[Home]
[Characteristics]
[Applications]
[Propagation]
[Living Willow]
[Other Willow Varieties]
[Purchase]
[Directions]
[Contact]
[Gallery]
Applications of Alligin Willow
|
Landscaping Plant screens to reduce traffic noise, limit visual impact of ugly architectural features, provide wildlife havens, create a barrier to drifting snow. Windbreaks can be allowed, after 2 – 3 years pollarding, with no further attention, to grow to full height (28 – 30 ft). Plant in a double or triple row, staggered, 2 feet between plants and rows. Hedges and Screens. Plant in a single or double row staggered, 1 foot apart. Interweave branches with help of twine or cable ties, as they grow, and prune to height and shape desired. Don’t plant too near building foundations or services. River Bank Stabilisation (Revetment). Live willow rods are interwoven between sturdy willow posts driven into the river bank. The willow sends out new growth into the river bank where the spreading mass or roots inhibits erosion. This technique is known as Spiling (see gallery) Fisheries. Willows alongside pond or stream provide shade and shelter for fish and water fowl. Crafts. Willows harvested annually after leaf-fall give a plentiful supply of long flexible straight rods, or ‘withies’, ideal for basketry and other woven products such as hurdles, vessels, furniture, corracles, wigwams for plant supports, cloche hoops, paper sculptures such as lanterns, and much more. For a range of rod sizes for crafts, plant 3 feet between rows, 2 feet between plants. Waste management. Willows will break down and purify effluents such as slurry and sewage. Transevaporation cells of willow dispel discharge which might otherwise contaminate watercourses. Similarly, willow will effectively assist Stormwater Drainage, Soakaways and Land Reclamation. Treebogs.For campsites, outdoor events, woodland walks etc, these temporary or permanent structures are toilets built over compost heaps, surrounded by a living wall of willow. Thus, through photosynthesis, problematic human waste is broken down in an ecologically friendly way, producing an annual willow crop for alternative use. Wood chips. A mulch for playgrounds, paths, animal bedding, soil conditioning, composting, weed suppression, biomass fuel, etc. Snow fences. Rows of willow can form an effective barrier against drifting snow. The annual harvest can provide nutritious fodder for all livestock. Abundant catkins in early spring attract pollinating insects when few other flowers have emerged, and are therefore usefully planted in orchards. The catkins also make an attractive decorative vase indoors alone, or when teamed with daffodils, tulips, etc. Willow stands provide shelter for many birds and the insects on which they feed. Game cover. Willow glades shelter and protect game-bird feeding and release-pen areas. Also, strategically-placed rows will lift birds in flight during a shoot, or provide concealment for the guns. Fun with Willow.See our section on Living Willow Structures and Sculptures. for some exciting ideas for projects, and details of our popular Living Willow Bower kits. Fuel for heat and energy in the home. Willow cropped every 3 to 5 years will give logs several inches thick. Thinner sections of rod can be tied in bundles (faggots) and fed into ceramic and masonry stoves, from which 2 hours burn can give 24 hours stored heat, suitable for sheds, greenhouses, etc. Plant rows 2 ft 6 inches apart, in pairs, with a "pathway" between each pair, for ease of access for maintenance and harvesting. 2ft between plants. Some Scottish suppliers of woodburning stoves: Highland Stoves, Unit 1, Whitedykes Ind. Estate, Cromarty IV11 8YB Tel: 01381 600 700 Website: www.highlandstoves.co.uk Backwoodsman, Barcaldine, Oban, Argyll, PA37 1SG Tel: 01631 720 328 Website: www.backwoodsman-stoves.co.uk Bonk and Co., 8 Harbour Road, Inverness, IV1 1SY (Tel: 01463 233 968) Also at Inveralmond Place, Inveralmond Ind. Est., Perth PH1 3TS (Tel: 01738 633 113 ) Website: www.burningquestion.co.uk Viminalis, with its remarkable rate of growth and vigorous response to regular cropping, is a sustainable, renewable and ecologically friendly medium for Biomass fuel production. A campaign is current to promote the use of woodfuel, led by Usewoodfuel Scotland, an EU funded partnership between Forestry Commission Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and Forest Research. More information is available at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13405171 The BBC website contains a vast resource of biomass articles with further useful links. Simply type "biomass" into the search box and click 'search'. or contact Northern Woodheat, The Project Manager, Highland Birchwoods, Littleburn Road,Munlochy, IV8 8NN. www.northernwoodheat.net Habitat and Landscape Improvement. Grant aid may be available to encourage farmers and Common Grazings Committees to adopt environmentally friendly practices and to maintain and enhance particular habitats and landscape features. Some useful contacts: Scottish Natural Heritage www.snh.gov.uk/funding The Woodland Trust www.woodland-trust.org.uk/communitywoodlandnetwork/aboutus/grants.htm Other useful contacts: Forestry Commission Scotland www.www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD), Longman Road, Inverness, Tel: 01463-234 141 Scottish Crofting Federation Unit 26, Kyle Industrial Estate, Kyle, IV40 8EG Tel: 01599 530 005 Fax: 01599 618 038 The SCF is the only member-led organisation dedicated to the promotion of crofting, and the largest association of small-scale food producers in the UK. www.crofting.org The Crofters Commission (assisting local development initiatives), Castle Wynd, Inverness, IV2 3EQ Tel: 01463-663 450 www.crofterscommission.org.uk Reforesting Scotland 58 Shandwick Place, Edinburgh, EH2 4RT tel: 0131 220 2500 www.reforestingscotland.org Scottish Woodlands Ltd, Mayfield, High Street, Dingwall IV15 9ST tel: 01349 - 864 999 |
[Home]
[Characteristics]
[Applications]
[Propagation]
[Living Willow]
[Other Willow Varieties]
[Purchase]
[Directions]
[Contact]
[Gallery]