Colorful-leaved ornamental trees, including the harlequin willow, are very popular. It can be grown as a shrub or standard tree. In both forms it needs pruning so that you can enjoy this attractive ornamental willow for many years. If you adapt your cutting measures to the respective growth habit, the pasture will remain he althy and beautiful.
When is the pasture trimmed?
The harlequin willow, like other willows, is pruned in spring. However, the exact time for pruning depends very much on your climate and weather. If severe, permanent frosts are no longer expected, you can cut back your harlequin willow in February. If the frost continues, it's better to wait a few days or weeks.
If you don't want to hinder or diminish the ecologically valuable flowering, then only cut back the harlequin willow after the flowering period. However, this can last until April or May. If a harlequin willow grows as a shrub, you can cut off up to two-thirds of the shoots; if necessary, even more. The willow tolerates cutting well and usually sprouts again very well.
Tip:
Only cut back your harlequin willow when severe permanent frost is no longer expected.
Why does the willow need pruning?
Without any pruning, your harlequin willow will not only lose its shape, it will also be significantly more susceptible to disease or infestation with pests and parasites. It also loses its attractive foliage color over time, as this is particularly evident on the young shoots. Inside the crown, the older shoots remain leafless and your pasture becomes increasingly bare.
Consequences of missing pruning:
- excessive and uncontrolled growth
- Loss of form
- densified crown
- Aging
- shoots susceptible to disease
- Greening
- Bald spots within the crown and in the lower bush area
How often should I prune my harlequin willow?
If your harlequin willow grows as a shrub, then in principle it only needs one pruning per year. Start this when your pasture is about three years old. The more and the more frequently you cut back the willow, the more vigorously it will sprout. If you want to keep your pasture small, you can achieve exactly the opposite with frequent pruning.
What do I have to pay attention to when cutting my willow?
Always only work with well-sharpened and clean tools. This will prevent the transmission of any pests and/or diseases as well as injury to the shoots being cut. Blunt tools can easily cause bruising; these areas then serve as entry points for a wide variety of pathogens. Ideally, you should prune your pasture on a frost-free day in spring when the sky is slightly overcast. If the willow is not pruned until autumn, the cuts heal less well. In addition, in spring you will more easily recognize shoots growing close together or crossing each other, and you should always remove one of them.
Pruning step by step
- Cleaning and sharpening secateurs
- cut off old, diseased and dry branches close to the trunk
- remove one of shoots that grow too close and/or cross each other
- Thinning out the crown
- shorten the outer shoots so that the crown is spherical
Is a standard tree cut differently?
If a harlequin willow is growing as a standard tree, cut the crown into shape and all shoots below the crown close to the trunk. Here too, pruning in spring is recommended, although pruning is often done again later in summer. This is especially necessary if your pasture grows very luxuriantly and quickly becomes out of shape. Due to the more frequent cutting, the crown becomes nice and compact and dense over time. It should be kept spherical or broad spherical.
The first pruning of the standard tree can definitely be done before the third year so that the crown develops as desired at an early stage. Make sure there is good harmony between trunk and crown. The more delicate the trunk, the smaller the crown should be, otherwise your harlequin willow may appear unkempt or too bulky. You can shorten the shoots to around 30 centimeters.
What should I pay attention to when cutting a container plant?
In principle, the harlequin willow in the pot is pruned in the same way as the same growth habit in the open field. Since the nutrients available in the pot are just as limited as the space for the roots, the pot plant grows slower and should therefore be cut back less.
How do I prune a sick willow?
If your harlequin willow is sick or has dry branches and twigs, you should immediately grab secateurs and prune all affected shoots. It is best to cut dry shoots close to the trunk. Tips that are infected with fungal pathogens or pests should definitely be cut back to he althy wood so that the willow can recover. The cut shoot tips must not be disposed of in the compost as diseases can then spread further in your garden.
Can the harlequin willow tolerate radical pruning?
The harlequin willow can recover well even from radical pruning. However, you should be careful with a standard tree. This is usually a top-grafted plant. If you cut off too much, all that is left is the unrefined base and you will no longer have a harlequin willow.
