Thanks so much for considering this question.
I have a 3.5 inch diameter curly willow tree that. I planted it with the intention to coppice it. I have two questions related to this.
1) Should I wait for the Spring to cut it and at what height?
2) will the new growth be curly?
I am a cut flower grower/florists and would like to continue to harvest its branches for arranging and don’t have room for a 40 foot tree so thought I would try coppicing it instead.
Thanks again for your help with this matter- I am both excited and nervous to cut it as I intended 3 years ago when I planted it.
Thanks for your interesting question about coppicing your three year old curly willow. The curly willow, also called a corkscrew willow, is a member of the Salicaceae family. It is native to Asia and its scientific name is Salix matsudana.
Coppicing (cutting all the canes of tree back to the base) is a good way to manage the size of your willow and encourage the growth of smaller canes from the base of the tree, which you can harvest for crafts or decor.
Your willow should be cut back in the dormant season—late winter or early spring, before bud swell. Use sharp, clean loppers, secateurs or a pruning saw to cut the tree back hard—approximately one inch from the ground. Make the cut on an angle facing the ground to encourage water to run off of it.
The branches should grow back curly and you should be able to coppice it again every 2 or 3 years.
Happy gardening!