Landscaping with spherical willow
Due to its beauty and unusual appearance, the spherical willow is very popular in parks and garden plots of our country. Even by planting only this decorative type, you can create very original compositions and whole gardens. Such trees lend themselves well to curly cutting, they are traditionally used in single or group plantings and as hedges.
Spherical willow in landscape design
To decorate the site, it is enough to find this tree in spring. Cut a couple of twigs from it and plant them in the ground. And next season you will have a spherical decorative masterpiece growing up. For better clarity, we attach a photo of a spherical willow in the landscape design of a garden plot.
The brittle willow grows up to 15 - 20 m. Its branches with leaves are concentrated at the top of the crown and give the tree a very attractive appearance. It has large lanceolate leaves, with small serrations along the edges, the upper side is green and the lower side is bluish. In the fall, the foliage turns yellow-green. The spherical willow bloom begins in May and coincides with budding. The glossy shoots are olive green and root very well when planted.
The tree is unpretentious, frost-resistant and tolerates pruning well. This type of willow looks very picturesque in single and group planting of 3-4 pcs. And also looks spectacular in combination with birches and spruces in large areas.
The brittle willow has a variety called Bulat spherical willow. The tree is of average height, about 7 m, although sometimes it grows up to 15 m. And the width of its crown can reach 8 m. The crown of the tree is very dense, beautiful, regular spherical sometimes dome-shaped. Elongated, pointed dark green leaves are concentrated at the top of the crown. The shoots are olive green.
Bulata is unpretentious, resistant to winds. Does not freeze even in severe frosts, withstands up to -50 degrees.
The main advantage of this willow is that it is ideal for shaping. With pruning, you can make any shape or height of the plant. Most often used to create compositions along with large, tall ornamental trees. One or two willows or several of these trees look especially picturesque on the shore of the pond, they can also be used for hedges.
As a result of the work of the Ural breeder Shaburov, another decorative frost-resistant variety was bred - dwarf spherical willow. This ball can be up to 3 m in diameter and becomes denser with frequent pruning. Annual shoots are reddish in color. Leaves are small, 5-10 mm, with small serrations along the edges and slight pubescence on both sides.
It is characterized by high winter hardiness, resistance to pests and infections, perfectly tolerates pruning. Ideal for hedging and gardening bonsai.
Features of planting spherical willow
In planting and care, the spherical willow is completely unpretentious. But be sure to take into account the general recommendations.
The landing site must be completely open.The tree can grow on almost all types of soil, except for overdried sandy soil. But the best for him is clay fertile soil, where there is a lot of moisture.
Planting is advisable in spring (April-May), when the soil is still damp. Moreover, this time coincides with pruning, so cut branches can be used for propagation.
The spherical willow is easily propagated by cuttings. Let's see what needs to be done for this.
- In the spring, you need to choose annual shoots on the tree, which are easy to recognize by the presence of buds.
- Shoots must be cut into cuttings of 20 - 30 cm, be sure to leave 5 - 7 buds at the top.
- Then select the thickest cuttings and plant half the length in the ground.
- The soil should be wet and in close contact with the cuttings, so after planting they are thoroughly watered.
- After about a couple of weeks, the plant will put down strong roots. All this time it needs good watering.
Shoots should be cut in early spring, before buds open. Otherwise, rooting will be much worse or not at all. While timely cut off shoots root perfectly even without special stimulants.
Selective varieties, such as Shaburova's spherical dwarf willow, are immersed in the ground along with the substrate. In this case, the seedlings must be carefully removed from the containers and planted in a trench at a distance of 50 cm between the bushes.
It is advisable to root the cuttings not in water, but immediately in the soil. Despite the fact that cuttings take root faster in a glass of water, problems may arise with them during planting. Often this simple procedure can lead to their death.
Willow care and pruning
For trees to grow well, they need proper care, watering and replenishment.
This plant loves moisture very much, therefore, the first year after planting, the spherical willow needs abundant watering. And in the hot summer season, an adult tree requires additional crown irrigation.
Every year, in early spring, the soil around young plants should be loosened and applied complex fertilizers... At the end of summer, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
The spherical willow in the landscape design of the site necessarily requires shaping. It is better not to cut the tree for the first years after planting. And when they reach a height of 1 m, you need to start trimming.
What is this procedure? In early spring, young shoots should be cut by 15-20 cm, while leaving the buds at the ends of the branches. It is necessary to cut off the shoots at an angle so that water does not stagnate on the cut surface. It can cause wood to rot.
It is necessary to maintain the optimal distance between the cut and the nearest kidney. If you cut it close to the bud, there is a risk that it will dry out or freeze. If the distance is too large, then a stump is formed, where the infection can penetrate.
Some novice gardeners are wary of cutting off the shoots so as not to harm them. However, without pruning, the decorative look will not have a thick and beautiful crown.