About 45 years ago, probably in 1967, when we were living in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, my eldest son won an art contest at school with a painting of a gorgeous weeping willow in the yard across the street from us.
The following summer in July on a very hot day, there was a dreadful electrical storm. The willow was split down the middle. I joined the neighbors in a crying fest and then asked for some cuttings. I was told by all the neighbors I couldn't plant in the middle of the summer. I was bound to try. I am a very stubborn person and not willing to give up on most things.
Now you have to understand about the soil in Oak Ridge. It is awful! There is a problem with huge rocks about a shovel's depth underneath the surface. These must be dug out before any sort of planting can take place. When I found a place for my tree, I was met with a "boulder" about 14 inches long and probably that big around. It took at least 45 minutes to dig that rascal out leaving a perfect "bowl" to hold all the water I was planning to give Mr. Willow.
I stripped all the leaves off some of the branches and put them in there along with some other goodies, like potting soil and such and planted my tree. It got a good watering every day and started to flourish. I must add that while I was planting the tree, all my neighbors were standing about laughing at me. At least two of them had degrees in horticulture.
Several years later as willows are wont to do, he started causing trouble in the pipes. The owner/manager of our apartment complex told the maintenance crew to snake out those pipes every day if need be, but "do not" touch that woman's willow tree. We left Oak Ridge in 1977 and the tree was still alive and taller than the 2 story building. Eventually the building was sold and torn down and the tree had to be removed for a business complex of some sort.
I suppose what I want to say is if you really want something to grow, and take very good care of it, you can plant it any time and expect it to flourish.
By Marty Dick from Knoxville, TN
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It's been so long ago that I forgot to mention the cars on the 4 lane behind the complex slowing down to see the tree planted by the crazy woman. It was a small town so everyone knew all about the willow on North Purdue.
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