Weeping Willow done for?

[Cody]

I planted a weeping willow two years ago, and '18 & 19' were very wet years. Tree grew very fast and sure seemed like it was flourishing. This spring came around and the lowest branch is the only one that's shown signs of growth. I trimmed it some before any signs of growth but not much. After that lower branch really took off I noticed the rest of the tree above that showed no signs of life, so at the advice from a nursery I trimmed a lot of it off, to what it looks like in the picture. I'm curious if anyone has an ideas as to why it may have died? I don't think it's root girdle or rot but maybe through the wet years it didn't get a very well established root system? I did have two cats use it as quite the scratching post and maybe that contributed to it. With it only being two years old, I'm likely looking at pulling it and planting a new one in it's place, I'm just hesitant to do so if it's a ground/soil issue. I don't think leaving it and cutting the main trunk off above that low branch is a good idea, but I've contemplated it. I've also thought of sticking a healthy branch in and growing one that way. Also, the branches further up have shown some life, they turned green but no leafs yet up top.

 

[blades]

I lost 1/2 dozen fruit trees due to the extreme cold snap 2 winters back( -31 deg F + wind chill). looks like a coulple more that were damaged then and looked like were going to make last summer are looking very poorly this y

 

[Cody]

I should have added that we did have a late freeze but our apple tree this year did great, hard to tell.

 

[Woodanhor]

In your picture of the trunk did something happen to it?
Animal damage?

 

[ATH]

In your picture of the trunk did something happen to it?
Animal damage?

I did have two cats use it as quite the scratching post and maybe that contributed to it.

I think that was more than a contributor. Looks like they scratched all the way through the bark.

 

[Woodanhor]

I think that was more than a contributor. Looks like they scratched all the way through the bark.

Lol I missed that part
I was picturing deer or voles

 

[Cody]

In your picture of the trunk did something happen to it?
Animal damage?

Yes, cat's used there claws to do that damage, I think in February I put a piece of 6" field tile around it. There are a couple sprouts off the main truck, above that lowest branch a fair amount that I noticed today. I've really wondered if I'm just being impatient.

 

[Woodanhor]

It might be a little early still
You could take some test cuts on the tips or scrape the bark on the tip and look for green
If the trunk damage is into the cambium layer it could contribute to the branch death

Also how deep is it planted

 

[Cody]

It might be a little early still
You could take some test cuts on the tips or scrape the bark on the tip and look for green
If the trunk damage is into the cambium layer it could contribute to the branch death

Also how deep is it planted

I think I need to leave it alone at this point but some of the branches I trimmed off I did that and they just seemed dry. So honestly I'm not sure that it's dead so much, as the moisture just isn't there due to a dry spring with not much snow melt, and the damage from a couple cats. As far as the roots go, I couldn't tell you how deep they go but my understanding is that if it's constantly wet then they don't develop very deep because they don't have to fight for that moisture. I think last year we might have had a couple two week periods where we went without rain, or maybe that was the year before. Either way, it's been planted for two years now, and both years were very wet. I was told the branches would be black if they were dead, and of course they'll snap easy, I know this but willow trees don't seem to follow some of those rules. I'll give it until the end of June for sure before I make a decision, just the last week or so we've been receiving a lot of rain, but even before that I was watering it 25-50 gallons a day.

 

[blades]

at 25-50 gallons a day I think you are flooding it out

 

[BC WetCoast]

Tree that size, 25 gallons, then leave it for a week and water it again.

 

[Cody]

I only did that after we had kind of a dry spell this spring, and I didn't do it for more than a week. We're getting a little bit more precipitation now. I was mainly doing it because I was curious if the roots were that shallow so I wanted to keep the top 1-2" of soil moist. Doesn't seem to be the issue. The branches without leaves aren't turning black, they had some green to them but that's gone now so is it just dying slowly? I'll keep you guys updated but can only assume that's whats happening.

at 25-50 gallons a day I think you are flooding it out

 

[johnnyballs]

leave it alone.....in 30-40 years, you'll wish you never planted it, it will be so big....

 

[Cody]

leave it alone.....in 30-40 years, you'll wish you never planted it, it will be so big....

That's the plan for this year, don't touch it anymore, at least during the growing season. I'll be back complaining about it in 20-25 years I bet, if I live another 40 I probably won't care at that point.