Can you root a weeping willow

Many of the warm season grasses we grow, such as bermuda grass, buffalo grass, and blue grama, are much more drought tolerant and will survive longer periods of drought.

These are often the grasses that reappear after dry periods. There are other native grasses that also survive. Fescue, often used in lawns, is intermediate in response. It can tolerate somewhat more drying than the bluegrass but not as much as the drought tolerant grasses mentioned above.

Marisa Y. Marisa Thompson at desertblooms nmsu. Please copy your County Extension Agent and indicate your county of residence when you submit your question! Issue: November 1, Starting willow trees from stem cuttings Question: Can I successfully start a new tree Willow from the tree cutting? Answer: It is possible in the case of some tree species, but not all of them.

Does drought really kill grass? Question: If grass is deprived of water, does it really "die"? To mix up a batch of willow water simply cut a few willow branches that are green and supple and about the size of pencil.

Then cut the branches into 1-inch pieces and smash them with a hammer. Next, bring a pot of water to a boil, drop the willow stems into the water and remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to steep, stirring occasionally. Once cooled, it is ready to use. In addition to using willow water for rooting cuttings, you can also pour it around young transplants to help accelerate their root development.

You can propagate willows by cutting branches any time of the year. Spring may be the best season because of the ample rain and the new tree will have the entire summer to become established before winter. Take a cutting that is about inches long and the diameter of a pencil. Stick it vertically into the center of the prepared planting area, burying the bottom two-thirds of the branch.

Firm the soil around it. Water the weeping willow branch thoroughly to evenly moisten the surface soil. Keep it moist until you see new growth when spring breaks. Apply about 4 to 6 inches of mulch to the planting site to retain moisture and keep the area free of weeds and lawn grass. Mulch from the branch to about a 3-foot radius. Give the young willow tree a good soaking weekly in the absence of rainfall throughout its first year. Weeping willows form ambitious root systems that relentlessly seek underground water.

Weeping willow trees quickly develop surface roots that can lift sidewalks out of the ground and damage lawnmowers.