Willows, tree description
Willow, aka white willow, is a common tree that grows in Russia and Ukraine. Most often it can be seen near a river, pond or other body of water. But with some effort, willow can be grown in an urban setting, near a road or in a garden.
The willow is a large, massive tree, up to 30 m high. Its wide crown is round, often weeping. The tree has a strong and well-developed root system.
After cutting, the willows can take the form of a bush.
The willow trunk reaches 3 m in diameter. It is covered with dark gray bark with deep cracks. On it are matte thin branches of a light green color. Young branches are covered with fluff and grow upward, while adults and lateral ones hang above the ground.
The length of the leaves ranges from 5 to 15 cm, small teeth are located at the edges
The upper part of the leaf is silky, dark green in color, and the lower part is fluffy, light green with silvery hairs. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow.
During flowering, which lasts from April to May, small yellow-green flowers bloom on the tree. They are collected in inflorescences about 5 cm long, which look like earrings.
This extraordinary tree attracts the attention of any person.
Planting and caring for a willow tree
Planting seedlings with open roots is carried out in early spring or late autumn. If the roots are protected by an earthen clod, then the plant can be planted from mid-spring to mid-autumn.
You need to plant like this:
- In a bright and warm place, dig a hole 50 cm deep and about 60 cm wide.
- At the bottom, drain it using sand or gravel. Fill 1/3 of the hole with a mixture of peat, compost and azofosk. White willow is undemanding to the ground. But it grows best in light and loamy soil. Sandy, barren and gravelly soil is also suitable.
- Place a wooden peg in the ground to support the seedling.
- Place the seedling in the hole, bury it and tamp the soil. Tie the seedling to a support.
- Sprinkle the ground near the trunk with 3 buckets of water.
- Mulch the topsoil with a small layer of peat.
These are all the steps you need to take to plant willow in open ground.
In order for a beautiful and healthy tree to grow from a seedling, it needs to be looked after.
The care is as follows:
- Water the plant abundantly once a week using at least 3 buckets of water. Spray the seedling periodically.
- Loosen the soil so that it is saturated with oxygen.
- In spring and summer, feed the willow with complex fertilizers, and in early autumn, use superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
- Spray the plant with special pest and disease control products.
- Remove long shoots, dead and damaged parts as needed. These actions will form the crown of the tree.
Thus, caring for a willow tree is not much different from caring for another plant. Every gardener can grow this tree.
Vetla will amaze with its beauty and majesty for over 100 years, several generations will be able to see it.