*Contented Sigh

This time of year, the willow varieties look so obviously different. About a week ago, they looked like leaf lettuce in low mounds of pale green, grass green, dark piney green, and splashes of pink, purple, and citron.

We have found a touch of fungal blight in a few varities that we chopped out and then sprayed for with our magic mixture of water, soap, and baking soda. But otherwise this is the season of hope in willow growing. They all stretch up so quickly in the spring, and we haven’t had to weed or fight Japanese beetles, spotted lantern flies, or aphids yet. Drought hasn’t retarded growth and create branchiness in any of the rods.

As far as we know, right now, this could be the best harvest of willow we’ve ever gotten. All straight rods with no bug damage to speak of. *fingers crossed.