{"id":10,"date":"2024-07-01T01:52:11","date_gmt":"2024-07-01T01:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smrry.com\/permaculture\/?p=10"},"modified":"2025-02-08T11:14:01","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T11:14:01","slug":"willow-propagation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/smrry.com\/permaculture\/2024\/07\/01\/willow-propagation\/","title":{"rendered":"Willow propagation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One thing I love doing with plants and trees is propagating them. Scottish people have a reputation for being frugal cheapskates \u2013 Aberdonians even more so, so getting more plants at zero cost brings an understandable amount of joy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can get unlimited trees \u2013 for free!?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Willow
A propagated willow cutting with buds showing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By far the easiest to propagate, of any plant or tree I\u2019ve attempted \u2013 has been willow. A notable mention also goes to mint which can easily be propagated in water, root within a few days and then spread like wildfire in your garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have to give a shout out to the landlord of my previous residence in Aberdeen who\u2019s no doubt still dealing with a garden overgrown with mint by now, from the 10+ mint bushes I propagated from a single Tesco mint plant. At least it smells nice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why willow?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So many reasons! Willow has an almost endless list of uses and applications. Combine this with the fact that it\u2019s easily propagated and grows at a ridiculous speed, it\u2019s an obvious choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growth rate<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m not sure how Willow stands in the league table of speedy growers, but I\u2019m guessing it\u2019s near the top. This stuff grows like wildfire when propagated from healthy branches. I\u2019ve read that the larger the cutting, the more \u201cenergy\u201d (nutrients, perhaps?) the cutting has to produce new and large shoots. If you get something in the ground over the winter, you\u2019ll have long shoots of growth starting in the spring which could be a couple of feet long by mid-to-end of summer in my experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raw material<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willow is a great raw material \u2013 a resource that\u2019ll probably be increasingly valuable to have on-site in the future apocalyptic climate wars (which I\u2019m very much looking forward to living through.). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if we do get our act together and avoid climate-induced societal collapse \u2013 how great is it to have a never-ending, private supply of wood? It can be coppiced each year with the larger branches being used as renewable sources of firewood. Larger willow stakes are often used for fencing, and more notably in river bank strengthening and restoration where stakes are interwoven with each other. The stakes then take root and strengthen the banks to stop erosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEPA have some guidelines on \u201cSustainable riverbank protection\u201d which I came across, and willow plays a leading role \u2013 <\/p>\n\n\n\n