In the garden, the palm catkin should shine primarily with its fluffy catkin flowers. But if you make a mistake when planting, you may wait in vain for the abundance of flowers you were hoping for. So what makes a successful start?
How do you plant catkins correctly?
To plant catkins successfully, you should choose a sunny to partially shaded location with at least four hours of sunshine per day. A good planting time is spring, and drainage and compost in the planting hole are recommended. After planting, a first pruning should be carried out.
Location check as a first step
For lush flowering, the catkin needs a lot of light, which is why it is best placed in a sunny to semi-shady place. Minimum is four hours of sunshine per day. The location can be close to the pond because the plant likes moisture. Otherwise there are no soil claims. When looking for a place, keep in mind that some species require a lot of space as they develop a crown that can be up to 7 m wide.
Tip
You can improve sandy and dry soil with clay. If you leave it in sandy, the catkin will stay smaller. Maybe not such a bad solution for a small garden.
Wait for the ideal planting time
Containerware may enter the garden soil at any time as long as it is not frozen. Bare-rooted trees are intended for spring planting. Since the catkin generally roots well and quickly, it can also be in late spring.
Young palm catkins
You can buy young palm catkins in tree nurseries or propagate them yourself using cuttings. However, wild palm catkins are protected. From March 1st to September 30th, branches may not be cut for propagation purposes.
Note:Hanging catkinseed willows are all grafted and cannot be propagated using cuttings.
Planting step by step
- Submerge the container in a bucket of water until the root ball is saturated.
- Dig a planting hole twice as large.
- Mix the excavated material with compost (€12.00 on Amazon).
- Create a drainage layer, for example gravel.
- Insert the willow tree as deep as it was previously in the pot.
- Fill the planting hole with excavated material and press the soil down well.
- Water the catkin well and keep it moist for a few weeks.
First step in education
Depending on how the crown of the willow tree should develop, an initial training cut may be necessary after planting. Regardless of this, you should cut back the tree immediately after planting so that as much energy as possible flows into the roots.
Planting in pots
Palm catkins can also be planted in pots. Use a clay pot for this as it can store water better. Something else to pay attention to:
- to at least 40 liter volume
- there must be a large drainage hole
- be sure to create a drainage layer
- Use moisture retaining substrate
