How to Trim Weeping Willow Trees
The weeping willow is an elegant tree with thick fibrous bark and pale green to white colored leaves. This willow's branches bend toward the ground, cascading into a pond or stream if you have one nearby. Like all willows, the weeping willow prefers a moist environment and will thrive if planted along the banks of a stream. Weeping willows grow 30-40 feet on average. These trees are fast growers and benefit from an annual pruning to maintain a desired shape. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Check your weeping willow for diseased, dying or damaged branches. These need to be removed for the health of the tree.
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Cut diseased branches where they join with the main branch, using lopping shears for large branches and clippers for thin ones.
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Disinfect your pruning equipment by soaking in a 1:10 solution of bleach-water after pruning each diseased limb. This will prevent contamination of an otherwise healthy tree.
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Cut back any suckers and water sprouts. Check the tree's interior canopy to see if there are branches that rub against one another. Since excessive rubbing could cause one branch to snap, thin the area with your clippers or lopping shears.
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Trim back any branches to a desired length. While the weeping willow's branches are designed to be low hanging, they don't need to hang on the ground.
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Tips & Warnings
While you can trim new growth from the branches at any time of year, it's best to undertake a full pruning in the late winter.
