# Hybrid Willow



## Buzzsaw1122 (Jan 14, 2007)

I have some swampy land - far from houses - that I would like to grow some trees ( in a hurry ) and soak up the moisture. 

Anyone have any opinions on the "Hybrid Willow" tree - They are advertised to grow 5 feet a year and have non-brittle wood. - Sounds to good to be true. Any opinions would be apreciated.


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## windthrown (Jan 14, 2007)

*Willows...*

Hybrid, eh? We have a dozen or so types of willows here on our property. Several are natives (Red, Sitka, Scholer, Hooker, Pacific and one or two others) and some from nerseries (French, weeping, twisted/tortured, and a few hybrid named types that I cannot remember off the top of my head). We have them around our ponds that flood here every year. Most will tolerate standing water and flooding. Some grow in water year round. Pacific and Hooker in particular grow in the middle if streams here. I have planted many of them along the stream banks here that flooded out last year. They all grow fast... 3-4 ft from stakes the first year. 

Rather than spend money on a willow, find one that you like next month and cut some branches off. Cut section 2-3 feet long and as wide as your thumb. Cut the base at a 45 degree angle and the top flat. Then drive them into the ground (or swamp) with a hammer, and forget about them. They will thrive. This method is called staking. Now is the time to stake (from now to spring bud break, really, as soon as the ground is not forzen and you can pound them into the ground). Really... I have planted hundreds of willows here on this property this way. I marked the trees in summer for type with colored plastic stretchy survey tape, and that way I can cut the species I want/need and stake them. I am about to plant more soon... I also have a lot of them potted up after rooting them in bundles last year. No need for that fancy potting though... staking works great, fast and willows will soak up a lot of water and prevent errosion along stream and pond banks. They will all grow fast. Main problem here with willows is with deer eating them back pretty hard. Around the house I had to add deer netting around them for the first 2 years so they could grow high enough to not get totally eaten. 

Don't spend money on willows! Cut and stake them!


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## Buzzsaw1122 (Jan 14, 2007)

*Great Information*

I just bought 40 acres of marshy land - And I don't have any donner trees - ( I'll have to find some ) But - I like your idea . Thanks - A friend of mine has rasberry bushes - and I was going to get suckers off him - to plant - Same general idea. I also have Red Maple Seeds - I bought off ebay for next to nothing that I'm going to try. 

I'd like to not only dry up the marsh - But also atract Dear and Turkey - Any thoughts on what to plant to nurture small game and Dear??


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## windthrown (Jan 14, 2007)

Buzzsaw1122 said:


> I just bought 40 acres of marshy land - And I don't have any donner trees - ( I'll have to find some ) But - I like your idea . Thanks - A friend of mine has rasberry bushes - and I was going to get suckers off him - to plant - Same general idea. I also have Red Maple Seeds - I bought off ebay for next to nothing that I'm going to try.
> 
> I'd like to not only dry up the marsh - But also atract Dear and Turkey - Any thoughts on what to plant to nurture small game and Dear??



Well, you can find some local willows and make cutting plantings pretty much any time of year. Now is the best time though. Deer LOVE willows, and so you are doing double duty sucking up water and attracting deer at the same time. Alders will also do OK in wet areas and grow fast. 

Be careful with raspberries. They do not like to have their roots always wet. You will need to plant them in one foot high mounds or dirt rows. The deer will also eat them to death if you do not fence them off (they will eat them first and then eat the willows). Deer like roses of any kind, berries, fruit trees, and a lot of shrubs. I had to put up fencing here to keep them out. We have deer and elk pretty much year round.


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## elmnut (Jan 18, 2007)

suny esf in Syracuse Ny is developing hybrids that will do what you want and possibly provide a source of income. Contact [email protected] for more info.


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## MarsCrash (Jan 19, 2007)

*Are you talking about Austree?*

One of our customers had a bunch of the Austree willows planted. They are growing exceptionally fast. I think their website is just www.austree.com. I can't vouch for their appearance or sustainability, but I know they grow fast.


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## elmnut (Jan 20, 2007)

I am refering to State University of NY Environmental Science and Forestry, they are developing hybrids for many uses, check it out!


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## Buzzsaw1122 (Jan 20, 2007)

*Thanks for the Replys*

I'm checking out the ( esp.edu ) link - typed in "Hybrid Willows" in their search icon - Lots of good information - Thanks - Found another good site local to Oswego NY - 

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dlf/privland/nursery/species.html

Also checking out the (Austree willows) tree - The "other" Hybrid Willow is the "salix" hybrid - http://advancedtree.com/tree_skyrise.htm -- Don't know the differance between the two types of hybrids - Hope to research with the "esp.edu" link. 

Thanks for the info - Hope to start planting as soon as the snow melts - Oswego gets the lake snow - and they have had a lot in the last 10 days. 

Please continue to post - Thanks -


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