We have 2 weeping willows about 6 yrs. old and 1 empress tree about 5 yrs. old. This spring when they came back, half of the willows have dead branches. The empress tree started putting on its leaves but now it looks dead. What would cause this?
Most probably the vicious winter disabled many of your trees' systems. The best thing you can do is cut back the dead parts, and hope for the best. To make sure branches are dead, try bending - they'll bend if alive, snap apart if dead. Also scrape some bark off branches with a knife or fingernail - live growth will have green tissue showing.
How often should I fertilize my 2 ft weeping willow trees? Some are 2 feet and some are 4 feet tall.
Generally, these trees only require a one-time fertilizing in spring with a complete, balanced fertilizer high in nitrogen.
I rescued a weeping willow from a disused garden. It had grown out of shape and was a bit of a mess. It is approx. 7 yrs. old. It has thrived now but being new to this I need help to prune it. I have read your piece on it but, unfortunately, I have let loads of shoots grow from the bottom. They are 3 ft long now. Any suggestions on getting it back to shape without harming it?
If your tree is still dormant, I would go ahead and prune the tree to it's desired shape. Your aiming for a single trunk.
If the shoots you are referring to are just coming from the ground, trim them off at the ground level. This is common for willows to send shoots up from the roots, and they should be removed as soon as you see them.
Here are a few links.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/willow/how-to-prune-willow-trees.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/willow/grow-a-willow-tree.htm
My dwarf weeping willow tree gets part sun and regular watering. It looks healthy, with lots of leafing, but it doesn't get action or flowers. Any suggestions? The tree is about 3 years old. What is the best fertilizer?
A slow release fertilizer is recommended.
Here is a great link with care requirements.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/weeping-cherry/weeping-cherry-growing-tips.htm
What can cause a weeping willow to grow upright rather than to weep? Is there a way to correct this?
A previous pruning may have removed the weeping branches of the plant. The weeping comes from grafts and once the grafted weeping branches are damaged or pruned back to severely, the natural upright branches return. The long and short of it is that your weeping willow will not weep again if this is what happened. If this is the desired shape you want to the plant, you may need to replace it. That said, you can TRY to remove any branches that grow upright but leave any branches that arch out and downward, as they will form your weeping crown in the future.
It's June in Antelope Valley southern California. My weeping willow tree (40 ft) came in beautiful this spring but now all of a sudden the leaves are turning yellow. I've been soaking it 1 or 2 times a week. We have had some pretty heavy winds. Help, it's just now starting to look really healthy since we bought our home 5 yrs ago. Thanks, weeping me
Your tree is most likely needing more water.
Make sure your watering 10 gallons per inch of diameter of the tree trunk.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/willow/grow-a-willow-tree.htm
I've had a dwarf weeping willow for 4 years and the branches are crawling along the ground. The tree isn't growing any taller. It's still 1' tall and stick-like as when I bought it. Otherwise, it's healthy and bushy.
I would guess that at some point in time the main lead branch on the tree was damaged or even cut, with the intention of helping the tree stay small or to fill out better (very well could have happened at the nursery long before you bought it). Typically, when a lead is pinched like that, another one or two branches will take over and continue to grow up eventually, but it sounds like yours never did. Instead, it just grows out and not up. At this time, it is doubtful any of the branches will take over as a lead so it will likely never grow taller.