How To Train A Weeping Pussy Willow To Grow Taller
by
Joy Us garden
(IC: blogger)
Make this beauty grow taller with this pruning tips.
I had zero experience with growing and maintaining this plant because it’s not often seen in California. Although there were quite a few Pussy Willows growing around the pond on my childhood farm in New England, I didn’t even know there was a weeping variety. My client, who lives just south of San Francisco, had been her eye on this weeping beauty in the Wayside Gardens catalogue and finally ordered her coveted specimen. I’ve had quite a few questions about how to get a Weeping Pussy Willow to grow taller. After 13 or 14 years of pruning and training this 1, I want to share with you what I’ve done.
The Weeping Pussy Willow before its pruning. It was starting to eat up the rhododendron!
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Training this plant to grow tall takes a bit of effort but it’s well worth it.
This Is the graft.
This Weeping Pussy willow has grown more in width more than in height. It turns into a massively foliated blob if not pruned a 2-3 times a year in the temperate coastal California climate. Pussy Willows are tough and are actually pretty easy to maintain. We’ve lovingly nicknamed this plant “Cousin Itt”. And yes, when now left unpruned this specimen turns into the leafy version of the amusing character from the Addams Family. It received a really bad haircut about 2 years back but with a hefty dose of restorative pruning has returned to it’s healthy, weeping fullness with a vengeance.
I remove those shoots growing up on that picture.
To get this plant to grow taller, I’ve selectively left some of the branches which arch up and out. I’ll then tip prune them to insure upward growth.
Enjoyed the project?
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Published August 22nd, 2016 2:57 PM
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