Tree advice please

u2me

We have a small willow tree (Salix integra ‘Pendula Waterfall’) which has had no green growth on the tree this year or last. There are a few new growths at the base. Anyone have experience of these and whether it might recover or is it just a case of replanting a new tree at this stage?

magicbastarder

try to bend one of the branches; is it supple or is there a dry snap?
or else see if you can scrape some bark off the smaller branches with a thumbnail; you should see green/signs of life under it.

wildwillow

It probably was grafted and the new growth is from the root stock.
Good idea to try to snap the twigs to test for life. If it is brittle and brown or looks dry inside, it's dead.

Work back towards to the main stem and test for life. Check the graft if there is one, to see if it has failed.

Otherwise try to find a reason for it dying, as the same may happen again.

u2me

Hi,

All dry apart from the base ones unfortunately so looks like it a replant, I just thought with the base ones growing there may be still some hope for it.

Took a few cuttings off the base and will see if I can get them to root. It was a nice little tree - sad to see it go but this is life.

Might put another tree there instead and replant another one of those in another spot in case there was another reason for it failing in that spot.

Thanks for the replies

wildwillow

The cuttings from the base will root easily but will give you an ordinary willow, probably not suitable for your garden.

Is the graft damaged?

u2me

Hi yep looks top grafted - it is there a long time 20 plus years, fell ina storm once and I staked it back up and its survived another few years doing ok but it finally gave up over the last two seasons. Prob grafted onto an ordinary Willow so...

wildwillow

A good opportunity to add something new to your garden.

Lots to choose from and consider scent and blossom

blue note

A related question - I have a medium sized tree in my back garden. It was beside a bigger tree which we cut down last year. A few of the branches that would have been blocked out by the bigger tree produced no leaves last year and haven't this year either (I don't know about previous years).

If they haven't produced leaves two years in a row are they dead? And is there any fear that I could unbalance the tree by removing them?

I assume if they're dead they will rot. And would I be right to assume that that rot could spread into the rest of the tree if I don't remove them?

wildwillow

A lot depends on what tree it is.

But the same advice stands to check if the branches have live parts.
Work back to the trunk checking for green pliable wood. If it snaps off it's dead.

Remove everything thats dead and prune any wispy branches to a node. It may produce leaves and then you can assess whether to prune the other side.

The tree will not necessarily rot just because part isn't growing.

u2me

wildwillow wrote: »

A good opportunity to add something new to your garden.

Lots to choose from and consider scent and blossom

It’s a tree horse race I’d say - acer, laburnum vossi or paulownia and maybe a few alliums around it.

wildwillow

Of those Acer would be my choice. Wouldn't plant a Paulownia, can be invasive.

u2me

Elongata is ok

u2me

Prefer the laburnum Vossi but it's poisonous so the maintenance would prob be too much to avoid the seeds ending up somewhere they shouldn't.

u2me

Decided it was too open a position for an acer so just going to plant a cherry tree there to see how that goes as they are nice and low maintenance

wildwillow

Can I suggest an ornamental apple tree instead. Lots of blossoms and the little bunches of fruit in autumn.

u2me

Already have an apple tree

wildwillow

You've got that covered so. Cherry is great also. Just showing my bias for the apple!!

u2me

Crab apple tree (Malus hupehensis, Malus Sun Rival) is also nice and is on the list for possible future replacements.