as well as weak branches that are likely to break when they mature and become heavy. Here are the steps in shaping a willow tree:
Why do willow trees break?
Maintaining a little space between branches allows good air circulation and reduces the amount of breakage.
How to make a tree branch break?
Choose a tall, upright stem at the top of the tree as a central leader, and remove competing stems. Remove branches that grow up instead of out. A narrow crotch angle between the branch and the trunk makes it likely that the branch will break as the tree grows and the branch becomes heavy. Remove crowded branches.
What is the best tool to cut twigs?
Hand pruners are the tool of choice for small twigs and thin, whip-like stems that are no more than one-half inch (1 cm.) in diameter. For stems up to 1 1/2 inches (4 cm.) in diameter, use long-handled loppers. The longer handles give better leverage for cleaner cuts. Use a saw for anything larger.
Is it better to prune a willow tree when it is young?
Willow trees are more durable and have a better shape if you do most of the pruning and shaping while the tree is young. Pruning willow trees properly while they are young and easier to prune means you probably won’t have to make major changes in the tree’s structure when it is older and more difficult to prune.
Do you need to trim a mature willow tree?
Pruning a Mature Tree. Mature willow trees don’t need a lot of pruning. The tree will heal faster with fewer disease problems if you remove broken branches and those that rub against each other. If you shorten the branches, always cut just beyond a leaf bud or twig.
Can you shorten a weeping willow tree?
Weeping willow trees develop long branches—sometimes long enough to reach the ground. While this gives the tree a graceful shape, it may not be practical in the landscape. The long branches can become an obstruction to foot traffic and make landscape maintenance more difficult than it has to be. You can shorten them to any length as long as you cut just below a leaf bud.
