GROWING WILLOW FOR BASKETRY

Planting basketry willow for the first time you may have a few questions and I will try to answer some of them here:
1. How many do I need to plant for me to have enough for baskets?
     Well, that depends on several factors such as:
    a) Willow variety and growing conditions: Different willow varieties produce differently.
        Some have a few rods per plant and some have a lot. Some produce mostly larger rods and
        some produce mostly shorter rods. 
        Growing conditions vary from location to location and also from year to year.  Moisture, temperatures,
        soils are just some deciding factors.
    b) Basket designs: Different designs require different sizes and amount of weavers.
    c) Size of baskets: Small baskets require smaller weavers and larger baskets larger and/or more weavers
    d) How many baskets annually
        If you have already made your first few baskets, you will have an idea about what you want to do
        and be able to make decisions based on that. If not, I suggest that you start with  50-100 plants and find
        out if you want more later.
2. How much space do I need in the garden to grow willows for basketry?
    Of course that also depends on how many plants you want. In general though, you need much less space
    than most people think.
    Basketry willow is planted close to force the willow to grow long, straight rods without side shoots. 
    I plant the willows in the field 50 cm (20") between the rows and 25 cm (10") apart in the row.
3. Can I plant the willow in a shaded spot?
    Willow requires sun to perform well. So to give your willow the absolutely best growing conditions, you
    need to give them at least half a day of direct sun during the summer.
4. Does willow require a lot of water?
    As the dormant willow cuttings, that you plant, doesn't have any roots yet, it is very important that the
    soil surrounding them stay moist ALL THE TIME during the first growing season. After that they don't
    require more watering than anything else in your garden.
    It is good idea to plant the cuttings in some kind of mulch. See blog post about propagating willow.
5. Which of your willow varieties are best for basketry? 
    The willow varieties listed under "Willows good for basketry" are ALL good for that.
     However, I do have my favourites and this year we are offering 2 different selections of my best basketry
     willow as a package. 
     Information about the selections here on my website.



Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Dormant willow for planting

Winter has been unusually warm and friendly here this year and we are enjoying not to have to plow snow. That also means that we are able to harvest willow earlier than normal (unless we get a big storm) and I expect to have dormant willow available for sale during the first 2 weeks of March.

Willow cuttings

An assortment of willow cuttings for propagaion

The willow cuttings are approximately 10 inches long and ready for planting as soon as you can get them in the ground.

Use them for planting a willow bed for basketry or just for some beautiful willows in your garden.

For information and to order please go to our website here.

Willow rods (whips)

Example of dormant willow rods for propagation

Salix koriyanagi 'Rubykins'

The rods are approximately 6 feet long and can be used for living willow projects such as

Play huts and tunnels

Just installed play hut

Living willow fence (Fedge)

Living willow fence June the second year after installation

Woven trees in pots and in the garden

Trees just made

 First summer

After 5 years

Come and make your own tree - several designs available - in a nursery pot ready to take home. You can keep it in the pot on your patio for the first growing season and then transplant it to the garden in fall.

For information about 2016 spring workshops making living willow trees in pots please go to our website here.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Dormant willow cuttings and rods for propagation

Winter, snow and ice
of course, it is January in Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada so no gardening for us yet.


There is no doubt though, that gardeners and the like are thinking about the coming spring as we have orders coming in for dormant willow cuttings for gardeners and growers.
So whether you are looking for willow cuttings to plant for ornamental use in your garden, plant a larger willow bed for basketry, or creating living willow structures such as living willow fences, play domes and tunnels - NOW is the time to plan and to secure your order.

Orders are placed as they come in for delivery later in spring so although we haven't harvested the willow in the field yet, it is time for you to get your orders in if you plan on planting willows come spring.

For information about our willows and ordering dormant materials visit Lakeshore Willows website.

To see earlier posts about propagation, cuttings and rods click here.
Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Time to order willow cuttings and rods for the spring

Winter is here and we are not even thinking about harvesting for another 3 weeks or more. By the middle of February, however, we will be looking for days suitable for harvesting the willow - meaning no snow in the field.

Even though you are not thinking about planting any willow for the next couple of months, it is time for you to put in an order for cuttings or rods if you are planning to plant this spring.


Reservations are made as orders are received and orders processed and shipped as soon as we have started harvesting and usually up until the end of April.




The best time to plant willow cuttings and rods for hedges, huts, play tunnels etc. is early spring. 

Order early to make sure that we have what you want - whether you are planning to plant just a few cuttings in pots for later transfer to the garden 

a willow bed for harvesting willow for basketry or other use 
or your garden needs a living willow fence.











As the last two summers were both extraordinary hot and dry, we will have less of the longer rods available this spring, so again, order early for delivery later.




Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Propagating willow

After harvesting my willow beds during the dormant period, I used almost all of this years rods for propagation.These are samples of cuttings from a few varieties, ready to be planted.

I made a total of 7600 cuttings that were stored in closed plastic bags (to prevent them from drying out) in our dark garden shed until it was time for me to plant in the field.

Willow bark contains a natural growth hormone making it very easy to propagate willow from hardwood cuttings which produces plants of each variety with exactly the same genes as the mother plant. It is particularly beneficial when growing willow for weaving to know what the plant's characteristics are and willow weavers around the World all have their favourites.

I have chosen to mulch the willow field for two reasons. First, the plants can't compete with weeds during the first couple of growing seasons and our soil being heavy clay, it is not possible for me to weed mechanically around their new, shallow roots. The second reason being the new plants' need for moisture until roots have developed and the plants are well established. Since I started my first willow beds, I have used different kinds of mulch. First I used a geo-textile, only to find out that it wasn't dark/thick enough to prevent weeds from growing underneath it. The weeds were growing very well, competing with the willows and by mid-summer I had to cover the textile with grass cuttings. This is a Black Maul cutting with new shoots - the competing weeds underneath the mulching geo-textile.

So last year I made a larger investment in a woven poly-cover (the kind nurseries use for ground cover in display areas) as this was recommended to me by another willow grower. Just like the geo-textile water and air were able to pass through the cover to benefit the plants. It seemed to be the perfect solution until later in the season when the faster growing varieties started to get strangled by the weave. The plants were not harmed, but after harvesting this spring I started to make cuts around each plant (about 1500) as most had a thread or even a "piece of cloth" embedded in the growth. Cutting holes in the poly-cover will allow weeds to grow around the willows. I hope however, that the plants are big enough this year to quickly produce shade to out compete the weeds.

This year I used left over material from last year and then bought a heavy plastic from a greenhouse/nursery supplier. It is common to use black plastic for this purpose, but I was afraid that with the high temperatures during summer, the new roots of the plants would get fried. The plastic is black on one side and white on the other so we put it down, white side up which will reflect the sunlight on the plants.
INFORMATION ADDED LATER: Do not put the plastic down with the white side up. It will reflect the sun and make it too hot for the plants. Place it with the black side up!


The cuttings are planted before, or just as they break dormancy and these were planted on April 19, 2009. In this photo from May 1st new shoots are visible on almost 100 % of the cuttings. That's exciting - it doesn't mean that they have rooted already, but they are alive and have enough energy stored to start growing and rooting.
I'll have to admit that my main reason for all this willow stuff is a plan to be able to run a willow based business with the raw material coming from my own field.
And that is a LONG-TERM commitment............
I started in the spring of 2007 and it will be at least another couple of years before I will have enough material to work with. As time goes by, those of you who are interested will be able to get more information on the web-site that I will be setting up in a few months.