Propagating a Weeping Willow Tree

Willows contain a plant hormone that promotes rooting so they are easy to propagate. A cut branch can actually be stuck directly into moist soil in the summer and roots will develop after only a few short weeks. To root other times during the year, you can start them in a vase of water and transplant them outside in the spring. Use cuttings that are about 1/2 to 1 inch thick in diameter and about 5 - 16 inches long. You can pound them into the ground with a rubber mallet until only a couple of leaf nodes (1-2 inches of the cutting) remain above the ground. You can also tie bundles of cuttings together (each about as thick as a pencil and about 3 feet in length) and lay them horizontally in shallow trenches. This will create a dense "fence" effect as the cuttings sprout. Remember that willows are invasive and grow massive roots. Keep new cuttings well away from driveways and sidewalks, foundations and septic systems.

You can also use a good Rooting Hormone to start your Willows if you prefer to do it that way.On the stem where the Willow has been cut dip the cutting in the rooting hormone before potting in a well balanced soil.Keep the potting soil moist but don't over water.If the cutting about a month and a half then slightly tug on the cutting to see if any roots have started.Don't tug hard and don't pull the cutting out of the soil.You should be able to tell if the rooting has begin with a slight tug.