Went on holiday and half of all my willow is now dying,

ch750536

Any ideas what the issue is or how to remedy it? Super zoomed for detail.

looksee

I think you tried to get far too big branches going with too much leaf on.

I would cut off those side branches - not the little scraggly ones at the top, the long side ones. Strip off the leaves and snip off the tips. The resulting twig should be about 2 ft long. You can get two or three twigs from one branch. Just make sure you keep them the right way up. Push into the ground and water well, and keep watered.

The absolutely best way to get willow to strike is to use it as pea sticks . Joking, but they really are easy to get going. Put in about twice as many as you need and either dump the ones that don't strike or just keep the best ones. The resulting bushes will catch up on the branches you put in in about 2 seasons.

Once you have cut off all the spare branch and leaves there is a fair chance the ones you have planted may strike, but you may have cut too far into old wood.

ch750536

looksee wrote: »

I think you tried to get far too big branches going with too much leaf on.

I would cut off those side branches - not the little scraggly ones at the top, the long side ones. Strip off the leaves and snip off the tips. The resulting twig should be about 2 ft long. You can get two or three twigs from one branch. Just make sure you keep them the right way up. Push into the ground and water well, and keep watered.

The absolutely best way to get willow to strike is to use it as pea sticks . Joking, but they really are easy to get going. Put in about twice as many as you need and either dump the ones that don't strike or just keep the best ones. The resulting bushes will catch up on the branches you put in in about 2 seasons.

Once you have cut off all the spare branch and leaves there is a fair chance the ones you have planted may strike, but you may have cut too far into old wood.

These are 3 years old and 8ft tall. Well established. I'm a numpty though, does your advice above still apply?

looksee

Ah no! I somehow picked up that you were trying to strike new cuttings, though I am not sure how I got there since you didn't mention anything of the sort.

I have no idea why they should suddenly up and die, a quick google suggests there are diseases that cause sudden death, but I'd think its fairly unusual. I don't suppose there is any chance something like oil could have been spilled around them?

my3cents

Any neighbors that aren't too happy about them?

You get the same affect if they are strangled at the base by planting through a woven geotextile. Also lack of water.

magicbastarder

any chance they were collateral damage from herbicide spraying?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

To me they just look like thirsty willow. They really need a reliable water supply. I think a good watering and they will recover, even if not this year.

lottpaul

My sister in law in Wexford has similar problems - though not as bad as yours - with some of her willows (and a few pear trees). Leaves are curled and brown - just crumble in your hand - and some branches have died back. Other trees in the same garden, but a little distance away, are fine.

Could it be a form of leaf/twig blight? She has cut out any branches with die back and the rest of the trees seem ok for now.

macraignil

Looks to me like your willow have got a bad case of some fungal disease but not sure which one. The RHS have a page about some of them here.

If there is no other obvious cause I would be inclined to cut off and dispose of all of the stems with those cankers or diseased sections and dispose of them. If the trees are established you might get fresh disease free growth sprout up again from the roots but if this fails some other type of tree or shrub might do better in replacing the willow.

ch750536

looksee wrote: »

Ah no! I somehow picked up that you were trying to strike new cuttings, though I am not sure how I got there since you didn't mention anything of the sort.

I have no idea why they should suddenly up and die, a quick google suggests there are diseases that cause sudden death, but I'd think its fairly unusual. I don't suppose there is any chance something like oil could have been spilled around them?

I live in the middle of nowhere, neighbours 400m away and get on fine with them. I dont use any chemicals.

ch750536

my3cents wrote: »

... Also lack of water.

This is on reclaimed bog. Its within 1m of a drainage channel.

ch750536

Fernanda Substantial Rainbow wrote: »

To me they just look like thirsty willow. They really need a reliable water supply. I think a good watering and they will recover, even if not this year.

Its all the east facing side of all the trees though. Surely a water issue wouldn't do that?

looksee

Could you take a pic from a bit further back so its possible to see the area a bit? Kinda looks like spray drift, has anyone been spraying in the area?

my3cents

looksee wrote: »

Could you take a pic from a bit further back so its possible to see the area a bit? Kinda looks like spray drift, has anyone been spraying in the area?

The damage has the hint of a selective weedkiller to it similar to lawn weed killers like 2,4D.