How to Care for Willow Wood

Make sure your pruning tools are sharp to prevent causing tears or wounds in the willow tree.

Willow trees conjure up images of elegant pastural landscapes that evoke peace and relaxation. Unfortunately, willow tree wood can become threatened by a number of pests and fungal diseases. Other problems can include damage to the branches from extreme weather. To achieve the iconic image of the willow tree gracefully hanging over a body of water, it is imperative to care for the wood to improve its health and avoid having to remove the tree from the landscape.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• Spray bottle
• Bypass shears
• Pruning saw
• Towel
• Rake
• Latex paint
• Paintbrush

Instructions

1. Mix 30 percent water and 70 percent denatured alcohol in a bucket. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle to sanitize your pruning tools. Spray your bypass shears and pruning saw with mixture. Dry with a towel. Use the spray to clean the pruning tools between cuts to prevent spreading any pathogens.

2. Cut off any branches that display signs of harmful fungal diseases. To spot a harmful fungal disease look for tree cankers (swellings), olive colored fungi growing underneath leaves and whitish gray lesions on on twigs. Make your cut next to the branch collar or swelling that attaches the branch to the trunk of the tree.

3. Rake up any leaves underneath the tree, because they can continue to infect the tree with fungal spores.

4. Cut off any suckers or water sprouts to improve the overall health of the tree. Suckers steal vital nutrients needed for the rest of the tree. Look for suckers growing from the root ball of the plant. Dig a hole next to a sucker and make a cut flush with the root ball of the tree. Repack the soil.

5. Remove competing leaders from the tree. A strong willow tree needs one main leader. Competing leaders are vertically growing branches that cause the tree to become imbalanced and susceptible to winter damage. Willow trees have weak wood that tends to break if the tree is unbalanced, because of competing leaders.

Tips & Warnings

• Paint the willow tree bark with a mixture that is half white latex paint and half water on areas that are freshly pruned and allowing more sun to prevent sun burn or sun scald.

• Avoid pruning your willow tree when it is actively growing. Pick a time in the winter to prune the tree to reduce the risk of pruning shock.

References

• University of Florida: Weeping Willow
• University of Kentucky: Bark Splitting on Trees