How is willow grown?
Much of the present-day commercial cultivation of willow in Britain is localised around the rivers Parret, Tone and Isle in Somerset. The land has a high water table and is liable to occasional floods, so is not useful for other types of cultivation. But the soil of the area is fertile and well-drained, ideal for the willow. To establish new beds, willow cuttings, 20-30 cm long, are pushed by hand into the prepared soil, spaced to accommodate machinery. The beds are weeded and cultivated and may be productive for up to 50 years. Each year the shoots are cut back close to the ground to encourage several straight, unbranched stems to develop from a single shoot, a process known as coppicing. The stems stop growing at the end of summer, reaching a height of around 2 m. They are cut in early November when the wood is mature to produce the willow rods (also known as withies or osiers).
