"When I regularly prune a shrub, it has a spherical shape and the young leaves turn pink" - Ewa Gałęza, Wola Kiełczyńska
Over 4 years ago I moved with my family to a newly built house with a garden with an area of about 4 aresWhen the last works on the building were underway, my mother and I decided to take care of it for the surroundings, badly neglected during construction works.In spring we sowed fresh grass, and in autumn we planted, among others, Japanese willow. It is a shrub grafted on a stake with a spreading crown.
Substrate and position
Japanese willow is undemanding in terms of soil conditions and resistant to Polish winters. It just needs a bright and sunny position. In high season, it needs to be watered abundantly, especially in hot weather.
Forming the Japanese willow
Since I didn't know much about the Japanese willow at first, I didn't prune it. The bush developed a few thick twigs in the crown and began to lose its spherical shape.The plant was also uniformly green, although in other gardens I saw it beautifully colored in pastel colors.I decided to look for professional information.
I read on an internet forum that Japanese willow requires regular and decisive pruning. Then in spring, young leaves are pink, and in summer they turn white-green. Before their development, at the turn of March and April, silver bases, popular "cats" appear on the bush.
Care cut
Willow shootsI cut twice a year, trying to keep the spherical shape of the crown. I prune the shrub branches for the first time in the spring after the catkins bloom, and the second pruning is carried out in October. In this way, the willow has a dense crown and looks beautiful on the lawn. I advise you not to be afraid to trim the branches of the bush strongly. You can even leave a 20 cm shoot from the grafting site. The tree will quickly return to its former shape.
Japanese willow on the terrace
Japanese willow decorates the garden so beautifully that I also decided to use it to decorate the terrace. I bought a one-meter-long young seedling that will grow in a pot.I know from the experience of other plant lovers that these shrubs can also grow in containers.
Our garden is the best resting place for me. It is located away from the busy road, on a slight hill. There is peace and quiet here, and when the weather is sunny, from theterraceyou can admire the beautiful panorama of the forest and the surrounding villages.
Ewa Gałęza
