Q.Re Weeping Pussy Willow In Shock
Meet Willow, brought him home in April covered in catkins and otherwise appearing perfectly healthy. He lives in a 6″ metal container that is slightly larger than his root mass so that only the base of the root mass is in direct contact with the container. He gets full morning sun until noon at a constant 74°. Willow took to his new home like a duck to water. In May he began casting off his catkins and producing new shoots at an amazing pace. All of the foliage bearing shoots pictured were produced during a 2-3 week period with prolific foliage. I was amazed at how rapidly he was growing. At the time he was drinking a cup of water ever other day and this was not sturating the root mass. As I was able to lift him out of the container and examine the root mass I could see, especially on sunny days, that he was easily taking a cup per day. Not have been one to let a good thing go unspoilt, I ampted up his water to 1.25+ cups every day. Intitially all appeared well despite his feet sitting in water for a few hours while he sucked it up readily. But soon his leaves began to yellow and drop… I realised I’d goofed. I immediately added a bed of pebbles into the container and cut his water to .5 cup once his leaves began droopng a bid. But this only worstened the situation prompting his leaves to brown and drop… so I increased his water to .5 cup eod. This appears to be maintaining and staved off further leaf loss but Willow appears to have gone dormant in the process. He’s lost over 50% of his foliage and he’s not producing any new growth. There are buds along the new shoots and beginnings of what appear to be leaves at the base of these buds but this is all earlier growth and this and any shoot outgrowth appears to’ve be stunted. Now, drinking .5 cup eod, growing new roots and showing signs of recovery, the roots began browning Flummoxed What to do and what exactly are those buds???
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Willow definitely needs a larger container. Pussy willow trees grow fast and they have long roots. It especially needs more length in the container for the roots to grow. You can increase the water but reduce it to twice a week. I suspect it was getting water too often.
The buds are the catkins forming for next spring. They will remain dormant through the winter.
Incidentally, adding pebbles to the container does not improve drainage, in fact, it can hinder drainage.
Here is more:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/pussy-willow/weeping-pussy-willow-care.htm
https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c80
