Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Willow Trees!

How do I get rid of them? I've tried just cutting them down...alll this creates is a big
willow bush!

I've killed them with a herbicide called Remedy. On large ones, drill holes in the trunk and pour the herbicide into the hole. On smaller ones mix with water and spray as a foliar. Or mix with diesel and spray around the base. In either case drench well.

If they are on the dam you need to make a decision on whether to kill them or not. Decaying roots leave a void that can cause a leak.

Dave is right. Remedy with diesel and spray around the base of the tree will kill it. I use it to kill all sorts of trees.

A buddy of mine works is a city manager. They tend to put Round-Up in their chain saw oil. I'm not sure of the mix, but even just trimming trees a couple of times usually kills it.

Question: Can smaller willows do serious damage to a dam if kept in check?

I know that you don't want trees growing on your dam because the roots can penetrate the clay core and eventually create channels for leaks. But my research found that willows have very shallow root systems so I didn't think they would cause nearly the same type of problem as other trees as long as their size is kept in check.

I have a deep pond with a small stand of willows toward one end of the dam and I keep them in check with some clippers so they have created about a 12' tall by 8' wide bush overhanging the water. It looks attractive and is the only shady spot for the fish on the south facing dam of this pond other than the dock toward the other end of the dam. I'd like to keep them but won't do so if most of you think it's a really bad idea.

Thanks for your help.

Still wondering if anyone has any input on whether willow tree root systems run deep enough to cause serious problems to a dam if the willows are pruned regularly to stay small bushy structures.

Thanks for your help.

You are pruning the top, not the roots. They still grow, and the nature of a willow is to send its roots to water. I would not trust them to stop just because the top is small.

I bought a small pond that was infested with willow trees and saplings to the point the pond was unfishable due to the density of the willow growth. I've spent the last half of the summer clearing the banks of the trees so I that I can get a clear view of the water.

One thing I've noticed is that if I cut a tree off at the base and drop it into the water, roots will start to form from the branches that are wet and the tree will try to save itself! Also everything I cut and left rooted is starting to sprout again. I figure I will keep cutting and building brushpiles for the rabbits and spray the new stuff. I told my wife no matter how much I cut and spray, I don't think we will ever be rid of the willows.

If these are small willow trees the best thing to do is get a backhoe in there and remove the trees roots and all and get them out of your pond. You may have to do this a couple of times, but eventually you will get them under control.

Willows are easily controlled with a variety of herbicides and treatment methods, some of which have already been covered.
One of the aquatic glyphosate formulations (RODEO, AQUAMASTER, etc) should do a very good job on willows. Also, a new aquatic herbicide called RENOVATE is also very effective. 2,4-D is also a viable option.
In all cases, be certain that the product's water-use restrictions don't conflict with any water-uses that your pond provides (drinking, irrigation, livestock, etc.). Also, when conduction foliar (leaf-applied) applications, the addition of a surfactant (wetting agent) to the herbicide:water mixture is critical.

Question....I am presently rehab. my east shoreline some 500' or so with riprap rock into the water and up the bank some 4' creating a buffer zone for shrub/plants along this area up the bank around the grass. I used landscape fabric to help control the willows that I cut down (only small shrub type willows but left the root systems) along the waterline. Will the willows eventually break through this fabric and layers of rock???? Any thoughts/help would be greatly appreciated.

Rowly

I worked as a plumber for a long time. Have pulled willow tree roots from sewer lines. Roots from neighbors trees two doors down and roots from trees cut down a year or so earlier.

Willow trees ruined one of my small 1/4 acre forage ponds. I was ignorant of the potential problem they could cause and let things get out of hand. I finally poisoned them but the roots had already damaged the dam. It doesn't hold much water anymore.

Since then, I have been noticing West Texas ponds that no longer hold water. Almost without exception, they are ringed with willows and/or cottonwoods.