When and how is the weeping willow pruned?

The weeping willow must necessarily be pruned

The weeping willow is one of the most graceful trees out there. Its waterfall-shaped canopy provides excellent shade throughout spring and summer, and is also not very demanding. But, if we want it to look as or prettier as ever, we have to know how it is pruned.

This is a task that, if not done correctly, can greatly harm our tree, so it is very important to know when and how the weeping willow is pruned whether it is in the garden or if we want to work it as bonsai.

Yes, that's right: pruning will not be the same if we want it to be a large tree, or a small tree in a tray. So let's see how it's done depending on this:

When is the weeping willow pruned?

The weeping willow is pruned in late winter

In the garden

El weeping willow It is a deciduous tree (leaves fall in autumn-winter) of very fast growth, ideal for large gardens. If it is allowed to grow and develop freely, it will acquire its own characteristic cup over the years, so that pruning is not really necessary.

Still, if we want to prune it we can do it at the end of winter, before the leaves sprout again. At these times the tree is still preparing to resume its growth, so it will not lose much sap. This is important, as sap is a substance that attracts insects that can quickly become a problem, such as mealybugs for example. Therefore, the less you lose, the less risk there is of this happening.

As bonsai

If you have it as bonsai, you have to know that there are two types of pruning:

  • Training: this is done at the end of winter, since it may involve cutting more or less thick branches.
  • Maintenance- Also known as pinched. It consists of trimming the younger branches a little, perhaps also removing some leaves, but not much. It can be done in spring and summer.

How is it pruned?

As a garden tree

To avoid rotting, the most important thing is to take a pruning tool (hand saw) that has been previously disinfected. With her, we will cut or trim only thin branchesWell, if we remove the thick ones, we would probably end up losing the tree after a few years.

What we have to remove will be the dry, diseased or weak branches. We can also trim branches - I repeat, thin - so that they branch even more and get a much denser shade. To make sure that everything has gone well and that no unpleasant surprises will arise, we can put healing paste on the pruning cuts.

As bonsai

View of weeping willow bonsai

Image - bonsaitreegardener.net

The pruning of the weeping willow bonsai must always be done with the style in mind. As we are talking about a weeping willow, its design will of course be weeping. This means that it will have long, drooping branches that will even rub the ground. Although of course, that is something subjective: it does not necessarily have to be that way. If you don't like it, you can trim the branches even more.

Once you get your copy, what you have to do is the following:

  1. If you have a tree that measures a meter or more, and the first branches sprout at half a meter, you have to prune it above these; that is, about 60cm from the ground. With this you will achieve two things: that it takes out lower branches, and that in the process the trunk grows a bit fatter.
  2. Before transferring it to a bonsai pot, it has to be in a large pot with akadama (on sale here) mixed with 30% kiryuzuna (for sale here) -or better, in the ground but with the roots wrapped in, for example, shading mesh so that tomorrow it will be easier to extract it- for a few years. You cannot start working on a real tree if it has a trunk that is 1 centimeter thick or less: it should be at least 1,5cm thick, although it should be 2cm thick. During that time, it will be fertilized with nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
  3. Then when the trunk measures what we want, it will prepare for the first transplant in late winter. That is, it will be removed from the pot or from the soil in which it has been growing, and then its roots will be trimmed a little (no more than a third of the total size). Afterwards, it is planted in a bonsai tray.
  4. Next, we move on to its branches. The most advisable thing is to give it a natural style, that is why it is necessary that the first branches start at a certain distance from the ground; the rest is to be removed.
  5. Finally, if necessary, some branches can be wired, using suitable wire for this. But you have to try not to leave it for a long time, otherwise it would become embedded in the branches, leaving a mark that will not be removed.

From now on ... it will not be a bonsai yet, but a prebonsai. Someone very special to me once told me something like that a bonsai is not the tree that has just been planted in a tray, but the one that has undergone at least three transplants and has been working for all those years ( these trees are transplanted once every 2-3 years) keeping it with a defined design.

Therefore, much patience. You will see how the work will give you the results you are looking for, or who knows if it will improve. Pruning willows is a task that must be done with care.

We hope these tips have been useful for your tree.


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  1.   Ulysses gives rose said

    Hello: I really am antipoda of the trees that I have at home.
    My query is because this year during the winter I did not want to do sanitary pruning on my willow tree because I did not think it was necessary. but in reality spring started with a lot of water and the willow loved this so much that it developed a lot, a LOT ... so much that I was left without sun in the patio .. That's why I wonder if it is possible to prune it and cover the cuts with scar at this time ... will it be possible ??

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hello Ulises.
      Willows are pruned from little to nothing 🙂 They are naturally beautiful trees, and pruning can be very damaging aesthetically.

      However, if you have to, that is, if you have to prune it, it is done at the end of winter.

      A greeting.