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Weeping Willow Trees

Q.Will pruning a Weeping Willow slow down the growth of its roots?

Zone OX266FY | Anonymous added on October 14, 2020 | Answered

I have a weeping willow relatively close to my house (at about 10m) and the tree is starting to have a considerable size. I haven’t had any issue with its roots but obviously, I cannot see them so I don’t know how likely it is that I will have issues in the future.

In order to reduce risks, I have been advised that an intensive pruning once every couple of years will slow down its overall growth rate (as well as constraining its roots’ growth too). Do you agree with this and/or is there another way of dealing with it?

Thank you very much.

A.Answers to this queston: Add Answer
GKH_Susan
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Answered on October 17, 2020

My research shows weeping willows should be at least 16 meters from your home and any other structure or underground utility. They actually are not recommended for residential yards because of their size and the roots propensity to seek out water. The shallow roots can upend a nearby sidewalk or cause bumps in the yard that are hard to mow.
The only thing I saw about restricting the roots was to hire a landscaper to install a root guard. I didn't see any correlation cited between pruning the tree and slowing the root growth.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/willow/weeping-willow-pruning.htm

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