i NEVER prune.. until the buds start swelling.. so i have a clue of what might still be alive ...

willow roots freely .. you might want to root a few of the pieces .. though it wont be on a standard .. you will still have the plant ...

only time will tell on the standard form ......

ken

I have two Nishiki Willow trees that are 5 and 9 years of age. I cut them back in late March or early April in Maine. They generally have 4-6 feet of growth from the previous year. Every 3rd year or so, I will take a chainsaw and cut back the ends severely as there are so many tips to put out growth for the coming year that they are over-crowded.
I have never seen any of these 3-5 inch cut ends fail to put out multiple growth tips after such a sever cutting back. By July, the tree will be as white as snow with 4-5 feet of growth waiting to be cut back the next year.
They are amazing trees when pruned properly.

Take care,

Thanks.

Some in my neighborhood are pretty amazing looking, and you can tell who does / doesn't trim them back, as the growth is brighter and more compact on those that are trimmed annually.

I've read you can keep trimming these back throughout the season for lush new pinkish/whitish growth, and if I do that, do I stop trimming around mid-July for Wisconsin?

I wonder how these fare in a semi-shaded area? Probably a more open habit?

Once established you can do what you want with these things, lol.

I think I pruned a couple back in late August and they were fine...not that you should, just saying these are the plants that Ken drives over with his truck and they spring back.

Here is a shrub form that I pruned hard in early early spring and by late spring it was "bushy" again.

{{gwi:329493}}

A word of caution about these and many other willows -- very susceptible to borers. I've lost more than one to them. Now I try to use a systemic on them yearly.

It's not so bad to lose a generic bush to borers, but when it's a grafted standard that you paid big bucks for.

Thanks. I remember reading about the disease susceptibility with these -- as such, I had planned on applying Bayer tree & shrub disease control, or whatever the product is called...I forget.

Nice shrub, Whaas. Is that in full sun? I'd be interested to see a specimen planted in part sun.

This guy is in part sun...shaded from southwest to west by a large hawthorn. That white fades by June.