Willow Plant Spacing

How you space your willow plants depends on your varieties and your goal. If you are aiming to maximize the number of plants in the space, and are planting upright growing varieties, you may space your willow cuttings as closely as 12” in the row and 18” between rows. Mt. Aso, Winter Glory, and Korso, (of the varieties we are currently selling) have more spreading habits, and while they will grow just fine tightly spaced, you may want to give them 24'“-36” spacing for ease of harvesting. Basketry varieties benefit from tight spacing, to encourage straighter rods.

Of course, if you are growing your willow in a landscape setting, not as a crop, you may want to space more generously. Perhaps 18”-24” for upright varieties and as much as 5’-6’ for Mt. Aso and Winter Glory.

Regardless of your application, unless your intention is to grow a tree, we recommend pruning to the ground every winter, (unless you are pollarding, see below) as new growth is always the most colorful. Don’t worry, the plant will grow back every spring/summer with amazing speed!

Pollarding is a method of pruning that promotes the new growth sprouting higher up on a single trunk. It’s good for keeping the rods up above any weed growth, out of the reach of some rodents, or simply at a higher level that is easier to reach for harvesting. To pollard your willow, coppice it to the ground the first winter, then, the second winter, select a large, central rod, and cut that one at the height you want your pollard. Cut all other rods as close to the ground as possible. Growth will gradually subside below the pollard, and all of the rods will grow out of the raised pollard.