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How to Prune Young Weeping Willow Trees

Tip

If weeping willows are not pruned while they are young, they will not develop a dominant central trunk, but it will have no effect on the plant’s ability to grow.

Weeping willows are strong trees that can withstand major pruning.

Weeping willow trees are some of the fastest growing of shade trees, with a growth rate of up to ten feet in one year. Though they are often found near ponds and lakes, weeping willows can actually grow in most conditions. While weeping willows do not require pruning, if you want the weeping willow in a specific shape, it must be pruned while it is young.

Remove large shoots that grow up near the base and from the original trunk of the weeping willow. This will create one central trunk instead of many thick branches at the center of the plant. Use shears on small branches and a pruning saw as the tree grows and branches thicken.

Destroy any suckers that emerge from the base or the roots of the tree. Try to find the place where the sucker is stemming from, even if you must remove a little top dirt to do so. Tear each sucker away from the base instead of cutting if possible to destroy the fibers and prevent the sucker from growing back.

  • Weeping willow trees are some of the fastest growing of shade trees, with a growth rate of up to ten feet in one year.
  • While weeping willows do not require pruning, if you want the weeping willow in a specific shape, it must be pruned while it is young.

Trim the weeping willow to maintain its shape and direct its growth. Cut off any branches that are too close to the ground or they will continue to grow outward in a horizontal direction. Trim branches that get too long or are in the way of other items in your yard or garden.

Prune after leaves have fallen in the late autumn or in the early spring before bloom. Some branches are vital to the growth of the weeping willow. If these branches are cut during the growing season, it will stunt the growth of the tree.

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