Garden decoration and landscape design - exciting activity, allowing you to decorate the world around you. However, few gardeners know about such a plant as goat willow. Easy to care for, looks great in any season - such a specimen is a must-have in the garden.
General characteristics of the shrub
The plant belongs to the willow family and is correctly called bredina. Popularly, the tree got its name because its foliage became a favorite food of goats and sheep. Another common name is rakita. Throughout the year, the tent-shaped weeping shrub looks very attractive: soft seals cover the shoots in the spring, which are then filled with dense foliage and beautiful flowers until the fall. yellow flowers, in winter, against the background of snow, even bare shoots from greenish-gray to red-brown color attract attention.
The tree has an average size of 3 to 10 meters in height and a powerful, branched root system. The homeland of pendula is Europe, but it has taken root well in many other parts of the world, including Russia. Life expectancy is on average 30−40 years, but sometimes reaches 150 years. The shoots are long, weaving, cascading down to the ground - this is precisely what is of decorative value in goat willow.
Types of nonsense
Botanists classify the plant as a tree or tree-like shrub. Loves light, unpretentious in the choice of soil. For today The following varieties of goat willow are distinguished:
Tree propagation and cultivation
Propagated by seeds, grafting and cuttings. Seeds must be used after 10 days after ripening, otherwise germination is lost. Flowering begins in April with golden earrings about 10 cm long and lasts about 2 weeks. In May the fruit is formed. It has the shape of a box measuring 8 cm, which contains up to 20 seeds with fluffy growths.
It is easier to root a tree by cuttings. To do this, cut branches at least 10 cm long should be placed in a bucket for several days. The hole must have good drainage, fertilize with compost, place the cutting, bury it and provide abundant watering.
The crown should be formed immediately by cutting off the lower branches; the growth bud should always be directed outward.
Not every gardener can graft onto a standard tree. This is a rather complex process that requires certain knowledge and skill. Goat willow on a trunk does not take root in all varieties. Pendula is best suited for this. The original trunk can also be used as a standard. Subsequently you need to monitor your kidney very carefully so that it does not appear below the vaccination site. If this happens, then the kidney must be removed.
The best option would be to purchase a ready-made seedling from a nursery. When purchasing, you need to carefully check the tree to ensure it is healthy. The bark should be solid without cracks, and there should be no dead scales.
Soil preparation and watering
Bredina is not picky about the soil and will take root well in almost any conditions. But in the best possible way will thrive on loamy soil, which is dense and retains moisture well. In the spring for planting you will need a hole 40 cm deep and 50 cm wide (to fit the whole root system). At the bottom of the hole you need to make good drainage, then fill 1/3 with earth or better such a mixture; Combine compost, humus and peat in a 1:1 ratio; you can also add a little sand. Feed for growth nitrogen fertilizer, then place the seedling in the center and bury it.
After watering thoroughly, per week young tree You will need about 25 liters of water. To reduce moisture evaporation, it is recommended to make a layer of mulch near the trunk. To do this, you can use the following materials: sawdust, pebbles, expanded clay, peat, dried grass, paper. And also Regular hilling will be required, which will saturate the plant with oxygen and the soil will not crack.
Shrub pruning
It is the correct pruning that gives the goat willow a decorative weeping or spherical appearance. The formation of the crown occurs during the first few years of the tree's life. The shoots are cut short, leaving branches about 15 cm long. You need to make sure that the post bud is facing upward. Here basic pruning rules:
- Performed in June, after flowering. If produced in the fall, the plant may not bloom the next year.
- It is better for novice gardeners to monitor the growth of branches throughout the summer, periodically adjusting the crown. This method is also necessary for a young tree.
- In an adult tree, pruning is performed at 2/3 of the length of the branch.
Diseases and their treatment
The plant is resistant to many diseases, but sometimes they cannot be avoided. Powdery mildew may appear on the leaves ( white coating) or black spots are a fungal infection and are destroyed with special antifungal drugs and fungicides. Affected leaves should be removed, and spray the bush with a fungicide, for example Topaz. For black spots, you need to make sure that during watering, as little water gets on the foliage as possible, burn bad leaves and treat the surviving ones with preparations such as “Skor” or “Pure Tsvet BAU”.
Where is goat willow used?
Besides external beauty, the plant has found application in various areas of human life. Thus, its flowers are an excellent early honey plant; a hemostatic decoction, a cure for colds, a regulator of sweating, rheumatism and many other diseases are made from the bark. A decoction of the bark is excellent for treating stomatitis.. And excellent baskets and other products are created from flexible branches.
Goat willow - interesting tree, which has been growing in my yard for 15 years. At one time, I spent a long time understanding all the features of planting and care - I read specialized reference books and consulted with specialists. I will share my experience with you.
5 features
Description of the variety:
- height - up to 10 meters, crown width up to 8 meters. But there are other options, most often small; I’ll tell you about the most popular varieties below;
- willow bark is gray-green when young. Then the surface becomes brown, and cracks appear over time;
- frost resistance - good. The tree grows throughout most of Europe and is suitable for temperate latitudes. Therefore, the plant can withstand cold winters well and does not require additional insulation;
- the tree begins to bloom in April, when there are no leaves yet. Due to this, the site looks elegant for two whole weeks;
- the plant is widely used in landscape design . Due to its compact, dense crown, willow is suitable for limited space and blends seamlessly with almost all shrubs and trees.
Willow varieties
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Goat willow spherical
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Goat willow Mas
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Goat willow Pendula
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Goat willow Kilmarnock
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Video review from Greensad: Goat willow “Pedula”
Willow planting
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Stage 1. Preparation of planting material
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Stage 2. Preparing the landing site
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Stage 3. Plant the plant
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Stage 4. Water the seedling correctly
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Goat willow care
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Tip 1. Periodic watering
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Tip 2. Proper feeding
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Tip 3. Periodic loosening and pruning
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Tip 4. Treatment for diseases and pests
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Properly protect the plant from scab
- From heavy rains in spring or autumn, willow can become infected with scab.. It’s easy to identify the problem - the crown looks like it’s been burned by fire. You need to fight the disease like this: all damaged shoots are cut off and burned, and do the same with fallen leaves. Treat damaged areas copper sulfate and cover up oil paint.
Natalia Semenova:
Stone_Pine, it looks like a fungal disease. It might be willow scab. Many types of willows are susceptible to it, especially weeping forms. Rains in spring and autumn contribute to the disease. At mass destruction Scabby crowns of diseased trees take on the appearance of being scorched by fire.
In the spring, after the leaves bloom, a dark olive coating forms on the upper side of the leaf blades, consisting of mycelium (mycelium) and sporulation of the pathogen. Affected leaves turn black and die. From here the mycelium penetrates into the shoots. They turn black, become deformed and die.
Now remove all affected branches and burn them. In the fall, collect all the foliage and burn it. After removing diseased branches, be sure to treat the wounds with 1-3% copper sulfate and then it is advisable to cover them with oil paint based on natural drying oil. Now and early spring spray the plant with fungicides. And in the spring, starting 10–14 days after the leaves bloom, with an interval of 2–3 weeks, spray the willow with fungicides 3–5 times.
- Do not plant goat willow on a trunk in regions with cold winter . Only the usual unvaccinated options are suitable there.
Dune HD:
Please tell me, will the goat willow Pendula (Kilmarnock) live on the trunk in Novosibirsk? Or is it better not to try and not torment the plant?
What to remember
- Goat willow - unpretentious plant , which grows in the shade and does not tolerate standing water in the roots.
- The landing consists of selecting a seedling, preparing a hole, filling it with a nutrient mixture and abundant watering.
- Care consists of periodic watering, fertilizing, pruning shoots, loosening the soil and treating against pests and diseases.
Video: goat willow on a trunk. Kilmarnock
This plant is found throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Western and Central Asia. It is not found only in the tundra and alpine forests. It is called goat willow, willow or bredina. You can often see thickets of goat willow along roads, near houses, on forest edges and clearings.
Description and characteristic features
Goat willow is a plant from the Willow family. This deciduous tree, reaching a height of 10 meters with a trunk diameter of up to 75 cm. Willow is often found in the form of a woody shrub. The average lifespan of a plant is wildlife is 150 years.
Goat willow got its name due to the fact that its leaves and branches are a favorite treat for sheep and goats. Its favorite places to grow are fertile, rich soils with a high content of sand or crushed stone. Thanks to the branched root system, the plant takes root well on rocky soils.
Characteristic features of willow:
Cultivated goat willow is very decorative . It remains attractive at any time of the year:
- In spring, after the snow melts, the shoots are covered with fluffy flowers.
- All summer and autumn the tree is covered with thick, elegant foliage.
- In winter, after the leaves have fallen, willow branches stand out against the background of snow with a bright and unusual color.
Goat willow is widely used in landscape design. She is especially often placed on personal plots private houses and cottages. It reaches a height of 3 to 6 m. Goat willow on a trunk looks very impressive and attractive. Planting and caring for it is simple. The appearance of the plant depends greatly on the light and soil composition. The tree looks great in rocky gardens and on the banks of ponds. It binds the soil well with its roots, so it is often planted on the slopes of ravines.
Planting and propagation of goat willow
For goat willow, choose a sunny place, protected from drafts. The plant does not like swampy and waterlogged soils, so when planting you need to organize good drainage. Willow is undemanding to the soil, but it grows best on loam, although it can also grow on sandy soils. The main thing is that the ground is not limed.
Goat willow is propagated by seeds or grafting. Cuttings do not give good results. It is better to sow the seeds immediately after collection, as they quickly lose their viability. But it is best to buy a ready-made seedling from a nursery.
Willow is planted in spring or autumn so that the tree has time to take root and grow its root system. Add humus or compost to the planting hole. After planting, the plant needs regular watering- during the first week you need to pour at least 25 liters of water under it. If the weather is dry, then you need to water the plant as often and as much as possible. From the second year of life, the plant is watered once every 7 days. It also needs to be sprayed regularly in the morning or evening.
Goat willow is a plant that requires constant care. A growth often appears under the grafting site, which must be removed regularly. Otherwise, the vaccine will die. Goat willow also needs regular pruning.
The plant needs to be fed two or three times during the growing season. To do this, use complex fertilizers, superphosphate or potassium sulfur.
The area around the willow must be constantly weeded and weeds must not be allowed to grow. To do this, the soil is mulched with pebbles, paper, sawdust, peat, which also retains moisture in the soil. After watering, the soil must be loosened to prevent it from cracking. The plant is winter-hardy and does not require shelter, but young shoots need to be covered. The tree on the trunk must be covered for the winter.
Plant diseases and pests
Goat willow is resistant to most diseases, but it can sometimes be affected powdery mildew. This is a specific fungus that affects lower leaves crowns At the same time, a white coating appears on them, then they turn yellow and fall off. Antifungal drugs are used for treatment. Affected leaves are removed and burned.
Other disease attacking plant- This is black spotting. It is also caused by fungi. The disease is treated with fungicides. To warn fungal diseases, you need to regularly weed the ground around the plants. Watering is done in such a way that no water gets on the leaves.
Often willow is affected by pests: flower fly or willow leaf roller. To combat flower flies, water the soil around the plant. weak solution potassium permanganate. This destroys the larvae that live there. If there are too many pests, then insecticides are used.
Standard forms of wood
Standard varieties of willow are especially popular. Willow on a trunk is a cutting grafted onto a smooth, bare trunk - a trunk. It is used for decorative design plots.
The standard tree is easy to care for and does not take up much space. To keep it from losing its shape, it requires regular and correct pruning. Most often, goat willow “Pendula” is used to form a standard tree. Planting and caring for this plant is not difficult. With it you can get beautiful tree with vertically hanging branches.
Used as a rootstock different varieties willows:
- red;
- furry;
- creeping;
- whole leaf.
Willow variety "Pendula" has dark green elliptical foliage, which turns yellow in autumn. The tree reaches a height of two to three meters. It has a tent-shaped weeping crown. It is shade tolerant and light-loving plant, which grows in soils of any moisture content. As a rule, it lives no more than 30 years.
Landscape designers use willow as a single tree or as part of decorative groups. It is planted in rock gardens or near ponds. The tree goes well with low conifers, ground cover and moisture-loving plants. It is propagated by grafting onto a standard.
The greatest difficulty is pruning the plant. It is especially important to produce it in the first year after planting. If the crown is not formed correctly, the branches of the plant will fall to the ground and it will lose its decorative effect.
U young tree after flowering, the branches are cut off, leaving shoots 12–15 cm long. At the same time, buds are left directed to the side or upward, but not inside the crown. In this way, you can form a crown in the form of an open umbrella. In an adult plant, the branches are pruned after flowering to two-thirds of the length. So the crown becomes more branched.
Another commonly found variety of goat willow is the 'Kilmarnock' willow in a trunk.
It's small standard tree up to one and a half meters high. It has a weeping crown and long drooping branches stretching to the ground.
The plant has slightly wrinkled green oval leaves that turn yellow in autumn. Willow blooms in April. Numerous golden earrings with a pleasant aroma appear on the tree.
The plant does not tolerate flooding well, as it has a shallow root system. At excess humidity the roots may rot.
Willow "Kilmarnock" is a light-loving, frost- and wind-resistant plant. It is grown in light areas with light loamy soils with low lime content. Kilmarnock goat willow trunks are often grown in garden plots. Planting and caring for the plant is simple. It needs to be watered and pruned regularly.
Medicinal uses
Willow is medicinal plant, the leaves, catkins and bark of which are used to treat various diseases.
Its leaves contain the following beneficial substances:
- vitamins;
- essential oil;
- organic acids;
- lipids and catechins.
A decoction is prepared from the inflorescences of the plant, which has a wound-healing, antipyretic and soothing effect.
Medicines prepared from willow have the following therapeutic effects:
- eliminate inflammatory processes;
- stop bleeding;
- heal wounds;
- fight helminths.
Willow is included in medicines for whooping cough, tuberculosis, gout, and rheumatism. Decoctions of earrings treat arrhythmia and tachycardia. The bark is used to treat colds and gallbladder diseases. It is used to make baths that help against fungal diseases. However, willow medicines are contraindicated for people suffering from gastritis. Pregnant women and children should also be careful when using willow products. There are no contraindications for external use.
goat willow
- This is a tree or shrub that belongs to the Willow family. Another name for it is nonsense.
It grows throughout Europe, except for the tundra and alpine forests.
Prefers gravel pits, quarries, light forests, bushes, wastelands, forest edges, hillsides and places along water bodies and roads. Loves fertile, fresh and moist soils.
Goat willow: description and decorative properties
The plant is a small tree, 3 to 6 m tall, sometimes growing as a shrub. The root system of goat willow is very branched, so the plant thrives on rocky soils. It grows very quickly.
The advantage of the tree is that it looks beautiful at any time of the year. In spring, the shoots are covered with fluffy “seals”, from summer to autumn the crown is covered with dense foliage and beautiful flowers, and in winter, shoots of unusual color contrast beautifully against the background of snow.
The young tree has a greenish-gray bark color, which becomes red-olive or red-brown with age. Depending on the variety, the leaves may be lanceolate or ovoid. They reach 13 cm in length and 8 cm in width. The leaves are dark green in color.
Did you know? The name "goat" willow was popularly given to the people for the special love of goats and sheep for the foliage and young shoots of the willow. At the same time, in Rostov region Russian Federation it is included in the local Red Book.
The shoots of the tree are flexible, twig-like, descending to the ground. If the tree is planted in an area with sufficient lighting, the plant forms a lush crown. It is this that represents the high decorative value of the plant.
In spring it is covered with fluffy “seals”. They represent a rod around which numerous flowers are arranged in a spiral. Due to the ripe anthers, male flowers have a golden halo. The pleasant aroma of flowers attracts many insects, so willow as a honey plant is very valuable plant. As a rule, goat willow is frost-resistant, unpretentious to the soil, and light-loving. 
Choosing a landing site
When choosing a planting site, keep in mind that the plant is very light-loving. In addition, it reacts very sensitively to strong drafts. The superficial root system is sensitive to moisture, so during planting it is necessary to lay a good layer of drainage. In order for the roots to grow faster, a fertile mixture, humus, and compost should be added to the planting hole.
Important! Goat willow propagates either by grafting or by seeds. Cuttings do not bring the expected result. In addition, the seeds lose their viability 10 days after ripening, so it is better to sow them immediately after collection. But it’s easier to buy a ready-made plant seedling from a nursery.
Willow is not at all picky about soil, but it has been noticed that the most lush specimens grow on fresh and light loams. Loves moist soils, but does well in dry sandy soils. The main thing is that there is no lime in the soil.
Optimal time and planting of seedlings
It is better to plan willow planting in spring or autumn. Then the plant will have optimal conditions to take root and grow the root system.
The first time after planting, it must be constantly watered. In a week, you need to pour at least 25 liters of water under the tree. During dry periods, watering is carried out more and more often. From the second year of the plant’s life, you can water it once a week. 
Willow care and cultivation
Goat willow, in addition special rules planting requires special care. It is important to regularly remove the shoots that constantly appear under the grafting site. If this is not done, the vaccine will die.
Caring for a tree involves periodically feeding it; from the beginning of the growing season until the start of the dormant period, no more than 2-3 feedings can be carried out. For this purpose, complex fertilizers are used, and in the fall - potassium sulfur or superphosphate.
In order for the formation of willow to proceed smoothly, it is necessary to weed the soil around the plant in time and retard the growth of weeds as much as possible. To do this, the soil around needs to be mulched: expanded clay, paper, sawdust, peat, pebbles. In addition, this will help retain moisture in the soil. If the soil dries out too much or cracks, it must be loosened after watering.
The tree requires regular pruning. As a rule, pruning of goat willow is carried out at a height of 30-60 cm.
The plant is considered winter-hardy and does not require shelter during the cold period, but in severe frosts Young shoots, which should preferably be wrapped, may be damaged. It is imperative to cover the tree on the trunk. 
Goat willow on a trunk: height and pruning for shape
Not every variety of goat willow is suitable for growing on a trunk. The Pendula variety is considered ideal for this. The native tree trunk is used as a standard. With this type of cultivation, it is important to give it the desired shape in the first years of the tree’s life, otherwise the branches will quickly reach the ground and spread along it.
Important! Some gardeners try to propagate a tree by grafting onto a standard. But this procedure requires deep knowledge and rich experience. Even experienced gardeners Such a seedling does not always take root, so it is better to take it from a nursery.
Having planted a tree on their property, gardeners think about when to prune the goat willow. The first pruning is carried out already in the first year of the seedling’s life, cutting off young shoots from it. They should not exceed 15 cm in length. The remaining part must have at least one bud. Make sure that it is not turned inward of the crown, but to the side or up. This is the only way to achieve the desired shape of the plant crown.
Mature trees are also subject to pruning. It is carried out every year after flowering. Trimming goat willow on a trunk requires shortening such shoots by 2/3 of the length. Over the summer, the tree will send out new shoots, which will cause it to branch densely.
Goat willow in landscape design
The tree is characterized by the rapid formation of a dense root system and, in principle, rapid growth. Therefore, it is often planted in parks, squares, on the turns of paths, on the shore of a reservoir, alpine slide. It can be planted either alone or in proximity to other plants. It is often used to form a hedge.
Goat willow in landscape design goes well with evergreen trees, dwarf conifers, ground covers, and perennials.
Possible problems when growing goat willow
It is believed that the plant is resistant to most diseases, but sometimes some diseases appear on it. For example, a white coating appears on the leaves, which indicates that the plant is infected with powdery mildew. Its causative agent is a specific fungus that attacks the leaves located at the bottom of the crown. Over time they turn yellow and fall off. The disease can only be combated with antifungal drugs.
Black spotting may also appear on the leaves, which is also caused by fungi. Fungicides will also help get rid of it. As a preventive measure, it is recommended to weed the ground under the tree more often and ensure that water does not get on the leaves when watering. 
Willow diseases are not the only problem that can arise when growing it. It is often attacked by pests, such as flower flies or willow leaf rollers. Flower flies can be controlled by watering the soil around the tree with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This will destroy the fly larvae that live there. If there are too many pests, insecticides must be used to control them.
If you properly care for the tree and protect it from diseases and pests, the willow will delight you with its beautiful appearance- Her life expectancy is on average 30 years.
Well-lit and protected from the wind places are recommended. Prefers moist soils, but grows in moderately dry and even dry sandy soils. Should be avoided high content lime in the soil. Before planting, dig a shallow hole, mix the soil with compost, and fill the hole with a drainage layer of crushed stone and gravel. After planting, the soil is compacted and watered abundantly. Young plants are watered 2-3 times a week.
